MENTAL TROUBLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12064, 20 July 1917, Page 2

MENTAL TROUBLE.

TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, July 10. The. presentation of the Mental Hospitals report to-day gave Dr Thncker an opportunity of protesting against soldiers who rnme baek with mental derangement being placed in the ordinary wards of mental hospitals. He was sorry that, the Minister had refused the olTer of a splendid house for'this class ol men at, Hutt Valley. Many of Ihos" men wore well enough to know where they were. They should have, a thoroughly up-to-date establishment of their own; then a large percentage would recover. This plea was strongly endorsed by a number of members, but the Hon G. YT. Russell, in reply, said that no point raised had been overlooked by his Department. The ablest men in the

mentnl hospitals of New Zealand wore attached to the special institution at Karitanc. where returned soldiers with mental trouble were given the finest treatment, with an open-air life, boating, fishing, etc- A similar institution, called the Wolff Home, was established in Auckland. If was realised that unless these men were brought back to mental strength within the, first six months they might be inmates of an asylum for life, consequently no expense or trouble should be spared over these unfortunate cases. Of forty.lour mental cases among returned soldiers twentv-nino had boon discharged cured, four had been placed under reception orders, and only sixteen remained. This was magnificent record for 10,000 returned soldiers, in view of the hiet that 7.80 cases of mental disease occurred among every IO.OCO civilians. Only seven soldiers were under restraint in mental hospitals. It was highly desirable not to have these men herded together. Everything possible should be done to take their minds away from the dreadful things they bad experienced. Though there was the magnificent "Wolff Home, well- furnished, in Auckland, not one inmate was there.