MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 31

MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

DEPUTATION FROM WOMEN WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING. A deputation from the National Council of Women and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union waited on the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Public Health, at the office, of the Hospital Board on Friday morning to bring under his notice certain phases of the treatment of mental defectives.

Mrs E. F. D. Leech said the National Council of Women was really a parliament of women, and every member represented a society. As an individual a member has no standing. The council represented 25,000 women in New Zealand, and there were nine branches up and down the country. She claimed that she was speaking not only for the womanhood of New Zealand and for the womanhood of the world, because they were all striving for the enlightened treatment of defectives such as was recommended in the report of the committee set up to inquire into this matter in New Zealand. They were, however, not yet aware of any definite steps being taken to give effect to the recommendations in this report. She thought that borderland homes should be established, and that there should also be some system of grading in the mental hospitals under which people of a respectable standard should not have to herd with undesirable characters. She considered that women should have representation on the governing boards of mental hospitals. Mrs Peart, representing the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand, quoted from the report, and mentioned those recommendations which she considered should be brought into effect. The Minister, in reply, said it was a good sign in a community when they found citizens imbued with the right sense of .duty and taking steps to uplift humanity and protect it from the dangers met with in walks of life not their own. The report on mental defectives had not been pigeonholed and had not been put away. It had given him food for serious thought, and lie had been consulting all sorts of authorities with regard to the subject. Dr Gray, a high officer in the Hospital Department. had been sent abroad, and was now passing through ?imerica and Canada on his way to England and Europe. On his return to New Zealand Dr Gray would submit a renoit on the treatment of mental defectives m other countries, and the Government would con aider taking further action in regard to the treatment and control of those people who were afflicted as had been stated. He did not think the deputation was making a sufficient differentiation between the classes of what were termed mental defectives. There were three classes of mental defectives, ranging from those who had some little kink down to the lower grade imbecile and the idiot. Then there were those whom they had somewhat mixed up with the mental defectives. These were the feebleminded, and if they were under proper care and observation they should be left free in the community. But unless they were under proper care and control, they were liable io become a serious menace to the community, especially the female sex. That problem had given him considerable thought, and he hoped to have proposals for submission to the Government which "would enable them to obtain a register ot the feebleminded people in New Zealand. There was no intention to take them from their own homes, but, they wanted to see that they were receiving proper attention in their homes., so that if possible they could be made into worthy citizens. They would have a rigid inspection by some suitable type of person—a woman prefer ably— to see that these people had right surroundings in their homes. It would then be the duty of the State to consider' what means should be adopted still further to improve their condition. It was not his. wish, however, to put them in an institution unless this was absolutely necessary. Then the problem of the sexual criminal, the sexual pervert and degenerate was a very troublesome one. The criminal courts would deal with these people until some more humane method was devised. A commission had ’ecommended certain things Some of the American States had adopted these things, but they had not worked out in practice, and the authorities were considering the question of adopting other methods. This was a more complicated question. With reference, to Mrs Leech’s statements, he wanted to correct some misunderstandings and to assure the deputation that quite a number of reforms were working quite effectively. During the last 12 months the Government had spent a lot of money in connection with mental hospitals, removing from them associations oi a disagreeable, place and creating the feeling in the minds of the public that such a hospital was no different from the ordinary physical hospital, where physical diseases and accident cases were cured. The public must realise that every one was subject to a physical upset and also liKely to have a mental upset, and anyone who was so affected should receive the same treatment as one of those present. With reference to mental cases in the four, centres the Government was now subsidising the hospital boards to the extent of £5OO a year for clinics for mental c^, s the hospitals. The Mental Hospitals Department, which was separate from the Hospitals Department, has arranged for officers to be in attendance at a hospital at least once a week to receive patients and advise them in regard to mental derangement. The Minister said that, every week he was signing voluntary applications from people who wished to become boarders in mental hospitals. They were gradually shifting from the atmosphere of the mental hospital. The Government was spending a lot of money, "esp.zzally in connection with the principal n ent.d hospitals, in the erection of nice little cottages, which served as reception places. , person could go there with a patient, who would be treated as if he or she was at home, receiving every amenity of life. w'J , " e to open a p,ace like that in Wellington at. an early date. These homes were called borderland homes. They were trying-out. places, where patients ” would be kept for periods ranging from a few days. upwards until there were signs indmaiing how they should be classified, fnese places were not within sight of the mam mental hospitals The Government “5 eak,nK away altogether from large Institutions and getting a classification into

smaller groups. More was being done in that direction than the people were aware of. He hoped very soon that when a person showed signs of a mental breakdown and the question of committal might become necessary the patient would not be sent to the prison cells. He was right after that, and he was going to get hold of some of the officials of the Hospital Board that day. He expected them to provide a place where people could go without being placed in a prison cell. So far as children were concerned the Government was adopting a system of classification. It had in "Nelson a place for boarders, and there were institutions for the protectien ot children. There were male and female official visitors to all the mental hospitals, and no restrictions were placed upon them. The reports of the official visitors were quite satisfactory and expressed great approval of what had been done. The Government was carrying out a progressive and humane policy in connection with the treatment of the mentally afflicted, and was doing its best to break down the feeling of prejudice that existed. It could claim that few countries were doing better than it was doing for the assistance of mental patients. He hoped to go much further, but it all cost money. The Government had been very generous to him in the matter of providing funds. It was a splendid thing to have a man with the ideals that Sir Truby King had in regard to the treatment of the insane. The Minister concluded by stating that he appreciated very much the work which the National Council of Women was doing. Mr Dickson cordially thanked the Minister for the way in which he had received the deputation.