H.—7

12

It will be seen that the number of males resident has increased by twenty-three filling the vacant accommodation, and that the accommodation on the women's side is inadequate. The following is a return of patients requiring special attention for the causes assigned : — Males. Females. Total. Epileptics ... ... ... ... ... 16 18 34 General paralytics .-r. ... ... ...2 1 3 Suicidal ... ... ... ... ... 3 3 6 Dangerous (not included above) ... ... ... 1 15 16 Liable to be wet and dirty ... ... ... 32 58 90 • Actually wet and dirty ... ... .. ... 18 6 24 The number of patients under constant-observation notices is comparatively small —men, 4; women, 1. A too-extensive use of a special caution tends to its disregard. Au average of seventyfive men and seventy women attend divine service, and the same number enter into the amusements. The recreation of the patients is well considered, and during the visit I have seen a cricket-match ami bowling-match and a game of croquet, wherein the patients were interested spectators and participants. Records show that during the late Exhibition as many as 150 men and 120 women were able to take advantage of the generosity of the authorities, who furnished passes; and nearly as large a number were enabled to enjoy theatrical and other entertainments in town owing to the good offices of Mr. Smail. The following is a return of the employment of the patients : — Males. Females. Total. Farm and garden .. ... ... ... 128 1 129 Wards ... ... ... ... ... 98 138 236 Workshops ... ... ... ... 17 ... 17 Laundry ... ... ... ... ... 4 25 29 Kitchen ... ... ... ... ... 6 12 18 Domestic service ... .. ... ... 2 1 3 Needlework ... ... ... 54 54 Total employed ... ... ... ... 255 231 486 Unemployed (physically or mentally unfit, or refusing) ... ... ... ... 31 24 • 55 286 255 541 Where the two sexes are brought together in work, a nurse is always present, and the patients are carefully chosen. The general health of the institution has been average, and the deaths were all due to natural causes. There have been five accidents which were more than trivial. A woman got a hand caught in the pay-out end of the mangle, the ring-finger ami little finger being crushed. The nurse in charge immediately stopped the machinery, and took the pressure off the roller. The particular accident was not foreseen, but the protection, which was confined to the pay-in part, has now been extended. This woman was ncit mentally unfit to work in the laundry, and the same remark applies to all the patients I found engaged in the laundry during the visit. The other four accidents during the nine months happened to male patients. One unsuspected of impulsive action suddenly placed his hand in an unguarded fire, inflicting a burn which was, however, neither dangerous nor disabling. The real nature of his mental alienation, hitherto effectually concealed, was then made manifest. Two patients sustained injury involving fracture of bone, due to accidental falls, and one fractured ;i ril) during a struggle with attendants occasioned by an outburst of extreme violence. Dr. Gow investigated the matter at the time, and exonerated the attendants. The Register of Restraint contains one entry, referring to the restraint of a dangerous patient during a critical part of the journey when being transferred. No restraint has been used within the institution. All the patients resident had an opportunity of speaking with me, and two made complaints, which were investigated. A woman stated that a fellow-patient had been struck by a nurse, but trustworthy witnesses said that the slap was given by another patient who was directly in front of the nurse, and that an erroneous impression was, under the circumstances, not unlikely. The compluint of a man, alleging on hearsay the ill treatment of a fellow-patient, was easily proved to be without foundation; but his assertion that precisely similar usage was his lot at the hands of the - line attendant, when no trustworthy witness was present, was, of course, incapable of proof. The •lleged event was not recent, and the patient acknowedged that he had not taken advantage of many former occasions to mention the matter. Of the 8 (males, 6; females, 2) patients committed as criminals of unsound mind, two may reasonably be examined in terms of the Act with a view to their being dealt with according to law. Only 4 (m., 1 : f., 3) patients are in bed on account of physical illness and 9 (m., 1 ; f., 8) are confined to bed indoors on account of their mental state, and for the same reason 7 (m., 4; f., 3) are receiving bed treatment in the open air. Making due allowance for the dry season, the farming operations have been most successful, but, unfortunately, the detailed account of returns was lost in the fire. There was a phenomenal wheat-crop, and I understand that the supplying seedsman procured a sheaf for the Franco-British Exhibition. Alterations modernising the byres are about to be put in hand, and a new dairy and well in the vicinity have been sanctioned.