THE LUNATIC ASYLUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9067, 30 May 1888, Page 3

THE LUNATIC ASYLUM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — observe an article in your paper about the Asylum. It states that the Medical Superintendent said that the visiting justices should not come at the hour they did; that they should come at 10 a.m. and only four times a year. Now, Mr. Editor, 1 have been in most of the large asylums in England, and can speak from experience. I was at Broadmoor Asylum many years as an attendant. The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Cremonini, states in one of his letters, when he was appointed at the Asylum, that he had had great experience of Homo asylums. His memory must fail him very much since he left them to come out here, because at Home the committee and commissioners can visit the asylum at any time, day or night, and as often as they wish. If any trouble takes place, who hear the complaints Why, the committee. They are called the Monthly Committee. It appears to me that the medical superintendent is invested with too much power. He takes it upon himself to do as he wishes. For instance, at Home the medical superintendent could not discharge any attendant. He can only suspend them for further inquiry, and who are those that make the inquiry, why, the committee How the Medical Superintendant can rest at night, I do not know, for the trouble lie has caused during the short time he has been superintendent of the Avondale Asylum. Of course I am one of the poor fellows that was sent away. On evidence, I was not in Dr. Cremonini's favour, and I was asked by himself what I thought of him, when I stated that in my humble opinion there were times when he did not know what he was doing, in fact was not responsible for his actions. Of course I was packed off at once, after being there upwards of fifteen years. I always bore a good character, and he could not trace one fault against me in the books. —I am, &c., J. Humphries, ex-Attendant.