OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE LUNATIC ASYLUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9026, 12 April 1888, Page 6

OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE LUNATIC ASYLUM.

The Lunatics Act, 1882, which secures tht sudden and frequent official visitation o: asylums, is a most beneficent law; ant although it is largely taken from Englisl statutes, it reflects the boldness, wisdom and compassion of our colonial Legislature There is nowhere a class of persons whc excite more pity- or who need more pro tection than lunatics ; and if they are no! protected and well cared for it is not th< fault of the law. It is for the public gooc that insane persons are taken from tht bosoms of their families and incarcerated ii asylums ; therefore the public should alwayi see that there are sufficient safeguards foi their welfare. But in order to benefit there the patients must be visited frequently One object of official visitation to th» patients is to see that none are wrongfully detained, and when it appe< ,-s to a visitoi that any lunatic is detained without suffi cient cause, the law says imperatively thai he shall certify under his hand and transmit such opinion to a Resident Magistrate or t< the Colonial Secretary. But even a genius could not by perfunctorily strutting througl two immense Asylums once a quaeter anc casting a momentary glance at about 4(X lunatics, tell whether any are restored to i sound mind, and consequently are wrong fully- detained. By the time he had poked his nose into every hole and corner of tht gig-antic structures, and had examined th« books and certificates, he would be faggec out; so visitations would be reduced to the veriest sham imaginable if the visitors went only once a quarter to the Asylums. Ir justice to the poor souls confined there, many of whom cannot speak a word in theii own defence, and none of whom can be seen much by doctors who are worn oui with a multiplicity of minor duties, whict might devolve upon clerks, the visitors ought to attend at the Asylums very often. In England it has been urged by one oi the highest authorities in lunacy matters, that the official visitor should be liable foi damages if lunatics are detained after being restored to reason. Both before and after business hours, and sometimes on Sundays and holidays, we have frequently visited the Asylum, and become well acquainted with many of the patients; and any man with a grain ol sense soon appreciates the wisdom and beneficence of the law which gives inspectors and official visitors free access to lunatics. It is only natural that doctors should laugh down their sleeves at the very idea of a layman imagining that he can know anythine about lunacy ; but I think that male and female attendants who have been con stantly with lunatics for months or yean watching them closely, can give prettj clear evidence to a visitor about then sanity; and if he, too, has intelligentlj and frequently observed them, he can fora a good idea as to whether any of them car be liberated without danger or injury t< themselves or the public. That is reallj the only legal ground for a person's impris onment in a mad-house. Lord Chief Jus tice Campbell declared "that no person o: unsound mind who was not dangerous could legally be either taken up as alunatit or restrained of his liberty or confined." In the case of Fletcher, v. Fletcher, Mr. Justice Lush maintained that, "at the com mon law, to be a valid justification, it must be alleged and shown that the person confined was a lunatic and dangerous." Mr. Justice Wightman said: "At common law, any one taking up another as a lunatic, in order to justify himself, must show that he was a dangerous lunatic." Mr. Justice Crompton and Mr. Justice Hall concurred; and it was admitted by the judges that " the law was assumed to be undoubted on this point." Now, our lunacy law is to the same pur-

port. The Resident Magistrate, after het ing the two doctors, is to be " satisfied thi such person is a dangerous lunatic." But it is evident that there are in ou. asylums persons who are no more dangerous than many persons in our streets j and it will be very interesting to watch' the first action in Auckland for damages for wrongful detention in an asylum. Without the assistance of doctors no one can be got into an asylum, but an eminent specialist, Dr. Bucknill, says : The best men in the medical profession were more and more in the habit of refusing to sign these certificates of lunacy . . . They will become more and more the perquisite of hack cer-tifiers—hangers-on, upon - the asylum sys-

tern." V;.- """■ -: Lord Shaftesbury's earnest words have need to be echoed ,' here: " I look to the vigilance of- the publio; I want everybody to be alive-to the matter." On grounds of civil liberty, economy, and humanity, it is necessary "for -the public to ' bo in sympathetic touch with our asylums.

AN EVENING IN THE ASYLUM. Any stranger spending an evening in our Asylum would be specially Struck with the tranquillity and apparent enjoyment of the patients. He would find men smoking, playing at . cards, draughts, bagatelle, dominoes, with attendants or each other, or reading, writing, or otherwise enjoying themselves. In the female division he would find some singing, playing the piano, reading, doing needle-work, or chatting with each other. Of course, there are disconsolate inmates, who refuse to be comforted, but the general features are orderliness and agreeable occupation. In spite of the many objections so frequently urged against Asytyms, I feel sure that the poor afflicted ones who lose their reason, are better cared for in our Asylum than they could possibly be cared for by relatives at their homes, and that' their chances of cure are greater in the Asylum.

