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The Hon. the Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord,— Wellington, 15th September, 1913. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Inspector-General of Mental Defectives for the year 1912. I have, &c, R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives.

The Inspector-General to the Hon. the Minister in Charge of the Department for the Care of Mental Defectives. Sir,— Wellington, 29th June, 1913. I have the honour to present, pursuant to section 78 of the Mental Defectives Act, 1911, the report for the year ended 31st December, 1912. The number of patients under the control of this Department at the beginning of the year was 3,756 (males, 2,220 ; females, 1,536), and at the end 3,913 (m. 2,273 ; f., 1,640), an increase of 157 (m., 53 ; f., 104). The average increase during the former five years was 110, the figures for the most and least favourable yearsbeing 34 and 174 respectively. The total number under oversight, care, or control was 4,743 (m., 2,813 ; f., 1,930), as against 4,447 (m., 2,615 ; f., 1,832) in the previous year, an increase of 296 (m,., 198 ; f., 98), while the average number resident in our institutions during the year was 3,697 (m., 2,146; f., 1,551), against 3,601 (m., 2,105; f., 1,496);-in 1911, or 96 more in the year under review. Distribution. ■ Counting 171 (m., 135 ; f., 36) absent on leave as still resident in the mental hospital whence they left, the 3,913 patients on the register at the end of the year were distributed as follows : — Males. Females. Total. Auckland ... ... ... ... ... 500 345 845 Christchurch ... ... ... ... ... 375 342 717 Dunedin (Seacliff and Waitati) ... ... ... 545 370 915 Hokitika ... ... ... ... ... 180 51 231 Nelson ... ... , ... ... ... 94 94 188 Porirua ... ... ... ... 488 420 908 Tokanui ... . . ... ... ... 64 ... 64 Ashburn Hall (private mental hospital) ... ... 27 18 45 2,273 1,640 3,913 Of those technically on leave, 50 men were resident at the Camp, near Dunedin, 56 on Motuihi Island, and 17 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 42 only (m., 30 ; f., 12). The proportion of total mentally defective to the total population was, — Exclusive of Maoris ... . ' ... ... .. 36-77 per 10,000,0r lin 272 Inclusive of Maoris .... ... ... ... 35-49 „ lin 282 The proportion of mentally defective males to the male population,— Exclusive of Maoris ... ...' ... 40-55 per 10,000 or lin 247 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 39-21 ~ lin 255 The proportion of mentally defective females to the female population,— Exclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 32-60 per 10,000 or lin 307 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 31-37 „ lin 319 Comparing these figures with those in the last report, and taking the ratios therein as a standard, there were, exclusive of Maoris, on the register at the end of the year 55 more patients than would be justified by the natural increase of population. Curiously enough, the increase was limited to women patients, who were 60 in excess of the proportional increase in population, while the men were 5 fewer than anticipated. In England and Wales the number of notified insane persons on the Ist January, 1911, stood to the estimated population in the proportion of 1 to 275, or 36-4 per 10,000.