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wooden wedge or two ; and during my visit a window-frame in one of the turrets was observed to be rocking to and fro with a slight breeze, never having been properly built in. I was sorry to notice that movement of the soil is still progressing beneath the female wing, as evidenced by cracked walls, falling plaster, and broken concrete pavement. This movement is evidently promoted by soakage of water from high ground at the rear of the building. It is highly desirable to provide against this soakage by laying down tar pavement in the airing-courts for a width of at least 12 feet from the walls, and by providing proper drainage to carry away the rainfall from them. The water-supply so far has been ample, but the water is so hard as to render its use objectionable for laundry and kitchen purposes. An analysis should be made with a view to remedying this and other objectionable properties of the water. Meanwhile additional tanks are being placed to collect rain-water. The store-rooms and offices are good, and conveniently situated, but the fittings as left by the contractor were of the roughest. Much time has been spent in reconstructing shelves, bins, and other articles which had become quite unserviceable through warping and shrinkage. Dr. Neill pointed out to me the necessity for some more single rooms in which patients could be accommodated with security. He proposes to construct four for each sex in the airing-courts, in a position indicated to me. I quite approve of the plan. The additions will be executed by his own staff, and with old materials. Eegarding the general management I have nothing to add to my former reports, and I continue to repose great confidence in Dr. Neill's ability and zeal. The appointment of an Assistant Medical Officer should be made forthwith. All books and papers I find properly kept.

2nd, 3rd, 4th, and sth May, 1885.—A considerable portion of each of the above-mentioned days has been devoted to a thorough inspection of the Seacliff Asylum, in accordance with the provisions of the statute. All the books and registers in use have been examined and signed. These are, without any exception, very neatly kept, and furnish very valuable information both as regards the patients and also the economical working of the establishment. All orders of admission and medical certificates have likewise been submitted to me for inspection, together with a few letters written by patients and detained from the post. I have made the various inquiries enjoined by the Lunatics Act, and obtained satisfactory replies thereto. There are now on the books 205 males and 132 females; total, 426. These numbers include two males and one female absent on probation; and, with these exceptions, I have seen them all. Of the male population, an accession of 55 took place on Tuesday evening last. These had been brought down from Wellington and Christchurch by Dr. Neill, in order to remedy overcrowding in the asylums there situate. Dr. Neill also took charge of a party of 16 lunatics transferred from Napier to Wellington, and carried out these difficult operations, involving much tact and forethought, in the most admirable manner. Not a hitch of any kind occurred; and the patients whom I have seen here seem rather to have enjoyed the journey than to have been irritated and excited by it. As soon as arrangements can be completed for the reception, Dr. Neill will also remove 25 female patients hither from the Sunnyside Asylum. Of the total number under treatment, 105 men and 5 men are lodged in the wooden buildings. These were intended for temporary use only during the construction of the permanent asylum; but, I regret to say, that more real comfort is to be found here than in the palatial-looking but cold and ill-planned structure below. During my prolonged visited I found 4 men and 3 women confined to bed; some for temporary ailments only. The rest of the patients look robust and well fed, as they doubtless are, judging from the meals which I saw supplied to them. Two women were placed in seclusion for short periods on account of maniacal excitement and acts of destruction. No person was in any way mechanically restrained. Wet weather on the first day of my visit interfered greatly with outdoor employments, but some little improvement in this respect has since taken place. I find that there are only 80 males and 32 females who are not in some way usefully occupied. The patients are suitably clothed, and the bedding is beautifully clean. A large stock of blankets will be required during the winter season, as the building is very cold and damp. A few patients appealed to me for their release. One of these will shortly be discharged, but the others are unfit to be at large. I have examined the various stores and supplies with satisfactory result; all are good of their kind. Eegarding the home-grown vegetables it is impossible to speak too highly ; they are grown in abundance and in great variety. All live-stock kept is of a high class, and very carefully tended. No extension of the main buildings has been made since my last report, with the exception of a range of ten good single rooms, with an adjoining corridor about 7ft. wide. This addition was made entirely .by home labour, and with old material brought from Dunedin, having formed a portion of the old asylum there. These rooms are intended for the accommodation of the Sunnyside patients, and are well and substantially constructed. Their average cost was £5 6s. for each room ; this amount being expended in new material, which was necessary to complete them. A similar addition is contemplated on the male side of the asylum. I have again to draw attention to the structural defects mentioned in my former reports. Movement continues to take place in the foundations of the female wing, in which a rent exists from roof to basement. Plaster is constantly falling, and alarming noises are at times heard in the