The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1885.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3378, 25 July 1885, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1885.

Theee is a painful interest attached to the report annually presented to Parliament on tbe lunatic asylums of the colony. It is a grim page in the ac-count-keeping of the country, and no one possessed of ordinary sympathies can contemplate tbe suffering and affliction herein coldly set out and tabulated without being moved with profound pity for tbe unhappy beings for whom ' the lamp of reason has been darkened. At the same time tbe report gives one much to be thankful for, showing, as it I does, that the colony has evidently set up for itself a high ideal in considering what is its duty in the way of providing for the care, and, where possible, the restoration o£ those hapless members of the community. It will probably startle most people to learn that one out of every 390 persons in the colony is under detention as insane. The exact number of demented persons confined at the end of 1884 in one private and seven public asylums of the colony was 1452, as compared with 1375 at the beginning of the year. The total number of patients treated in the asylums during the year amounted to 1768, and these figures do not include 9 persons confined under the provisions of the " habitual drunkard's " clauses of the statute, iior those placed in the asylnma " for remand," and without any medical certificate of insanity. Still the proportion of insane confined in our institutions is smaller than it if. in England or even in New Soutb Wales. In the year 1884 the proporin England and Wales was 1 to 345 and in 1883 in New South Wales, 1 tc ', 361. On the other hand it is disquieting to note the proportion to the genera. ! population of new cases of insanity admitted for the first time into oui asylums during the past year.^ Thesf first admissions amount to 5.49 pei s 10,000 of the population, while the proportion in England and Wales is ' shown to be 5.41, although it ia statet 1 in the report of the Commissioners " that exceptional circumstances increasec it lastfyear, and that the true proportion is 5.15 per 20,000 persons. Aftei giving us these somewhat alarming figures, however, Dr Grabham re-assum us to some extent by pointing out that whereas the whole of the insane undei treatment in this colony are detained ir tbe Government asylums, and in one private establishment, in England and Wales no less than one-fourth of the total number are housed in workhouses and large institutions for harmless oi demented persons and idiots, and that these are not included in the calculation quoted. This, of course, makes th« comparison appear worse for New Zealand than otherwise would be the case, but after making this allowance it must be confessed that the present rate, in a young country such as ours, free from many of the hardships and calamities oi the world, is by no means an agreeable subject of reflection. One naturally enquires what are the i chief predisposing causes of insanity ir • this colony ? Looking at the list oi I patients admitted last year we fine that of those in which the causes have been ascertained, drink claims the largest number of victims, next tc 0 hereditary disposition. Forty-five '" patients are classified as having become insane from the former cause, while 56 persons inherited their affliction, anc 13 were insane from congenital causes ° No fewer than 17 persons — 8 males, and 9 females — were carried off theii mental balance by religious excitement Nine went mad from mental anxiety, 4 y from domestic troubles, 2 from overwork, 5 from leading a solitary life 1 from grief, 1 from fright, 4 from " adverse circumstances," and ] 't from " poverty." " Love affairs " wen responsible for the mental aberration oi ~ no fewer than 13 persons — 5 males anc 8 females. In looking down this disma list one cannot help being struck witl the reflection that in this one brief page may be compressed tragedies more ap palling than any that ever harrow ur. I" our feelings on the stage. Of those griefs and woes which weigh down the mind for ever, those blows of misfortune which shatter all hope, those shipwrecks d of human aspirations and of humat in affections, here catalogued and tabuv lated, what dramatist could set fort! any picture that should not fall fai short of the awful living reality oi despair ? The pen that wrote King Lea) °t would probe deeply down into the mass „ of utter misery and desolation hinted at 1 in these terribly suggestive figures, but the record would be almost too poignant „ for human sensibility to bear. Turning from this painful subject, it 3r may not be uninteresting to glance at the occupations of the persons seized with this dire affliction. Among the males, that indefinite class known as _ "laborers " contribute the largest num.A ber, namely, 70. Farmers, IS, and 0 . miners, 17, come next. There are 8 8 t bushmen, 3 shepherds and 8 sailors in :" the list. Curiously enough, peitsone engaged in exclusively mental occupations do not seem to be so largely affected. We notice among the list 2 clergymen, 1 missionary, 2 teachers, S = clerks, 1 shorthand reporter and 1 insurance agent. Out of 153 females admitted during the past year, no fewer n, than 96 are described as having been engaged in " domestic duties," and 30 — as " servants." Finally, wo must not leave the report without noticing what is probably its most cheering feature. The authorities " r were nble to discharge no fewer than — 166 patients during the year as recovered, tbe proportion to the number 'o r of admissions being in the very grati- ' fying ratio of 42.5 per cent. All ia > through the report there is evidence _ that the patients are well cared-for, and = the colony is to be congratulated, we think, on having bo skilful and exId perienced an authority on the question as Dr Grabham holding the position of = Inspector. It will be a matter of deep regret if he should adhere to his deter«t inination of resiging at the end oE 3U the original term for which he wns or appointed. Our news columns during the last day or two have brought home to us forcibly the fact, which many of us arc apt at — times to forget, that in spite of adro- vances in science the nea still has its , perils and its hardships for those who c B do business upon its stormy bosom, ro, Tbe surface of the Southern Ocean Lr ? Beoins to have been swept recently by c ' gales of unußUul violence. The ship

Jarl of Derby, which arrived at Wellington on Thursday had to report a moat serious casualty, Laving lost no fewer than sis of her hands, who were washed overboard by a heavy sea while manning the main brace. The barque Chile which arrived at Port Chalmers yesterday also passed through some rough experiences, and the Cingalese which made our own porton Thursday had a tale to tell quite exciting in its interest. The graphic statement by the Captain, which we published yesterday, is calculated to give even landsmen a vivid idea of the dangers which our seamen still have to undergo in the discharge of their duties. The narrative of the captain and seaman being swept from the wheel, of the former getting his leg broken, the spokes of the wheel flying likj matchwood, and the prompt and praiseworthy action of the carpenter, which alone prevented a serious catastrophe, — reads quite like a chapter from one of Clark Russell's famous sea yarns. It is satisfactory to find that while our seamen have to face the same dangers, they possess the same pluck and presence of mind as of old. The Committee of the Mechanics' Institute have embarked upon a very laudable undertaking, and we heartily wish them every success in their effort. The lecture, as a means of instruction and entertainment, it is to be feared, is not so popular in the colonies as it is in America, where it has become one of the most cherished "institutions" of that go-ahead country. As an educator, and as a profitable means of passing an evening, it is capable of being made of great value to the community. The Committee of the Mechanics' Institute have made a bold bid to secure its popularity here, and we hope the result will even exceed their anticipations. The lecturers are all well known, and the subjects advertised are attractive in their nature. The always fascinating study of astronomy furnishes a theme for Archdeacon Harper, the Rev. Mr Fairclough and Mr Dawson, M.A. Dr Anderson will talk about the great question of the day in foreign polities — the expansion of Russia in Central Asia. Mr Kirby is to speak about the history and prospects of the Australian colonies — about which there should be much of interest to communicate; and Major Bamfield is to didcourse on a subject which excites attention if only from the myßtery surrounding the title. Then, by way of an entree interposed among the more substantial items of the bill-of-fare, we have a concert of vocal and instrumental music. All that remains is for the public to show their appreciation, and thus enable the Committee to launch out on an even more ambitious scale next winter.