THE ASYLUM ENQUIRY.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 65, 19 March 1881, Page 2

THE ASYLUM ENQUIRY.

» . FOURTEENTH DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. THE INSPECTOR'S EVIDENCE. The following is tha conclusion of the cross-examination of Mr. J. H. YVhitelaw, the Superintendent, elicited after we went to press yesterday afternoon : — I never struck a female patient in the faoo with a bunch of keys. I heard Cook (one of the witnesses for the defenoe) Bay that M'lntosh ran back to his cell after his shower bath, and I re* pent that he (M'lntosh) was taken baok. The two statements are not incompatible. A patient named Mrs. Gutheridgo assisted in cooking for more than six months during the period she was in the Asylnm. I remember a man named Walker being brought up at the Resident Magistrate s Court recently for assaulting a wardor after being informed that it was not possible for him to boo his wife that day. Grey had charge of the Asylum on that occasion, and had fnll authority to refuse admission to Walker after consulting with the matron. I cannot say whether ho actually consulted with the matron or not. It has been the practice to allow peoplo to visit tho Asylum on non-visiting days in tho case of such peoplb coming from the couutrv or being unable to attend on the regular days. I never caused a copy of the rules and regulations to be posted in a conapionoua plaoo in the visitors' room. It is not provided I should do co. I don't recollect Constable Butler bringing a female patient down from Wanganni, nor that that patient escaped and throw herself into the harbor in consequence of a quarrel between tho constable and myself. My mother was in the habit of locking herself up jn a room ; it is untrno that I ever looked her up until she was releasod by attendants. 1 don't remember having in* structed a male attendant to carry a naked woman ncross a yard, or that lie did bo. It is not impossible that I may have issued such an instruction. Some time ago I bought some pictures at an auction sale. A portion of these were for the use of the institution, and a portion for myself. I did not pay for them in a lump sum. The Government paid for the pictures purchased for tho institution. The recommendation I brought from Homo to Dr. Skae was from Admiral Hope. Reexamined — I also brought a recommendation from Lord Kinnaird to the Marquis of Normanby. Christopher Duggan, wardor, rc-callcd, said he never assaulted Sohultze or treated him with unnecessary violence. He denied the statement of a witness named Gear, who said he had seen Duggan knook a patient down on a form. Cross-examined — It is true that I carried Miss Thompson across a yard. She was not naked : she had a blanket on. She had got out of her room in epito of tho female attendants. I deny having overtaken a patient by the hair and ears and banged his head against a wall. Re-examined — i hompson was a violent patient. One day she ran after me with a bucket, which she threw at me. To the Chairman— The carpenter's shop is in the females' yard, and men aro engaged there. The carpenter, however, k»eps tho door locked I believe. I have a key which admits mo into the females' yard whenever I like. Tho worst class of females are kept in that yard. The whole of tho wardera have paes-koys also. John Conolly, an articled clerk, of Wei. lington, related an oeenrrenoo on the ft*ain travelling from Blenheim to Piofcon a few days prior to M'lntosh being Committed to the Asylum. M'lntcmh acted strango'y on that occasion, and had to be looked up in the guard's van. The witness went on to say that M'lntosh had burnt down some hayricks at Picton. He did not see M'futosh burn the ricks, bat ho knew ho was guilty, because M'lntosh was committed for trial. The grand jury found him guilty. The Chairman—Grand juries don't find peoplo gnilty. Witness — Well, the grand j ! iry threw out tho bill on the ground of insanity. Crossexamined — In the right sense of tho word I don't actually know that M'lntosh burnt the ricks. Ihe complainant— Don't you know the British law presumes every man to be innocent until he is proved guilty P Witness — Yes. Tho complainant — Then you may stand down. Isaac Phillips, executor for the late Mr. Lipman Levy, was called to testify to somo ocenrrencein which M'lntosh was concerned, and of which the witness had a very faint recollection iv consequence of the length of time that had intervened, but, after some discussion, the evidence was ruled to bo inadmissible, and the witness was dispensed with. Frederick William Charlos Skae said— l am tho Inspector of the Mount View Lnnatia Asylum. I have inspected that institution from time to time. The result ha? been satisfactory. I know Schnltze by sight, but oannot say much about his case. I have seen him excited. I remnmber a complaint being made by Gairdner Blackmore ; it was in writing (produced ) It was forwarded to me through the Minister of Justice. An enquiry was made into tho charges contained in that complaint. Blaokmore told me his first impulse was to write to the Press, but as it would be useless to create a scandal, refrained from doing so. His statement that I begged of him not to write to tho papers about the matter is untrue. At the enquiry his charge wore not substantiated, and Blaokmore withdrew a charge of cruelty against one of the attendants, whom he previously alleged had struck a patient. I deny having terminated the enquiry by stating that L considered tho attendants' word as good as his. The patients themselves denied that they hid beon ill treated, and Blockmore's was the only evidence in support of the charge. I remember telling Whitolaw to warn the attendants not to hoot Blackmore as he was leaving the premises. I produce doenmenta which have come into mj possession rolative to Buchanan, Gannon, Fear on, and Agnoa Robertson. I saw M'intosh while he was in tho Asylum. He never complained to me except as to his being: kept there and restrained. He was discharged by the Colonial Secretary on the recommendation of the medical officer. It is not true that he was released after Mrs. M'lntosh bad seen Governor Normanby. Captain Mating, Aide-de-camp to the Marquis of Normanby, came to me to enquire abont Mrs. Al'lntosh's circumstances, with a view, I understood, of ascertaining whether she was a proper object for his Excellency's charity. A few days after his discharge M'lnto-h came to see me, and 1 interested myself in his behalf. He was given £b out of the Charitable Aid Fund. He spoke highly of Whitelaw, saying he was a gentleman, that I had done well in patting him there, and that he was not a man who would allow any patient to be bullied. I deny that M'lntosh complained to me at that interview about two sn^ts of clothes. Wh.n Whitelaw took oharge of the Asylum it was in a crowded state, and from time to time I hay recommended tho Government to previde additional accommodation, my recommendation hiving been carried out to a considerable extent. The construction of the back-ward is radically bod. it is quite impossible to treat patients properly in that ward. If a patient is inclined to escape, there is nothing to prevent him from doing so, unless he is put in seclusion or restraint, or is looked | after with great vigilance on the part of ihe attendants. To the Chairman — Hitherto there has been too much restraint and seclusion at the Asylum, and not enough vigilance and skill. I should not be surprised to find that in Febrnary last there was an average of ten patients under mechanical restraint. I think that average too high. It is very unusual to have so large a number tinder restraint out of so small a community. I objected to it, and spoke to Whitelaw about it lam aware that two patients, named Hall and Ryan, have been kept more or less in a etrait-jacket and in seclusion _ since last Christmas. Ihe strait-jacket in question is what is called * "pamasole." I objected to both of these patients being treated in this way. The Chairman— Then are we to understand that no notice has been taken of your objection ? Witness— l doa't think Hall has been in a camasole for some ten days past. The Chairman — But he ha* been kept in this condition since la t August, with very trifling intermissions. We find that up to the Ilth V atch he was confined in a strait- jacket— which you call a camasole -and upon that day he fell and broke his collar-bone. Are we to take it

