5

H.-6

homely, and inexpensive kind, for quiet, harmless patients of a chronic class who will employ themselves in the fields; and this can best be provided by means of detached houses of various sizes, which, like a great part of the Hokitika Asylum, can be built by tho patients with wood got from the Asylum grounds. The splendid reserve which has been made at Seacliff affords unusual facilities for extending the Asylum in this manner, which is so well adapted to suit both the patients and the taxpayers. But a beginning can hardly be made in this direction until the main building already under contract has been completed. With reference to the Wellington Asylum, although it also is a merely temporary building, occupying a site in many respects disadvantageous for an institution of the kind, yet there are many reasons for utilizing it as long as possible; but, as it is only too evident that it must after a time be abandoned, the earliest opportunity should bo taken to get, at a reasonable price, a good piece of land conveniently situated as a site for a permanent asylum, even though building operations should not be commenced for several years. Meanwhile, its situation in proximity to the new hospital might be taken advantage of to carry out the views of eminent writers on insanity, who have deplored the unnatural line which has been drawn between insanity and other diseases, making it a speciality of which the medical profession in general is supposed to know or care nothing. I would propose to place it and the hospital under charge of the same resident surgeon, and invite the medical practitioners in town to give their voluntary attendance to it as well as the hospital. It seems certain that, in the long run, the greatest good would result from the carrying out of such an arrangement. As to the Napier Asylum, which has accommodation for 23 patients, it also had better be retained in use and made the best of until a larger and permanent one is required for the district; the necessity of adding to it the meantime can be avoided by the removing of chronic cases to other asylums. In the Appendix will be found tables supplied from the Colonial Architect's Department, giving details of contracts in force during the year for asylum buildings, the expenditure on these, and the liabilities for them, at 31st March. Prom these it appears that the total contract cost of new buildings in course of being provided was £122,055 lis. 5d., and that the expenditure on them was £27,438 15s. 4d., and the liabilities, £103,189 2s. 6d. Asylums. Wellington Asylum. —-The numbers in this Asylum on Ist January, 1879, were —69 males and 48 females. During the year there were admitted 33 males and 16 females, 9of the males and 2of the females being readmissions ; and the total number under care was 166, of whom 102 were males and 64 were females. Of these, 12 men and 7 women were discharged recovered; 5 men and 1 woman as relieved ; and 2 men and 3 women died ; and at the end of the year there were left 83 men and 53 women —in all, 136, being an increase of 19. The recoveries were in the proportion of 38'77 to the admissions; and the deaths of 3'96 to the average number resident. The recovery-rate was not so high as has been recorded in some previous years, but that appears to be due to greater accuracy .in the returns, a larger number than usual of those discharged having been notified as only relieved. The death-rate is also low. The causes of death were general paralysis, exhaustion from melancholia, epilepsy, erysipelas, and senile decay. The general health throughout the year was good. The condition of the asylum in many respects is now much improved, or in course of being improved. It was mentioned in last report that, in consequence of the excessive crowding of the male department, an additional block of building for 50 was being erected. This was finished and occupied by July. It consists of two spacious and well-arranged wards, one above the other, which have been nicely furnished, and are already to some extent supplied with pictures and other ornaments. A very fine billiard-table, bought by subscriptions contributed by a number of friends of the institution, has been placed in one of the dayrooms, and is a never-failing source of pleasure. This additional accommodation has given an immense relief to the male side of the house ; but it must be added that, owing to the increase in the number of patients, it is already fully occupied. The female department has also long been suffering from overcrowding, which has latterly existed to such an extent in the ward occupied by the more excited patients as manifestly to affect their mental if not their bodily condition, fostering excitability and quarrelsomeness, and rendering it well-nigh impossible for the attendants to maintain orde» T or to keep their own tempers. An extension of the female side also has therefore been seen to be absolutely necessary; and this is now being provided by means of a detached wing for 50 patients, similar to that which has been put up for the men, and connected like it by a covered passage to the main building. This will not only do away with all crowding in the female department, but will also enable a few cases to be transferred from the Napier Asylum, now more than full. Next to the insufficiency of ward space, the most serious defects in this Asylum have consisted in tho absence of proper bath-rooms with hot water supply—a want which has been increasingly felt with the growing numbers, and the isolated position of the single rooms for the use of the excited and troublesome patients, who more than any others require to be within reach of easily-maintained supervision. These defects are also now being overcome. The decaying blocks of building in which are situated the present dark and ill-arranged bath-closets are being removed and replaced by new ones, containing roomy and well-lighted bath-rooms, an adequate number of baths, and the means of readily supplying abundance of bot water; and tho isolated rows of single rooms are being connected w*ith the main building by means of closed-in passages. Two or three single rooms are also being added on both sides of the house. The renewal of the roof of the central portion of the Asylum, formerly reported as being urgently required and about to bo undertaken, was duly effected, galvanized iron being substituted for the worn-out shingles; and, this having been done, the principal dayroom of the male side, which had suffered from roof leakage, and acquired a somewhat dilapidated appearance, was completely repapered, and made to look very well. A nice approach leading up to the front of the Asylum from Adelaide Eoad, the construction of which has long afforded abundance of healthy and invigorating employment for the patients, is now nearly finished, and will be much more convenient than the roundabout back entrance hitherto in use.