G.—No. 27.

10

REPORTS ON THE

Enclosure 2 in No. 7. Archdeacon Wilson to His Honor W. Eolleston. Sie >~~ Broomfield, June 24, 1872. I have the honor to address you with reference to the Act of General Assembly now in force under which habitual drunkards are committed to Lunatic Asylums. You are aware that for some years past I have served as Acting Chaplain to the Asylum at Sunnyside, in the neighbourhood of Christchurch. During that time it has been very satisfactory to mark the great improvement which has been effected in the treatment of lunatics 'under the skilful management of Mr. Seager. Latterly, however, I have noticed with great regret an element of serious disturbance introduced owing to the operation of the Act above mentioned. Until the law for the committal of habitual drunkards came into force, the cases of lunacy treated in the Asylum, were of the usual character, involving more or less actual aberration of mind during the greater part of the period of confinement.' Under such circumstances it has been seen in the case of Sunnyside, how great a measure of success can be attained in curative treatment, even where appliances and classification of patients have been much below what modern experience suggests. It is much to be feared, however, that the progress of improvement will be seriously retarded by the introduction of a class of persons whose symptoms are specifically different from those of the mass of patients among whom they are thrown. Generally a very short time is required to relieve an habitual drunkard from the effects of his vicious habit. The complete removal of the means of indulgence makes him, in a few days, a sober man. He is then, and so long as he can be kept from drink, perfectly sane. He is fully aware of the position in which his intemperance has placed him ; angry with the friends at whose instance his committal has been effected ; angry with the Manager of tho Asylum in which he is placed, and just in the frame of mind to make him a very objectionable associate for lunatics of the ordinary kind. It has been found at Sunnyside that drunkards in this state have fomented disorder in the house, causing common lunatics to rebel against necessary discipline, and depriving them of all benefit from the quiet good order which usually prevails. The evil is further aggravated when the habitual drunkard happens to be of better education and higher social position than other patients. In this case he not unfrequently takes advantage of his position to make some unfortunate, half-witted lunatic the butt of others, involving him in senseless scrapes, and taking caro to keep himself out of the'mischief he has caused.' This statement would not be complete were I to abstain from mentioning the fears which have been felt that graver moral delinquencies are likely to ensue from the presence in the Asylum of a class of persons who seldom derive much benefit from their confinement, while their influence and example are injurious to others. If the present provisions of the law are to be regarded as an experiment, pretty close observation of the result compels me to look on it as. a failure. No adequate good seems to be gained. The temper and discipline of the proper objects of the Asylum are impaired, and the Manager, and his staff of subordinates, are kept in a state of fretting anxiety incompatible with the proper fulfilment of their duty. In conclusion, may I be permitted to draw your attention to the enclosed extract from the Scotsman, an Edinburgh newspaper, of date 16th March, 1872. The extract contains evidence, taken before a Select Committee of the House of Commons—" The Habitual Drunkards Committee." The witness under examination is Dr. David Skae, Physician to the Eoyal Edinburgh Asylum, who said that he had held his position for twenty-five years, and had now 750 patients under him. In particular I would wish to point to the very emphatic reply of Dr. Skae to the question, " Whether ho did not think that habitual drunkards should have a separate Asylum, totally distinct from the general Lunatic Asylum ?" His answer is—" Most certainly." May I hope that the strong interest I have taken in Sunnyside Asylum will bo my excuse for troubling you with the foregoing statement. You are probably aware that the duty of Acting Chaplain was in a manner forced on me, there being no one else able to undertake the work when the Chaplaincy became vacant. May I further express my earnest hope tha>t the General Assembly will not allow a law to remain unaltered which has failed to accomplish the object it was intended to serve. I have, &c, James Wilson, W. Eolleston, Esq., Acting Chaplain to Sunnyside Asylum. Superintendent of Canterbury.

Sub-Enclosure to Enclosure 2 in No. 7. Extract from the Scotsman, Saturday, 16th March, 1872. House of Commons, Friday. 10-day the inquiry was resumed before a Select Committee of the House of Commons as to the best mode of treating habitual drunkards. Mr. Dalrymple presided. The first witness called was Dr. David Skae, Physician to the Eoyal Edinburgh Asylum, who said that he had held his position for twenty-five years, and he had now 750 patients under him. His attention had been very much called to the cause of disease of the brain, and he had had a large public and private practice in cases of insanity. There were different classes of drunkards, and some of these did not require any interference on the part'of the public. For instance, a man who took drink habitually, but who kept to his business, without injury to himself and others, did not require any interference; nor did he think that the man who took spirits freely and conducted himself well to his family ought to be put under restraint. Then there was a class of dipsomaniacs. These persons could drink to any extent possible, and they would drink anything they could get hold of—hair wash or anything. Some of these cases lasted for two or three years, and others a month, and then recovered. Then there were persons suffering from loss of blood and blood on the brain. Those were cases in which there was really disease,