The Colonial lunatic Asylums.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 116, 19 May 1886, Page 4

The Colonial lunatic Asylums.

The Inspector of Asylums has presented his annual report to Parliament. From it wo learn that at the ond of the year 1884, there wero 1452 persons of unsound mind de. tamed in tho various asylums, On the 31st Decomber, 1885, the total had risen to : 1523; an increase of 71 insano persons j undor care and treatment. The following • figuros will show that tho abovo statement is a gratifying ono, when regard , is had to the annual increase of the general population. Increase of insane under detention. Year 1882, 106; yeav JBB3, 93; year 1884, 77; and year 1885, 71. Thus, whoreas at tho end Qf the year 1884, we had 1 lunatic to pyeyy 390 persons, the proportion had diminished at the close of last year to 1 in 401 of the population, which was estimated by the Registrar-General at 582,425, In England and Wales the ' ratio was, for tho year 1885, 1 in 339. The average cost per annum of each patient throughout the colony was in the year 1885, : £24 5s 3Jd, after deducting repayments for maintenance, &c. This sum is loss than that of the previous year by the sum of £2 3s 4sd, and must, says the Inspector, bo regarded as, ve?y satisfactory. Rigid economy js praotisod at all tho asylums, but is not allowed to interfere with a liberal dietary and other matters absolutely ' necossary for tho well-being of the insane. The expenditure on surgery and aiopensnry amounted only to JSI44 3s ld during the twelvemonths; while wines, spirits, ale, and porter cost only .£92 4a Bd. The authorities of some of our •olonial hospitals might well tako a hint from these last figures, for feeble and helpless lunatioß might be supposed to require alcoholic stimulants equally with the majority of hospital pationts. I am perfectly satisfied, however, from experience in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic treatment, that they suffer nothing from the comparative' deprivation in this respect which they undergo' in our asylums. There is a decrease in tho cost of maintenance of the parents in all the asylums, with the exooptaon of those at Napier and Wellington, in which some increase has occurred. The Wellington increase of 15J per head is set down to the diminished number of patients consequent upon the transference of a largo party of males to Seaoliff and no corresponding diminution in the staff.