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BE POET. To His Excellency the Right Honourable Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl of Liverpool, Knight Commander of the most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Member of the Eoyal Victorian Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,— In pursuance of Your Excellency's Commission bearing date the tenth day of September, one thousand nine hundred and thirteen, directing me to inquire into and report upon the treatment in Sunnyside Mental Hospital of— (1.) The late William Alexander Tribe; (2.) The late James Howie; (3.) The late Sidney Lionel Barrett; (4.) Lewis Allan Gourlay; and (5.) Daniel Herlihy, I have the honour to state that I have duly inquired into the several matters, and report my opinion as follows : — Mr. T. W. Stringer, K.C., appeared on behalf of the Mental Hospitals Department; Mr. S. G. Raymond, K.C., with him Mr. Johnston, appeared on behalf of Dr. Gow and Dr. Ramsbotham, the Medical Superintendent and the Assistant Medical Officer at the Sunnyside Mental Hospital; Mr. Dougall appeared on behalf of the relatives of the late William Alexander Tribe; and Mr. Davey, M.P., appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of the relatives of the late James Howie, and on behalf of Lewis Allan Gourlay and Daniel Herlihy. The Commission sat and took evidence on eight days. A transcript of the shorthand report is forwarded herewith. One day was spent in visiting and thoroughly inspecting the Sunnyside Mental Hospital. No definite complaints were formulated in any of the cases, but the evidence shows what the causes of complaint were. I shall treat of the case of each patient in the order set out in Your Excellency's Commission. I. William Alexander Tribe. The complaints were— (1.) That friends were not allowed to see him for a month; (2.) Confinement in cold, comfortless cell, where he could not sleep on account of noises made by other patients; (3.) Being supplied with dirty,'ill-fitting, and ragged clothing; (4.) Being compelled to undress in corridor and compelled to sleep in a shirt; (5.) That he was not supplied with sufficient blankets; (6.) That he was not allowed to wear his own clothing; (7.) That there was no hospital treatment for physical ailments; (8.) That he received two black eyes; (9.) That lie received an injury to his foot, which caused inflammation and swelling, which was not properly attended to; (10.) That if he was unable to eat a meal he obtained no food till the next meal; (11.) That there is no proper classification of patients; (12.) That Dr. Gow was cold and callous when spoken to about the patient. Mr. Tribe when admitted to the Hospital was fifty-six years of age. He was suffering from confusional insanity and acute mania.