INEBRIATES' HOMES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11888, 11 May 1899, Page 3

INEBRIATES' HOMES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir—ln your issue of May 8 Mr W. Kirk blames me for sending him to gaol for drunkenness, instead of to the Christchurch Hospital. As sdme attention has been directed to the subject lately, I wish to avail myself of the opportunity to make the fact more generally: known that in 1886 all, or nearly all, the Hospital Boards of the colony, on the recommendation of their medical officers, presented an address to the Hon the Minister of Justice, "protesting most strongly against persons suffering from the effects of drink' being remanded by the Resident Magistrate to the public ltospital," and in view thereof " instructed the House Surgeons on no account whatever to admit any person so remanded." As a member of our hospital staff at that time, I cordially supported this-resolution, and I am still of the same opinion. No one accustomed to see the victims of drink in our lock-up could ever consider them suitable.for the wards of the hospital. The dirt and filth, and stench of these poor creatures are the* most repulsive picture of fallen humanity it is possible to meet,- at, any rate, in : New Zealand. Their wild hojvls/-their aggressive and violent conduct, and their night longdelirium, would be a cruel infliction on the patients of our quiet orderly wards, and on the gentle maids who nurse them. Certainly a special cell, suitably furnished, mig'ht be provided in each lock-np for the temporary reception of serious cases; but, after all, the proper place for all drunkards is an inebriate asylum, hot a gaol. Instead of being sent-to gaol for seven days as at present these cases should be sent to an [inebriate asylum until cured, whatever that period of time may be. ■ Inebriety is a disease allied to insanity, and should be treated on similar lines. It is a great waste of money, and useless as a deterrent to tend chronic drunkards scores and hundreds of times to spend a week in gaol; also, it is just as much the duty of a drunkard's relatives to send him to an inebriate asylum as to send insane people to a lunatic asylum. , Families which neglect to apply such remedial treatment in the early and curable stage of inebriety are responsible for the subsequent wreck and rdin of their unfortunate relatives.

All classes of the community should unite in calling upon the Government to provide inebriate asylums near the chief centres of population. Such asylums should have enough land to provide plenty of- out-of-doors occupation and amusement. They should be very comfortable and provided with facilities for intellectual and physical recreation. An essential point is that they should be far removed from any hotel, and that no facility should exist for obtaining liquor. So long as we fail to use every means in our power to provide such means of treatment, so long will the blood of our unfortunate brothers and sisters be on our heads.—l am, etc., W. H. SYMES, M.D. Christchurch, May 9, 1599.