THE TREATMENT OF IMBECILES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11029, 19 August 1903, Page 4

THE TREATMENT OF IMBECILES.

The question of increasing the accommodation for those- whose mental condition warrants their detention has frequently been brought under ,the notice of /the Government, by the officials in charge of the asylums in the colony. ' A very large proportion of the admissions' to, these institutions, composed as they. are of,. epileptic, imbecile y6utb.B and children, and senile cases, are most favourable as regards recovery," but hay.c become a burden and clog on the proper functions of the asylums. The latter are more of the nature of alms-houses than hospitals for the insane, preventing any proper and efficient classification!-" and greatly < interfering with the recovery of curable cases. The asy t lunis, in , fact, haye t ; bec^me^ tjhe duijrpin^-ground for defective-, troublesome children and old people- in- their -dotage, who in other countries would be sent to more suitable institutions .or' homes. ,This condition of affairs is - becoming .. more aggravated each year, and .the practice is not only wrong to the individuals' themselves, but a- needless Blur oofn f their posterity! It is a pity to see the chance of educating what little brain-power' idiot children have being lost for want of separate institutions and officials who . have been t*ai»ed for v ilus .special- work. It would be a boon to the children themselves if an idiot home were erected in the colony, and also a great relief to the adult ,populatioh .of. the asylums, ,wtio are wearied and upset by the tyricky and. mischievous ways and mournful and monotonous cries of these unfortunates. The Government, now recognises tjiat effect must- be giyen to the suggestions of the asylum . superintendents^ , and in his Financial Statement Mr Seddon stated that ample provision would be made for the accommodation . of those whose mental .condition warranted their detention. He aclde'd that information had : reached him to the. effect that patients were, sent to the hospitals .for the insane who should, for a time at least, be sent' to the ordinary hospitals, and there were also, hundreds of, persons in our hospitals for mental disi eases suffering only from senile decay . An example of what is done in other countries in the treatment of imHeqiles is given hy a .well-known doctor in the North of England in a letter to atfriend in Christohurch.. The doctor describes, enthusias r tically the enlightened methods of treating the insane, in practice at- , the, . Royal ' Albert Imbecile Asylum. r 3*he. institution accommodates 740 imbeciles, besides a large staff of teachers^ nurses; and servants. Near it is the new Storey Home for imbecile girls, built at a cost of ,£IO,OOO to iccommodate 60 girls,, after the completion if their 7 years' training in the main building. Here they are ' trained, if possible p or dbmestic service, before they get out : nto the world. In the new Ashton' wing/ ■>f the main building,, erected <by. Lord Ashton at a- cost of JM5 J ooo,""fifty palsied •.tippled children are ' accommodated onthe,, ground floorj fifty epi)s,ptic .children. ->xl the one, above^ • Somehdistanee off ip Brunton House, erected specially for wellL 6-do imbeciles, who 'pan sleep and eat ja f:heir own quarters, and yet get the trainng provided in the main building. The writer of the letter was very much struck a the excellent- schooling given in the principal institution. This is especially -•dapted for very dull intellects, which imagine, but can ace, taste, and "eel. , . "When he visited the asylum one set if children were being taught to watch p 'urge snail, crawling about and protruding ts horns, and each had a lump of soft • >utty to model into a 6nail. Others had •:o draw flowers or other objects, and some <vere told about different' animals, an<* expected to tell one another what they had earned, or writef ft cpjmectefl HVVQW* » f t. In' another class the value oi money vas being taught, and all -sorts of ,groceri*f\ • vere being -weighed but and valued. Therr; 'svere also manual classes, in whicli' various

imbeciles were taught to make baskets and . hampers, others- to do carpentry, others to make clothing, or boots. for the^estab- , lishment, and others. to manage the farnii. About twenty of the inmates f6rmjed r **' - , capital band, which gave' frequent entertainments. In all the appointments ' ' 'of the' asylum, brightness and cheenutnesß . were made an important ' feature. s fa^ writer of the letter was so impressed^ C[ the methods of the institution, which he only visited by a mere, chance, that ne. -„ since set several schemes on foot to extend its' uaefalness, . and' make the'ifigtjf^tfttt 1 * better 'known:" " " «" * ' >"' -