that from August up till March yon approved this treatment or disapproved it ?— Witness— I don't boliove it is necessary to keep a mun hat way. — Chairman — Did you, as Inspccor, intimate that his treatment ought to be lt»red? Is that part of your duty?—Witness—No, it is not. I do exactly as tho English Commissioners. If an unnecessary amount of restraint is used, I pay so; but if the Superintendent says he cannot manage safe'y without it, I would not, except under exceptional circumstances, allow it to be discontinued. — The Chairman— But is it in yourpower to order the discontinuance of it? Witness— No, my powers are simply to report and make entries. The Chairman — Then yonr powers are simply co-extensive with those of any official visitor ? Witness — Yes, except that I can order the psideot* out on trial. Chairman — Then the Commission, generally, are to tak« it that yon are not responsible for the treatment of patients in the Asylum beyond your responsibility to report on tho matter ? Witness— Certainly, and to make suggestions. The Chairman— The responsibility lies with the Superintendent? Witness — Yes ; I have more responsibility in oonneotion with the management of this Anylnm than with that of the Asylums at Hokitika and elsewhere. I Examination continued — Whitelawhasno^ shown any reluctance to adopt my suggestions. In an English asylum attendants take better care of the patients than in the colonies. There is usually one attendant to every 10 or 12 patients in English asylums, and in this colony there are fewer attendants in proportion to the number of patients than at Homo. At present there are 77 male and 58 female patients ; and 8 male and 5 female attendants. Great difficulty is experienced here in obtaining suitable attendants. The airing courts here are not properly Constructed. The laundry, wasnmraso, carpenters' shop, kitchen, and day -room for refractory patients, open on to the females' airing court; and the men's is somewhat similar. There oan Be no doubt that the amount of restraint and , seclusion in this Asylum is very largely due to its faulty cons'ruction, to the facility with which the patients can escape, and to the difficulty of procuring good attendants. There is no accommodation in the Asylum except the back ward for patients who refuse to work and incite others not to do bo. I never knew it was the practice to allow the male attendants to have pass keys enabling them to go into the female portion of the Asylum ; such a course is very reprehensible. To the ohairm an— l am aware o* a rule which says that no male attendant shall visit the females' side without the special permission of the keeper ; this is a very good rule. At 5.85 p.m. the Commission adjourned till Monday afternoon, at 2 o'clook.