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The Hon. the Minister in Charge of Mental Hospitals to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord, — Wellington, 30th July, 1910. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals on the mental hospitals of the Dominion for the year 1909. I have the honour to be, Your Lordship's most obedient servant, Geo. Fowlds, Minister in Charge of Mental Hospitals.

" The Inspector-General to the Hon. the Minister in Charge of Mental Hospitals. Sir,— Wellington, Ist July, 1910. I have the honour to present the statutory report on the mental hospitals of the Dominion for the year ended 31st December, 1909. ' The number of patients on the register at the beginning of the year was 3,414 (males, 1,997; females, 1,417), and at the end 3,549 (m., 2,083; f., 1,466), an increase of 135 (m., 86; f., 49). The increase in 1908, the highest on record, exceeded that of the year under review by 39 (m., 2 ; f., 37). It is not the number only but the quality of the admissions which determines these annual increments;, therefore, when dealing with comparatively small figures one has not to contrast too strongly one year with another, but rest content with observing any general tendency which may be disclosed by larger figures—at least the averages of quinquennial periods. Taking the last three of these, one finds that in the period 1894-98 the average yearly admission-rate was 450, and the average yearly increment, the excess of admissions over discharges and deaths, was 88; the corresponding figures for 1899-1903 were 526 and 96, and for 1904-8 were 639 and 91. Distribution.— Counting 108 (m., 77; f., 31) absent on leave as still resident in the mental hospital whence they left, the 3,549 patients on the register at the end of the year were distributed as follows: — Males. Females. Total. Auckland 458 289 747 Christchurch 337 290 627 Dunedin (SeaclifT) ... ... 500 329 829 Hokitika ■■• 140 55 195 Nelson 97 105 202 Porirua 371 324 695 Wellington ... ... ... •■• ••■ 155 55 210 Ashburn Hall (private mental hospital) ... ... 25 19 44 2,083 1,466 3,549 Of those technically on leave, 33 men were resident at the Camp, near Dunedin, and 18 boys at the Home for Feeble-minded at Richmond. Ratio to Population.— -The following calculations show the ratio of patients on the register at the end of the year to the estimated general population, both exclusive and inclusive of the Native race. The number of Maoris on the register was 38 only (m., 24; f., 14). The proportion of the total insane to the total population was, — Exclusive of Maoris 35-72 per 10,000, or 1 in 280 Inclusive of Maoris 34-43 „ 1 m 290 The proportion of the male insane to the male population.— Exclusive of Maoris ... 39-57 „ 1 m 253 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ■■• 38-15 „ 1 m .261 The proportion of the female insane to the female population, — Exclusive of Maoris ... ... ••■ ■•• 31-40 „ lin 318 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ■•• 30-24 „ lin 331 Compare these figures with those of last year, and it will be seen that the ratio per 10,000 has advanced 099 for males and o'lB for females. As I have stated before, such ratios would find their parallel in general hospitals if those patients only were discharged who were apparently, restored to the state of bodily health and integrity which preceded the disorder or accident for which they were admitted. . . Of interest in this connection is the following comparison, quoted from an article by Vr. Urquhart in the Journal of Mental Science of April, 1909: — Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Perth Royal Asylum. General Diseases. Nervous Diseases. Certified Insane. Total cases 4,082 873 982 Of whom percentage of— Recovered ... ... ••■ -■• <" 7 23(1 die Unrecovered ... ■•■ •■■ 555 69"3 51 o Died 10 '< 7 5 lb ' r