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SEACLIFF MENTAL HOSPITAL. Dr. Brown reports : — At the beginning of the year there were 1,035 patients on the register. During the year 149 patients were admitted, 68 were discharged, and 6 were transferred to other hospitals. There were 90 voluntary boarders under care, of whom 41 remain. The total death-rate was low. Deaths numbered 58, the majority of them being due to senile decay. The necessary repairs and renovations were carried out by the artisan and engineering staffs. As I have emphasized before, the slipping ground on which the hospital stands and the old buildings make this work heavy and costly. The completion of the kitchen in F. 2 villa at Waitati gives each ward on the female side there its own kitchen, and there has been a very obvious improvement in the meals on that account. The Public Works Department are installing pumping-machinery at the Evansdale Creek to augment the water-supply during dry periods. The completion of this should remove a recurring source of worry and inconvenience. The farm and garden have had a successful year, and the patients have had an abundant supply of fresh vegetables at all times of the year. Further experience in the treatment of schizophrenia with insulin has shown that it has much to recommend it. In a batch of picked cases —that is to say, cases which the medical staff considered were suitable for this type of treatment —7 have been discharged, and the remaining patient has shown improvement. I would emphasize again that not every case of schizophrenia will respond to this treatment. Ido so advisedly, for many relatives entertain false hopes of its success, and its failure is a sad disappointment to them. As time goes on one is beginning to get some idea of the permanency or otherwise of our results. This treatment has been used here for about two and a half years. During that period only two of the cases discharged have had to return to the hospital, and these two were patients about whom we were very doubtful but whom we allowed home on probation to the care of their people. Wherever possible the case is followed up after discharge, and a surprising number of these patients write to tell us how they are faring. In last year's report I spoke of the first of these cases whom we discharged after he had been in stupor for five years before treatment. His follow-up is most interesting. For a period he was only able to perform unskilled work, but now he has been able to resume his former highly-skilled work as a technical draughtsman, A number of schizophrenics, chiefly female patients, have been given convulsive treatment with cardiazol, with good but not such spectacular results as insulin. I have not yet the material with which to make comparisons between the two methods of treatment. I would again express my thanks to Dr. Thomson, of the Dunedin Public Hospital, and to various members of the Otago Medical School for their help in scientific investigations of these schizophrenic patients, which are beyond the facilities of this hospital. Without their co-operation and assistance it would be very difficult to carry out insulin treatment. Occupational therapy has been carried out on a scale which I hope to see greatly increased shortly. I am grateful to you for the opportunity I had to see the occupational units in Auckland Mental Hospital. As you are aware two nurses and an attendant have been seconded there for training, and a considerable extension of this form of treatment should be possible on their return. I continue to visit Dunedin Public Hospital twice weekly in my capacity as honorary physician in charge of the mental wards. An increased number of cases were seen, at my monthly clinic in Oamaru Public Hospital. My Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Hay, visits Invercargill Public Hospital once a month. On his visits there he has examined and furnished reports on 55 inmates of the Borstal Institution. It is of interest to record that our oldest patient is now, so far as our records show, one hundred years of age. He is very hale and able, when he runs short of tobacco, to walk from Simla Ward to my office to detnand a further supply. I need hardly say that this is never refused. The majority of the younger attendants are on leave of absence with the Forces, and I wish them a speedy return.

MENTAL NURSES. In November the usual examination was held for the registration of mental nurses, when the following passed: — Passed top for Dominion : Miss M. J. Middleton (Nelson). Auckland: Attendants —A. Dracevich, M. T. B. Harris, B. H. Taylor. Nurses—A. C. Kingdon, S. M. Moore, A. O'Brien, G. E. Vernon. Papakura : Attendant —E. McSweeney. Nurses —A. E. Hawke, M. J. Hubbers, R. McNaught, N. Thompson*, I. 6. Wigglesworth*, I. Willshaw. Te Awamutu: Attendant —E. F. Evans. Nurses —M. H. Anderson, E. K. Graham, E. M. Frogatt, M. J. Hodson, M. M. Phillips. Porirua: Attendants —A. E. Mexted, W. C. K. Parker, F. M. Wilson. Nurses—A. Adank, G. E. Davies, K. A. Hill, N. H. Pryke. Nelson : Attendant —H. H. A. Holland. Nurse's —G. F. M. Andrews, F. Cobeldick, M. J. Middleton*, B. I. Eobb, L. M. Bowlings. Hokitika : Nurse—H. M. Cooinbes. Christchurch : Attendants —E. Beattie, J. S. Burford, J. E. Hartland, A. L. McDrury, E. K. Newton. Nurses —M. B. Machirus, E. C. P. Smith, L. M. Urquhart. Templeton Farm: Institution Officers (Male) —N. L. Milliken, J. H. Wisker. Institution Officers (Female) —J. L. Guy, F. L. P. Crawford, A. Quinn. Seacliff: Attendant—W. L. Chisholm.* Nurses—E. M. Anderson, G. Booker, E. M. Butler, M. Cleghorn, L. B. Garbutt, B. I. Key*, E. I. Lee, E. M. Mathieson, G. M. Mcintosh*, H. M. McLean, K. M. McVie, M. M. Smith, A. J. Townsend, E. L. Ward.

* Passed with distinction,

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