9

IL—6

now upwards of 300 patients, about 70 of whom are lodged in the farm buildings at Seacliff. No one can shut his eyes to the absurdity of 300 diseased brains being under charge of any one but a resident physician. Hokitika Asylum. —There were 70 patients on Ist January —51 males and 19 females. During the year 27 were admitted —17 males and 10 females, 1 male and 2 females being readmissions. The total number under treatment was 97, of whom 68 were males and 29 were females. Of these, 7of each sex were discharged as recovered, and 1 female as relieved ; 4 males and 1 female died ; and there were left, at the 31st December, 57 males and 20 females —fn all, 77, being an increase of 7. As many as 9of the 17 males admitted had apparently gone insane from drink. The insanity of 3 other males and of 3 females was ascribed to hereditary predisposition. The recoveries were in the proportion of 51 per cent, to the admissions. The death rate was 6'66 of the average number resident. All the deaths were due to nervous disease, 2 resulting from epilepsy, 1 from chronic brain disease, 1 from softening of the brain, and 1 from exhaustion from melancholia. The Asylum has had the misfortune to lose the services of its kindhearted physician, the late Dr. Dermott, who died in September. He has been succeeded by Mr. David Philip James, M.E.C.S.E. The Asylum was inspected on the 27th January, and in all respects found in a very satisfactory condition. The whole building has been re-painted externally. A. fine large dormitory and three single rooms have been added to the female side of the house, and a small bedroom, formerly occupied by three patients, has been turned into a store. All this additional building has been put up by the patients and attendants, who cut and prepared the whole of the wood, except the lining and flooring, which had to be bought, and made even the doors and window-sashes. Excellent accommodation has thus been got for 17 patients at a very trifling cost. It is suitably furnished; and the bedsteads, which are very substantial, were also, with the exception of their turned legs, made on the premises. The large amount which is saved in the way of building at this Asylum should be borne in mind when its rate of maintenance is contrasted with that of others. The detached house, which has been built by contract, for the men is now occupied by 13 patients and one attendant. It is a comfortable and pleasant-looking building, with nothing to distinguish it from an ordinary dwelling, except that it is clean and well ventilated. Its cost was £815 95., or about £67 6s. lOd. per bed, which is very moderate. The ground round about this house has been tastefully laid out by the patients, who accomplished a great deal of work in preparing a site for it; upwards of an acre of very uneven ground having been cleared, levelled, and drained. The cottage that was on the 5-acre section, which was bought as a site for the'above building, contains sleeping-rooms for 8 patients; and there is now almost sufficient accommodation for the men in this Asylum ; while there is room for 3 more women —a state of matters which is not likely to last very long. Great attention continues to be given to the employment of the patients, and at the time of the visit nearly all the men were found busily engaged in various occupations out of doors. There were only 8 of the 54 males and 1 of the 21 females then in the Asylum who were not workers ; and these few were idlers because of mental or physical incapacity. The bush-land of which the reserve is composed affords abundance and variety of healthy employment; and, what with felling timber, sawing it into planks, rooting up stumps, levelling, trenching, draining, fencing, and cropping, almost every patient finds something at which he can be induced to work ; and, if he does not recover, his downward progress is at least retarded. The patients appeared to be in very good health, and were comfortably and tidily dressed. They were seen at their dinner, which was abundant and nicely served ; they all ate decently with their knives and forks, and maintained the utmost good order. No one was in bed. There was one very suicidal patient, who wore locked leather-gloves, without fingers, during the night for fear of injuring himself, but during the day he went without them, and in fact was a good worker. Eor upwards of a year no patient had been placed in seclusion, nor had restraint of any kind been used, excepting gloves in the above case. The registers are neatly and correctly kept. Nelson Asylum.. —There were 59 patients on the Ist January—3B males and 21 females. During the year 19 were admitted —10 males and 9 feWiales (2 of the latter being readmissions) ; and the total number under care was 78—48 males and 30 females. Of these, 8 males and 3 females were discharged as recovered, and 2 females as relieved ; 4 males and 1 female died ; and there were left, at the end of the year, 34 males and 26 females —or 60 in all, being an increase of only 1. The recoveries were in the proportion of 80 per cent, to the admissions among males, and of 33 per cent, among females. The death rate was 11'76 of the average number resident for males, and 434 for females. The causes of death were —diseases of the brain in 3 cases, disease of the liver and diarrhoea in 1, and erysipelas in 1. The Asylum was inspected on the 30th August and Ist September, and reported on as follows: — " The present number of patients is 60—34 males and 26 females. Their health appears to be good, and their condition is, generally speaking, satisfactory. There are, however, two very helpless and degraded females, who might be improved by assiduous attention on the pa»t of the matron. In the--treatment of the patients seclusion seems to be very little resorted to, and restraint still less. All except 10 males and 12 females are recorded in the medical journal as employed in one way or another ; but, owing chiefly to the want of ground, the number of males who steadily engage in any occupation worth mentioning is comparatively small. " It was found that 2 male patients, one of whom is by no means good-tempered, occupied the same sleeping-room. The Superintendent was warned against the danger of this arrangement, and instructed at once to discontinue it. " The house was very clean, and in good order throughout. A few tables and chairs have been added to the scanty stock ot furniture, with good effect; and linoleum is in course of being laid down in the corridors, which will greatly improve their appearance. There is still an almost utter absence of 2—H. 6.