NECESSARY LUNACY REFORM. Wonderful progress has been made during the last few years, and the authorities are alive. to many reforms, which are delayed only through an impoverished

exchequer; but we must never cease to strive for reform. (1) There ought to be provision for the reception and treatment of private patients, apart from paupers,> who could pay adequately for quieter quarters than our defective means for classification allow of now. (2) Provision ought to be made for privately boarding out convalescent patients whose, mental agonies through asylum life? are terrible when they are returning to a sound: mind and whose chances of getting employment from a private home would be better than from the Aylum. '? The expense of their keep would be no greater, and such homes might be subject to the visits of inspectors and official visitors, as anassurance of proper treatment until • the: patients are cured and discharged. If their removal took place at ' the right time, it might prove an incalculable benefit to the patients. Dr. Bucknill has said : —" There is a tide in the affaire of madness which seized at flood, leads on to fortune, the precious fortune of health; neglected, all the life is spent in shoals and shallows. This is no poetical hyperbole for in all sobriety of statement it may be affirmed that, in most cases of insanity, there is a time when an entire change of surroundings effects the happiest change in the mental Btate—sometimes resulting in perfect recovery, often resulting in permanent improvement. If this state be overlooked, it passes into one or other of the chronic forms of insanity, and the last state of that man is worse than the first." ! (3) More publicity should be given to pre- | liminary magisterial examinations of luna- 1 tics, and the Resident Magistrate ought always (not merely sometimes, as is now the case) to have two Justices to assist him. A Resident Magistrate cannot legally grant a license for a slaughterhouse, or hear objections against the jury list, without the assistance of justices ; but he can, without them, send men and women to a madhouse.'' (4) The Crown Solicitor ought always to appear in behalf of the supposed lunatic at tne magisterial inquiry, lest the novelty of the situation or the excitement of the hour should seal his lips. A few weeks ago an innocent and respectable woman was dragged before the Police Court under most reprehensible circumstances, but she was too upset to speak in her own defence, and only escaped from gaol by the prosecutor withdrawing the charge, whioh he publicly apologised for laying. How many business men of experience could keep calm and answer for themselves rationally if they were charged at the Police Court with lunacy (5) Persons not dangerous to themselves or the public ought not to be detained in Lunatic Asylums, even though they have no homes to go to, as is now the case: the Charitable Aid Board could provide temporary relief. (6) Medical superintendents ought to be relieved of trying to collect maintenance money (which the Asylum olerks could do better for five per cent. also of other minor duties, so that they could pay more attention to mental cures. (7) An honorary medical Board ought to be invited to visit our Lunatic Asylums, and any patient permitted to appeal from superintendents to the Board for their discharge. Thus superintendents would be relieved of some responsibility, the civil liberty of patients would be conserved, and doctors might interest themselves more in mental diseases.

(8) Inebriates ought not to be associated with other lunatics, and until provision is made for their separate treatment, the second part of the Lunatics Act respecting habitual drunkards will remain a dead

letter, or be unavoidably infringed. Provision was being made for dipsomaniacs at j the new Farm Asylum, at Porirua, but owing to the absolute necessity for retrenchment, the work has been stopped. (9) Determined opposition should be made to the continuous enlargement of asylums. Dr. Tucker, who has recently travelled all over the world, and inspected hundreds of asylums, says experience shows that when more than 300 patients are congregated in an asylum the percentages of cure decrease, and the expense of management increases. Several medical authorities are now arguing in favour of boarding out in private houses lunatics who are not dangerous; but let us hope that we shall do better than they do at Gheel, if we ever try the boarding-out system here. (10) Faces should be set like flint against the ever-growing expenses of lunacy, soma of which will be avoided when love of country predominates over love of money, and the honours of gratuitous office under a grateful people are held in proper esteem. STATISTICS. Yesterday, when Mr. Stevenson and I visited the Asylum, we found that since the Ist of January last 9 males and 5 females have been admitted there ; 2 males and 3 females have been discharged on trial; 2 males and 2 females have been discharged relieved; 4 males and 5 females have been discharged cured; and 6 males and 2 females have died. There are now

in the two Asylums 240 males and 131 females: total, 371. They are under the charge of 40 attendants (inclusive of 2 cooks, 1 mechanic, and the farm manager). The average numbers employed are 155 males, ana 78 females. Only 5 patients were sick ; all the remainder were physically well, and man seemed to be very jolly. In the absence of Dr. Cremonini, who is away for a holiday, Dr. J. Harwood Hooper, of Mount Albert, daily visits the Asylum, and the head male attendant is in charge. We found the patients very tranquil, and the whole affairs of the Asylum most satisfactory. The food is good, and sufficient in quantity ; the dormitories were scrupulously clean ; the day rooms were homelike ; and the grounds looked lovely. One cannot help regretting that some other provision than the Asylum is not made for children confined there ; but the kind attention they get there is beyond all i. praise. One of the worst features in connection with asylum matters iB the fact that poor unfortunate souls, who are not dangerous to themselves or others, are kept confined unless some persons will take charge of them. That is a matter which > will have to be seriously dealt With, and the local authorities would render a real and beneficent service by making some provision for the temporary reception of such persons. F. G. Ewington.