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That the services of our medical officers are greatly in demand is a gratifying sign that the importance of psychiatric treatment and advice is becoming more widely recognized, but we cannot continue to give these services without sacrificing the proper and safe conduct of our hospitals unless a substantial addition is made in the number of medical officers. The amount of extra mural activities has greatly increased during the war years. In addition to the twelve clinics which we conduct at the general hospitals in the main centres and larger provincial towns —and these sessions involve absence from the mental hospital for periods of from a half to two days —our officers are called upon to examine and furnish reports upon pensioners, Service personnel, rehabilitation cases, and prisoners ; to give lectures to medical students and to nurses at their postgraduate courses; and to address various social organizations. Within the mental hospitals the recent introduction of the various methods of shock therapy, occupational therapy, and other modern forms of treatment has increased the demands made by the individual patient upon the doctor and lessened the number to which he can give his effective attention. Since the commencement of the war no less than eight of our assistant medical officers have been induced to leave our service because of the higher incomes which can be obtained under recently developed conditions of private practice, and they have not been replaced. In addition, two of our officers are still overseas on active service. I cannot stress too strongly the urgent need to secure at least fourteen thoroughly competent additional psychiatrists for the Department. The following nurses and attendants passed the Senior Mental Nursing Examination :— Passed top for Dominion : Nurse D. I. Gardiner (Auckland). Auckland — Attendants : W. J. Armstrong, T. I. Brown, W. Croft, W. A. M. McLean. Nurses : J. Arthur-Worsop, D. E. Brown, F. A. Carmichael, A. J. Dawes, P. A. Dutton, *C. J. A. Fletcher, B. Gabrielsen, *D. I. Gardiner, I. M. Hope, E. M. McGuire, E. M. O'Connor, L. Whiu. Papakura— Attendants: E. J. Burrell, G. H. Parker. Nurses : N. E. Hoby, H. B. Johnson, J. I. McPhail, F. G. Woolfield. Tokanui— Attendants : A. H. M. Grenfell, B. McCarthy. Nurse : J. M. Kelly. Porirua — Attendants : 0. G. Christopherson, W. Eodgers. Nelson— Attendants : J. C. Fleming, W. E. Holder, B. B. Pahl, A. J. Parkinson. Nurses : S. M. Brophy, F. G. McDonald, T. P. Von Sturmer. Hokitika— Nurse : F. E. Hunter. Christchurch— Attendant: T. C. Donovan. Nurses : K. M. Brewer, A. J. Coote, *E. M. Fry, A. M. Morel, C. P. O'Grady, M. S. Eussell, A. G. Tooley. Templeton Farm— Institution Officers : N. McDowell, A. E. Prosser, J. Eichmond, L. C. Taylor. Seacliff— Attendant: J. T. Thompson. Nurse : H. T. Manning. Valedictory During the year an unusually large number of our Matrons and Head Attendants retired, notably Miss Mayze, Miss Eedman, Mrs. McLaren, Miss Kelly, Miss Gabrielsen, Miss Finane, and Messrs. Fowlie, Briggs, Morgan, Turner, Beasley, Wicks, and Anderson. Mr. David Eiddle, for many years our Agricultural Overseer, retired on account of ill health. All these officers had given many years of good and faithful service to the Department, and it is fitting that, as an expression of gratitude, I should put their names on record. Appreciation I gladly avail myself of this opportunity to thank Dr. Lewis and my other medical colleagues, Mr. Sinclair, Chief Clerk, and all the Head Office staff, for the unfailing loyalty shown to myself and for the harmonious and efficient way they have worked during a very difficult period. Theo. G. Gray, Director-General. * Passed with distinction.

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