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1898. NEW ZEALAND.

LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF THE COLONY (REPORT ON) FOR 1897.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Inspectob of Asylums to the Hon. the Ministeb of Education. Sic,— 22nd April, 1898. I have the honour to lay before you the following report on the lunatic asylums of the colony for the year ended the 31st December, 1897 :— The number of registered insane persons on the 31st December, 1897, was 2,43o—males, 1,440; females, 990 :an increase over the previous year of 115—males 50, and females 65. The insane of the colony are distributed as follows : — Males. Females, Total. Auckland 274 159 433 Christchurch 276 245 521 Dunedin (Seacliff) 362 239 601 Hokitika 74 39 113 Nelson 81 58 139 Porirua 142 110 252 Wellington 209 118 327 AshburnHall 22 J22 44 1,440 990 2,430 The proportion of the male insane to the male population of New Zealand is,— New Zealand (exclusive of Maoris) ... ... 3-74 per 1,000, or lin 267 New Zealand (inclusive of Maoris) ... ... 3-54 „ or lin 282 The proportion of female insane to the female population,— Exclusive of Maoris ... ... ••• ••• 287 „ or 1 in 348 Inclusive of Maoris ... — ... ••• 2-73 ~ or 1 in 366 The proportion of the total insane to the total population,— Exclusive of Maoris ... ... ••• •■• 3-33 „ or 1 in 300 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ••• 3-16 „ or 1 in 316 Admissions. On the Ist January, 1897, the number of insane persons in our asylums was 2,315. Of these, 1,390 were males and 925 females. The number of those admitted during the year for the first time was 449—males 253, and females 196. The readmissions were 47 males and 48 females : total, 95. Deaths. The percentage of deaths on the average number resident during the year was 6-28, as compared with 5-29 for the previous year. I—H. 7.