THE NELSON ASYLUM.

NZ Truth, Issue 87, 16 February 1907, Page 5

THE NELSON ASYLUM.

ALLEGATIONS OF MALADMINISTRATION. ; f Strange Stories Concerning the Superintendents .;*,.. A Prompt Investigation Demanded.

'The care of the' mentally"atfflictedis, very properly, considering the aw,-' Ml exposures so frequently made of the treatment, of '.the' inmates of private asylums,"'-jthe duty of the State, though it Occasionally happens that the. servants', qf the. State are themselves guilty pf cruelty and misconduct towards 1 " patients and 'should, where .discovered, he severely punished^ censure' being' 'useless, m such cases. ' . From information, to hand it would seem that' .allis'no't well at the-Nel-son Asylum anfd.it certainly behoves the Inspector of Asylums to 1 cause an inquiry into the r wfcole method of conducting that institution, iihus ensuring for the" attendants and patients, which is infinitely desirable, something , like f airplay and kind treatment, two things which al-. legations, suggest the superintendent does not generally 'show to either, i Perhaps it is -that his long association with ' lunatics is affecting his own mind ; but however that may be, he certainly iocs/ hr t his action, induce., the beljet^hat mi's a;Mt'r-rack-ed himself , anft. is ready to undo and | countermand to-morrow what, he I would do and;. jpi\der' t6-day. But m ' that he is,i by no means on his own. This man's I ' treatment of the attendants is' never characterised by cbur T tesy or 66n&ideration, and it is said to ne a practice with him' to threaten that he .will not give a reference to any "secant who, full up of the domineering!' anft bouncing tnat goes on. sends in' 'Jus or her resignation. Apnarentlv. 1)66,, he countenances the perpetration' of Silly jokes on the attendants 1 ; who, when they demand an enquiry into, serious charges against them, are 'told that it is all a joke. Some time" ago an allegation was made against an attendant made an* appointment with one of the female, patents' for' : : AN IMMORAL PURPOSE. . , • This was strongly, denied amd.resent- • ed, iaind the-man demanded an enquiry , and the - Superintendent,, after hearing a, little bit of. evidence^ characterised the charge as a joke. „ The accused attendant. faijed.to see the point and' xefused to regard it as. being m any -way humorous ; and . jeceiyjng : no other satisfaction adopted the very reasonable course of resigning. . The attendants complain' that they are ;subiected to snubs and insults from; ,this person and though the staff is a : small one, the constant changes' that jire being made ought to show the proper authorities that there is something radically wrong m the administration of the Nelson Asylum. Appeals were often made to Dr. McGregor when ' he 'was ; alive, but' nb> >'< at-; Mention has been paid to the !com--■•plaints, and it will 'be interesting to know the reason why, if the letters ■were ever forwarded to him. An /ex 4 warder of this gaol* who -has .had twelve m'onfchs experience at the institution, sajs*s m .reference to the Superintendent's conduct towards patients!— ■■■- j; '■■ ; : . . . : "I have kntfwn hini, to cheke one ; .until he Jj^ed^at the. nose and lock' , another h'dpltess old ! ,rSan 'up «>i • three 'days' iiri 'the padded cell.',.' . Patients, after, being turned out of „ bed,, are driven out into the yard, ; wet or dr.y .;.' There As a verandah „'" around this yard and it is the at- ;. tendant's duty to drive the ;' "loonies" m but of- the wet; '/which you can' understand is like a : man rounding; a mob t of wild cattle. i ' The proper place, it may be ass'um-: .^.ed, for the unfortunate patiehtsT.tp Toe n 'in whei> the weather is l»ad would be '; the, reading-rooms or elsewhere ;in comfort, but the "Super" is ndted for his love of .tidiness and cleanliness and to act up to this aHd to keep favek ) with ,the resident Mocter he thus keeps the 'poor ' patients out m the yard. It is moreover alleged that for, some time the patients were served with afkimmed milk", the Superintendent and family of course being 4. supplied with fresh. The patients are *" forbidden to? pick ' any of the 'fruit grown; yet &choice fruit is eaten m their jpresenpe by the Superintendent. There is' another matter which kb doubt the Superintendent can satis- , factorily explain, and ■ that is, '7 what -'becomes of; the recreation fund, to augment which a dance is held every week. The fund might be m a go«d healthy condition, and if it is only •. the Superintendent kn«ws, because, no one else does, and ethers are^; curious . to know all. about, it ; so no • doubt the Superintendent, if properly asked, may satisfactorily . account for every penny of it. There, is an annual pic- ; cnic held; ; the recreation funds being utilised to-'provide it,! but. the picnics are funny,; affairs.. Though there are: plenty of. /soft drinks' and, beer and patables provided, the patients do net see or . get too ; much of tke drinkables and eatables but the Superintendent and his pals amd crosies dodown m the Super's . quarters for days. afterwards.. - _?; An»flier charge has been formulated against this Superintendent and it is unquestionably a serious one, anil one which wiU require an explanation. The corrfcs^ondeat already referred to goes bti tp; say. :— " "They have a matron on the female side .to look after that division ; but the Superintendent has been -known to go round with the night nurse and put His hands under the blankets to feel if they i were wet, which was an insult ; the nurse resigning next morning." Altogether • it would appear that sufficient has been said to warrant a . strict and searching investigation into the administration of the Nelson Asylum. Such charges cannot be passed .ovet lightly and it is to be trusted that the Superintendent can satisfactorily answer them. We know too well that on many occasions there were strong grounds on which to base^ similar charges against the conductors of Government Charitable institutions and the treatment of the old men at the Ohiro Home, by that rascal Purvis, is one sf many in- ■ stances.- The insane are cared f«r by tJie Stale because they arc helpless ' ?rid it is "expected that the State should W tew jealous @f it?? charges. Therefore -it' is to be hoped that a Speedy ? rid thorough inyestigatian sf the administration of " the Nelson Asylum.will be #?e outtfonie of. this i»Ttf^; : ■-■• '■'■■• '