H.—7.

I—H, 7.

1941. NEW ZEALAND.

MENTAL HOSPITALS OF THE DOMINION. (REPORT ON) FOR 1940.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 78 of the Mental Defectives Act, 1911. The Director-General to the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, Minister in Charge of the Department of Mental Hospitals. Sir,—- Wellington, Ist June, 1941, I have the honour to present my annual report upon the work of the Department of Mental Hospitals for the year ending 31st December, 1940. Statistical. There were 8,370 names of persons upon our register at the end of the year, including 40 patients and boarders at Ashburn Hall private licensed institution and 624 patients and boarders who were absent on probation in the care of relatives and friends. In actual residence in our eight State hospitals on 31st December there were 7,706 persons —an increase of 17 compared with the previous year —and of this number 7,394 were subject to a reception order, whilst 312 were voluntary boarders. There was a decrease of 50 in the number of those admitted for the first time, and 355 ex-patients and boarders returned for further treatment. Of all classes of admissions we were able to discharge 906, or 59-2 per cent., calculated upon the number admitted, but no more than 516, or 34-08 per cent., were fully recovered at the time of discharge. This number falls far short of the true recovery rate, as patients who go on probation and do not send a medical certificate or report to the institution require to be discharged as " unrecovered." We discharged 107 persons suffering from congenital mental deficiency. These patients do not recover, but many have sufficiently stabilized to be left in the care of friends and relatives, and a number have been absorbed into remunerative employment.

Voluntary Boarders.

Alterations, Additions, and Improvements. Capital expenditure incurred upon new buildings, additions, and improvements amounted to £126,644 during the year, made up of the following items : — Auckland (£2,659). Additions to the Nurses' Home and the erection of a new hairdressing-saloon have been completed. A new glasshouse has been erected. The general roading has been improved during the year,

Ifj r „f w nt T fi.. a |. Tntsi.l Transferred Remaining Year - ! Admission. Admission. AdmSms. * Died ' Discharged. on or Patients. 31st December. 1 1 M. IT. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. 1912 .. .. 6 17 23 0 0 0 6 17 23 1 3 4 0 0 0 4 3 7 1 11 12 1913 .. .. 18 19 37 0 2 2 18 21 39 2 5 7 0 1 1 12 12 24 S 14 19 1914 .. .. 17 19 36 3 2 5 20 21 41 7 5 12 1 1 2 11 15 26 6 14 20 1915 .. .. 15 17 32 1 2 3 16 19 35 3 4 7 0 1 1 8 14 22 11 14 25 1916 .. .. 13 23 36 5 8 13 18 31 49 4 4 8 1 2 3 14 14 28 10 15 25 1917 .. .. 14 21 35 1 13 14 15 34 49 6 6 12 0 1 .1 10 23 33 9 19 28 1918 .. .. 23 38 61 5 11 16 28 49 77 1 4 5 2 2 4 15 30 45 19 32 51 1919 .. .. 31 39 70 5 19 24 36 58 94 3 3 6 0 2 2 26 42 68 26 43 69 1920 .. .. 26 38 64 16 12 28 42 50 92 3 4 7 1 2 3 33 33 66 31 54 85 1921 .. .. 39 39 78 11 15 26 50 54 104 2 3 5 5 1 6 38 41 79 36 63 99 1922 .. .. 47 38 85 10 16 26 57 54 111 6 5 11 4 4 8 40 48 88 43 60 103 1923 .. .. 44 50 94 15 21 36 59 71 130 3 6 9 3 3 6 47 47 94 49 75 124 1924 .. .. 38 44 82 16 20 36 54 64 118 4 8 12 6 3 9 39 48 87 54 80 134 1925 .. .. 64 59 123 15 34 49 79 93 172 10 15 25 6 3 9 60 63 123 57 92 149 1926 .. .. 71 60 131 11 29 40 82 89 171 10 11 21 7 2 9 49 71 120 73 97 170 1927 .. .. 70 70 140 25 32 57 95 102 197 8 6 14 5 12 17 75 58 133 80 123 203 1928 .. ..120 94 214 37 39 76 157 133 290 8 10 18 10 8 18 102 97 199 117 141 258 1929 .. .. 102 63 165 50 43 93 152 106 258 11 3 14 9 9 18 119 110 229 130 125 255 1930 .. .. 152 84 236 41 35 76 193 119 312 15 9 24 8 6 14 130 79 209 170 150 320 1931 .. ..166 98 264 43 36 79 209 134 343 11 14 25 11 7 18 159 102 261 198 161 359 1932 .. .. 150 85 235 50 40 90 200 125 325 24 32 56 14 5 19 190 108 298 170 141 311 1933 .. ..112 109 221 53 32 85 165 141 306 11 14 25 5 4 9 121 107 228 198 157 355 1934 .. ..132 90 221 56 33 89 188 123 311 7 11 18 10 6 16 152 99 251 217 164 381 1935 .. .. 130 87 217 40 55 95 170 142 312 18 20 38 19 10 29 151 116 267 199 160 359 1936 .. .. 98 99 197 62 44 106 160 143 303 21 20 41 7 10 17 137 111 248 194 162 356 1937 .. . . 103 91 194 64 45 109 167 136 303 14 7 21 6 10 16 163 122 285 178 159 337 1938 .. .. Ill 105 216 60 53 113 171 158 329 11 15 26 11 8 19 144 125 269 183 169 352 1939 .. .. 131 103 234 63 72 135 194 175 369 22 21 43 16 15 31 157 130 287 182)78 360 1940 .. ..128 124 252 65 63 128 193 187 379 18 18 36 10 12 22 176 167 343 171 168 339