HOSPITALS FOR MENTAL DISEASES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 61, 9 September 1904, Page 7

HOSPITALS FOR MENTAL DISEASES.

OVERCROWDING AT MOUNT VIEW, RIHK OF FIRE. Tho number of registered inmates of Hospitals for tho Mentally Ailiicletl in tho colony on 31ht December, 1903, was 2959—1771 mules, 1188 females—being an increase of 111 over tho previous y«flr. Tho proportion of male insane to tho male population is 1 in 251 — exclusive of Maoris, and 1 in 261 inclusive of Maoris. ' Tho proportion of female insane to Iho fomule population— exclusive of Maoris — is 1 in 334, and 1 in 348 inclusivo of Maoris. Tho proportion of tho total insano to the total population is, exclusive- of Maoris, 1 in 284^ and inclusive of Maoris 1 in 296. The number of' those admitted during tho year for the first tiino was — males 306, females 183, and thero were- 202 re-admissions — males 148, females 54. The percentage of deatlis on tho average number resident during tho year 5.96, as compared with 6.28 for wig previous your. Tho porcentago of deaths on tho admissions was — males 36.34, females 19.47; total 29.78. Tho percentage of recoveries on tho admissions was — males 40.56, females 44.69; total 42.17, as compared with 43.01 for tho previous year. Tlio total coat of each patient was £30 0s l^d — a decrease of 5s 9id. Since- June, 1903, additional accommodation has been provided for 231 patients; 20 mow beds at Porirua, 30 at Sunnyside, and 76 at Seacliff will bo completed shortly. Provision has also been mado at Suiuiysido, Porirua, Seacliff, and Auckland for observation wards. Tho Inspector-General remarks in tho course of his report tbat in ©very ono of our hospitals for mental diseases there should bo spare beds for new cases. Thib will make it possible to admit under a now Act voluntary patients in circumttUincQs where freedom from the irritating contact with insano patients and imbeciles will bo avoided. Ho expresses tho bolicf that "before long it will bo necessary to establish at each hospital for mental diseases regular systematic teaching for attendants and nurses. It should bo mado clear that no attendant haa.any chance of promotion except such an prove Ihomselves to have profited by the instruction provided. In his report to tho Inspector-General, Dr. IJasseH, Superintendent of the Porirua Asylum, states that "of tiio 147 case** admitted during tho year, rather more than 100 were incurable, of wnom 30 were tfouilo cases, and 11 congenital imbeciles or idiot*. Of , those admitted, 10 liavo die*d, mostly old pooplo, of whom 2 were brought to tho asylum in a moribund state, and died within a few days, while 3 others died within a few weeks. I havo on previous occasions adverted to tho tendency to shunt into tho asylum hopelees bedridden patients approaching dissolution. Unfortunately, no Superintendent can refuse to take m any patient whoso admission papers »po in order. Cannot some amendment of the present law bo devised to deal with thin notation, and prevent the asylum being \ised as a dump-ing-ground for cmum not in any way requiring treatment for mental di&etwo ? Dr. Gow, Superintendent of tho Mount View Asylum, states Hiat tho overcrowding which he spok© of lost year lms been still more acccntJtated, and a» he formerly pointed out, hue been followed by, the natural resultant, a decreased recoveryrate. At the beginning of tho year the numbers wore 177 males and 104 females, — 46 nudes and 14 fonwta* over tho statutory numbers. A« the year went on, these numbers increased, until in July thero were, 60 males and at ono time 29 females in vxrecw of accommodation. Those numbers do not acorn Very execwivo until wo take into consideration tho inrnh numbers provided for, and then 'the position is startling when we find thut tfaero wns one-third more pntietita than the. accommodation provided for. In October there was relk'f affords by tho tanaforence of 50 male patients to Porirua, but the feiualo aid© had no relief, and at present patients are having to be put to dloop on shakedowns in the corridors, 'lhero wero 18 mules and 24 females discharged rccovar^d, which givwj a rvKjovery rot« of 38.3 per cent, and 53.3>pur cent, respectively. Of tho 50 mule patients sent to Porirua, 14 were transferred as relieved, and some of theso besides some of tho uni in proved would . probably recover, but we do not receive tne benefit of these iv our poicontttgen. Since writing my last report, tiluctrib lighting lmt> been instated, and has proved a gr«tt boon, both from fcne view of better lighting, and also from that of diminwlwd firo risk. Hut oven with the electric light and the automatic alarms risk, of, fire is a grant danger hem, and with the memory of tho Hro in tho wooden annexe 'at (.Jolimy Hatch Asylum stHl fresh, one fe&Ks that fiomei4img mwo must- be done hero at Mount View. Owing to tho long corridors, if a lire did get a hold, it would travel wit)} appalling rapidity, and it would bo well .nigh impossible to save all tho inmates. Homo iiu-.iiii; should be adopted for holding the fire in check oven for v few minut«H, U) give our own mid tho town Fire fttigade time to tackle tho (ire, and n\tto time for the attendants to open tho locked door» for the patieuts to escape ; and 1 would suggest that the Public Works Department bake this in band, oither by electing brick dividing walls or applying some fire-resisting substanco to the existing walls.