SANE PATIENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 August 1924, Page 5

SANE PATIENT

A MENTAL HOSPITAL ADMISSION. MINISTER GIVES THE FACTS. (By Telegraph.—Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 19. Mental hospital administration was keenly discussed in the House to-day, when the annual report of the, department was submitted, some members showing anxiety regarding the precautions which should be taken to prevent the incarceration of sane persons. Point was given to their remarks by the Auckland Supreme Court case reported this week. It was suggested bv iseveral members-that a halfway house be provided for patients, and Mr. Wilford asked the Minister to inquire into, the overcrowded condition of mental hospitals. Sir M. Pomare, in his reply, dealt fully with the recent Auckland case where a mental hospital patient was declared by the Supreme Court- to be sane. This man, said the Minister, was committed a,t the instigation of his own son on June 13 with a sworn declaration and the certificates of two medical men, as provided by law. Sir M. Pomare read the summary of the delusions from which the patient was said to have suffered, one being that a child by his wife was not his. 'Die Minister added that it came out in evidence that this was no delusion, but a fact. The man was taken before a magistrate who, on a sworn medical statement, committed him to a mental hospital. That had nothing to do'with the Mental Hospitals Department, so why should they shoulder the blame. According to law, within twenty-four hours of his admission the medical superintendent had to report as to a patient’s mental condition. l)r. Beattie committed no dereliction of duty. He made this report. Mr. Lysnar: Did the magistrate do his duty? Sir M. Pomare: L am not talking about whether the magistrate did or did not do his duty. When he conies to an asylum wc take a hand. Within twenty-four hours of his admission the medical superintendent has to report and forward to us a full statement. He did so, and we reviewed the medical statements on June i C the day after committal. He reported : “I am unable to make a preliminary statement of this man's mental condition until the attacks mentioned in the medical certificate are corroborated. The statements made might be proved by facts.” The Minister asked if Dr. Beattie was wrong in this. He waited and watched to see whether the certificates of admission were right or wrong before he took action. Mr. Lysnar: He could have decided it otherwise. Mr. Wilford :He was quite right. j Sir M. Pomare- Of course he was, and any sane member in this House would say he was right. (Laughter). He went .on to say that Dr. Beattie, being unable to reconcile the medical statements by his own observation,, a further certificate was required in 14 days.- Therefore, on June 27 he wrote: “I rui doubtful as to whether Mr. King is suffering from delusional insanity.” Thus, said the Minister, Dr. Beattie was not going to shoulder the onus of sending .the man out; He might have committed some murder. Mr. Lysnar: He shrinks from his duty. The Minister retorted that Dr. Beattie did more than his duty. He recognised what was right and appealed to the Supreme Court, as he wa« allowed to do it by statute. . That he did right was proved by the case. Supposing he had dismissed the man and he went out and- killed his wife, there would have been a howl, and the Government would-have been called on to dismiss Dr. Beattie.

Mr. Lysnar: .Youhad nothing to say about the magistrate. Sir M. Pomare: I have nothing to do with the magistrate. He do n s not come under the Mental Hospitals Department. (Laughter). The Minister enlarged on the difficulty of deciding what were border-line cases, and declared the suggestion of a half-wav house quite impossible.