UPON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.

5

H.—No. 10,

Dr. Johnston.

Dr Kamp.

50. Have you any idea of the number of patients at Colney Hatch ? Ido not know what number there are there. 51. The Hon. Captain Fraser.] At Han well they have about 1,000? Yes; and I believe the number at Colney Hatch is larger. 52. Have you any idea of the number of lunatics in the Birmingham Asylum ? Yes ; about 400. 53. What population are they supposed to be derived from ? I thiuk the town alone has a population of 300,000. 54. The Hon Dr. Renwick.] Would you inform the Committee what number of patients one medical officer could fairly attend to, and give especial curative treatment ? I think a man could take charge of thirty to forty, with proper trained assistants. 55. Mr. Curtis.] Do I understand that the visits of relatives and friends of a lunatic supposed to be curable are advantageous to the chances of recovery, or otherwise ? According to the kind of case. It would be for the officer who attended the case to judge. I have often received complaints from the Warder of the Gaol that the noise made by lunatics there is sufficient to keep the hard labour prisoners awake all night, and gave them great reason for making excuses that they were not fit to go out to work. Keeping lunatics there was subversive of all discipline. 56. The Chairman.] Would you advise that it is more prudent to endeavour to improve the Provincial Asylums so as to make them better fitted for the curative treatment of lunatics, or establish at once a General Asylum for all such cases as would bear removal without detriment? Ido not think you could make the present asylums suitable. For instance, the Karori Asylum is quite unfitted for one, not only on account of its position, but on account of the construction of the buildings. 57. Ido not mean with reference to the buildings so much as to the locality. Is it desirable to have the asylums in different localities improved, and thereby make it possible to have treatment more effective, or to have one general asylum for all patients? I think it would be better to have two or three asylums altogether new, and for the whole of New Zealand to have one central establishment for incurables. 58. Then you think the local asylums would be indispensable, even if a central asylum were established ? Two or there Provinces might amalgamate, and have one asylum. Ido not consider Wellington, Nelson, or Taranaki, sufficiently large to have separate asylums. 59. The Hon. Mr. Menzies.] Suppose one local asylum were established in Canterbury or Otago, would not the class of cases that would most naturally and rightly be sent there be likely to suffer from the length of the journey from a remote place, say 200 miles? Certainly not. There would beno risk whatever to the lunatic, and the journey might tend to improve him. 60. If in the earlier stages of insanity ? I do not think travelling would be at all against a lunatic. 61. Mr. Parker.] How many cases should be under tho charge of a resident medical man ? I believe that is provided by the Act. 62. The Hon. Captain Fraser^] In the Dunedin Asylum there are 150 patients, and there is no resident medical officer. A medical man visits every day, or oftener if required. Do you approve of that? When cases are supposed to be curable a medical man should be with them more constantly than in a passing visit every day. A man's whole time should be given to the patients, whatever number he has in charge. (Witness withdrew.)

Tuesday, 19th September, 1871. Dr. W. G. Kemp, M.R.C.S., L.S.A., in attendance. 63. The Chairman.] You had charge of the Nelson Lunatic Asylum ? Yes, for about twenty months. 64. How many patients were there under your charge? The greatest number I had, I think, was about 35, and the average number 25. 65. Had you any previous special knowledge of the treatment of lunatics ? I was in the Leicestershire Asylum for a short time, a month or two, when I had temporary charge. 66. What sort of buildings had you at Nelson? Not at all fitted for a lunatic asylum. There was not adequate accommodation for the number of patients, and there were often two people in a small cell. There was a great want of sufficient room. 67. I suppose men and women, had separate rooms ? Yes ; quite separate. The airing yards were close together. 68. Did you adopt any special curative means ? In so far as I was able, I did. 69. What means did you employ ? Out-of-door exercise as much as possible: gardening, chopping wood, and anything the patients had a turn'for ; and if they had no special turn, they used to do anything that was wanted about the place. . 70. Were any employed doing anything to the buildings ? No, except in helping to clear away the rubbish, not directly in the building. 71. Could you give an idea of the number in a year you cured, and a certain number would be received, and a certain percentage would leave the Asylum cured? I cannot tell the percentage. J remember several cases that were sent away, and I never heard anything more about them. 72. Did you discharge them? I think I had to send in a report to the Superintendent, and he used to discharge them. ■-..'.: 73. During the time you were there, what means were adopted.in the case of a patient being violent? They were put in a padded room, or a strait waistcoat, was put on. 74. Do you know of any patient there being chained ?-^I am certain not when I was there in charge. 75. There is a padded room ? Yes. 2