H.—4,

4

Since the registers were examined in November, last year, there have been 107 patients admitted, 56 discharged as recovered, 3 unrecovered (one of whom has been sent home to his relatives in England), and 10 have died. Among the admissions were ten inebriates, committed for medical treatment under the 21st section of the Lunatics Act, and three criminal lunatics, one of whom was a man sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for burglary, another a man sentenced to two years for theft, aud the third was a woman who committed infanticide while insane. It is very doubtful if the two former of these are now more insane than most criminals. Among those discharged as recovered were eight inebriates, two at least of whom appear to have benefited by their seclusion. The mortality is low, and the fact that only two of the deaths were due to phthisis is remarkable. The patients, as a rule, enjoy much better health than could be expected. Only three were found in bed, one of whom is a bedridden cripple. Only two patients in the whole establishment are receiving alcoholic stimulants, and the quantity of medicine used appears to be very small. Only one patient was under restraint —a woman, w 7ho had the sleeves of her dress fastened on account of her destructive propensities. No patient was in seclusion. It appears from the medical journal that both seclusion and restraint of any kind are used to a very small extent, especially when the unnatural difficulties at present to be contended with are taken into consideration. A patient who, on account of his violent disposition, w 7as an object of dread to all around him, and used to bo kept always separate from the rest, is now greatly improved, and enjoys the same liberty as the others. Great credit is due to the attendant who had the tact and courage to effect this change. Much attention continues to be paid to recreation; but there is a great want of what is far more important —healthy and interesting employments for the bulk of the patients. There are no workshops in which the men can be engaged in a variety of useful occupations ; and the grounds are too small to afford constant work to a large number. At present about 20 acres of the Asylum land is laid down in grass, 6 are sown with potatoes, 3 with oats, 1 with carrots, and 2$ are occupied by the garden, which is very well stocked with vegetables; the rest is covered by the buildings and airing-courts and pleasure-grounds. A new piggery, erected by ono of the patients, contains upwards of seventy pigs, and a large quantity of pork and bacon has been supplied to the institution. It is exceedingly desirable that more land should be attached to the Asylum, both for the employment of the patients and for the sake of privacy. When the building is completed it will extend across the section on which it is placed in such a manner as to leave only a very narrow strip of ground on either side of it; and this will be a source of annoyance both to the inmates and the public, which will become worse as the population increases. It also seems very doubtful if the Asylum sewage can be disposed of in any other way than by utilizing it on the ground, and for this purpose more will be required. The drainage from the laundry, &c, which was formerly conveyed into an open ditch, is now carried into a neighbouring stream, and a great improvement has thus been effected so far as the Asylum is concerned ; but tho difficulty of providing a complete system of sewerage has not yet been overcome, and the offensive closets, requiring daily to be cleaned, are still in use, and give rise to much discomfort. In concluding this report I have again to call attention to the urgent necessity of appointing a medical superintendent. No rational being, having any knowledge of asylums, can have confidence in the management of one so large as this by any person but a highly-qualified medical man, devoting his whole time to his duties." The Asylum was also inspected on 29th January, and again on the 10th and 11th June. On the last of these visits it was noticed that there was decidedly less excitement among the patients of the male refractory ward, and that the male department was, generally speaking, in a more satisfactory condition. This improvement is the result of the increased attention which has latterly been paid to the industrial employment of the patients, aud to the fact that not nearly so many of them are confined to the exercise-yards as formerly. The clothing of the patients did not appear to be sufficiently warm for tho season. Very few of them had on flannels, which should certainly be supplied to them all, and more especially to the poor demented ones of feeble circulation, many of whom take no exercise beyond a listless saunter up and down the yards. The floors throughout the male department were found in even worse condition than formerly, as was to be expected at such a time of the year. They are so soft and worn out that the scrubbing to which they are subjected does them more harm than good, saturating them with moisture, which takes several hours to evaporate into the already sufficiently unhealthy atmosphere of the overcrowded wards. The number of inmates had, at the date of this visit, fortunately been reduced from 215 to 222. The building of a portion of the new male wing, sufficient to accommodate 50 patients, was commenced in April, and it is expected that this will be finished in about eighteen months from that date. Nothing beyond what has already been reported has been done towards providing a proper system of drainage; aud it is to be feared that, on account of many difficulties, this cannot be done without considerable expense. It appears that, owing to the hitherto defective ventilation beneath the ground floor of the female wing, which has only been built a few years, the joists have already begun to decay. This matter is now being attended to. It would be a great boon to this Asylum if it could be lighted with gas, which is now conducted out as far as the gate ; kerosene-lamps, which are at present in use, being both inconvenient and very dangerous. Dunedin Asylum. —There were in this Asylum on the Ist January 249 patients. During the year 93 were admitted, including 2 inebriates ; 63 were discharged as recovered, 1 of wdiom was an inebriate ; and 26 died ; leaving, at 31st December, 252. The Asylum was inspected on the 24th and 26th December, aud the following is the greater part of the report made on its condition at that time : — "The patients were quiet and well behaved during the visit, and none made any complaints.