MENTAL HOSPITALS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 911, 2 September 1910, Page 8

ANNUAL REPORT. FIGURES AND COMPARISONS. ' The report of Dr. Hay, Inspector-Gen-eral of Mental Hospitals, for the year ended December 31 last; was presented to Parliament yesterday. , It shows that the number of .patients on the register at the beginning of the year was 3414 (males. 1997, females HIT), and iat .the end 3519 (males 2083, females 1466), ail increase of 135 (males BG,. females, 49). < Tho patients, were distributed. as follow!—

Taking the lost three quinquennial periods one would find that in the period 1894-98 the average yearly admission, rata, .was 450, and' the average, yearly increment, the excess of, admissions over discharges- and deaths, was 88; the corresponding figures for 1899-1903 were 52Gand 96, and for 190-1-8 were 639 and..9l. .•-•.".- Twenty-eight immigrants were returned as having become insane within a 'year of landing-in New ;Zealand. Eighteen of them, came from the United .Kingdom, and seven from the Commonwealth,, and in .23-; cases there was no history of, a' previous attack. f : ■•.*''' ,■ The total number of cases under care during the year was .4237, (males, ■•2441; females,-1793);' of'these (excluding 'transfers), 377 (males, 197; females 180), were discharged, and 204 (males, 136;, females, 68), died. ' In. 1908 the number under.care was 3984, the discharges numbered 348,, end the deaths 222. ; The percentage 'of deaths' calculated :on ; the average mimbor resident was 6.05 (males, 6.90; females, 4.84). The figures.for the previous year were 7.39 (males, 9.08; females,; 4.98). With the proportions per, cent calculat-ed-on-the total number under care, the ■figures for 1909; and' the'-previous -year are' respectively' 4.81 and 5.55. , . ' Of the patients. discharged," 349' (males, 179; females, 170) were classed as'recovered, and 135 (males, .46; females,, 89) as un■recovered, '107 of - these* (males,- 28; females, 79) being-.transfers., The percentage of recoveries :calculated on admissions !was v 48.74 (males, 42.72; females, 57.24). The recovery rate-:the previous year was 43.82 per centrales, 42.25;, females, 45.91), andtho average since-1876 stands . at 40.69 (males,, 38.65; i. females, 43.71).: •: : ; •■"•■•■■ " • '■'■:■■' •'■':'■■ : ■''■■:■ :'■: - Provision for Patients,. , ■

To make. proper.-provision {for;the- pa. : tients.-.liad given much : anxiety. . In- additdoE, to, keeping, pace', with the' natural growth,' there had -been the. knowledge that the population of.Mount View would ■have, to'-.:be provided for/.and .therefore additions have'.been in progress) large at , Eorirua and on' a smaller scale elsewhere; but necessitating Ispmp crowding pending the 'outlet 'to .bur, overflow .which-, would be provided by.'.,the,proposed .mental hosr pital at' .Tokanui; -It. was.' expected .that by this time th'ey should have been-busy, there with-building operations, but to, the 'taking'of tho Native portion of tho bind objections had been : lodged, and these had' still to bo heard-before ..they, could: getto work.' In' the meantime, preliminary buildings wore designed;: and,'; onco. the objections have been disposed of, , .there would : be. no delay in. making a'start.- :, Dealing with the proposed, new,' Mental Hospital at Tokiinu.i, , Dr/;Hay states;that its mission for some y&rs-'to. comie 'will be tho absorbing :of: the! yearly increment, leaving the .other'hospitals: much the.samesize as they ■'.are'at; present,.by, providing for the,reception by traiisfor of numbers of 'patients, who;'as - a class can be' 'managed in -less institutions than, the mental.; hospital. ' This '.-class! comprises, for .the -most part patients who -keep very fairly, well uncW ■ skilled supervision,.: but ; are quito unablo to adjust, tliemselTee to the larger environanent : of'the world . outside the institution. Their-transfer will supply: workmen to assist in 'developing the ;new estate, and accommodation in the hospital they have>■ left for. patients requiring; strictox euperyisioulindiuore active: treat-, meat;'. . .', . .;' . ; :, ',-.-■'■■., ,: :- •■''..

' Great Britain's CoKfributiqn. ;' ', As .regaixls the-native':country of the 3549 patients in. the varicus mental hospitals'at the end of 'the. year 923 came from- England and' At ales ,881. .from: .Scotland, 611 from Ireland,.; 1255 from: New: Zealand,.'l2l' from,. Australian 1 States, -3b from.Gerniaiy, ,2S'-frpui Sweden,.3B.wera, Maoris, and 2r : .\vere.'from...China.. v: .:. , The.-prmcipal: assigned' causes,, of iin-, sanity were 119 ,are due 'to heredity, 72 to oongenita;l hiental; deficiency,.67 to senility,' 11 ■' to . sudden mental stress, 68 to , prolonged mental stress,, 4..t0/ privation,,,B to.; masturbation, 12 to -sexual excess,' 96 to: Wc0h01,.26 to , syphilis,' 34 : to epilepsy. ,■■ In'; 99 cases'.th'e cause was notliknoivn.: , ;--'-,-• •,' '•;' - ! '■:•. .Annual Cost Rettoced. ,'-.■,-' v".'. - / • The net'annual cost per patient-was v£2!>Os; 9d., 'as against .£26 10s. 'ScU -for 1908, ■and the figures for the respective institutions were:—Auckland; 9s;.3d.;'.Christchurch, -£38 18s. Id.'; Seacliff, MZ 3s. lid.; Hokitika,'.£26ls. 4d;'; Nelson,\£32 7e. 3d.;: Poririia, 18s.; 'Wellington, £i2' 7s. Bd.. ■; Of the male patients admitted,, 156 were' labourers, 50 were farmers, 25 had.no occupation,.. 12 wero.. fani\.:'hands, ;lii./.werb inineri;'lo were "carpenters, ,5 wereshep-. herdsi 5 were, rabbiters,'-8 -were,.grocers, .& were:.echoolboys; 4w:ere.|School-masters', li ,■ were, clerks ,and' accountants, 8 were , gardeners', and '9; were. guindkgeTS. Of the- females, 307 'came under' tho-he ad of "domestic duties," 16 were of no ocoupa-: tion, 9 wore teaohcro, 5 iwere vagrams,: '5. were nurses, and 6 dressmakers. Tho receipts for maintenaucei per head in '1909, calculated on -the average number resident, were ,£8 9s; 6Jd., against £!', 17s. 9Jd. in ,1908. 'This is considered a very .satisfactory refund, and speaks well not only for the. relatives of tho patients, but for' the~ systematic'*work of tho. receivers. The fact that the - institutions are now paid- the old-age pension in , case of pensioners sent ■ to ' mental hosnitals ..must; be* given some credit for uvshare in the above. , ■"■!•■'■' Farming Operations. ■":'. i' The produce-from Porirua Mental Hospital, which was sold for-Tcashj , 'yielded JJ1256, and the value of .tho produce consumed in ■ tlie hospital . was making a total of .£3231. .The figures for. the Wellington Mental : Hospital oiily. totalled: .£(187. For "the .whole of ,lhe mental hospitals the produce sold for cash, yielded £5690,' whilst that consumed in' the hospitals was: valued, at ..£11,537, making a total.of . . / ...'. . • : Porirua Mental Hospital, / There were 738 .'patients ,in the' PoriruaMental .Hospital' oh "May 17; 377 being males, and 361 female's." '. \ '.- ' ' The' newbuilding designed for disturbed women is in occupation, and tho structural innovations with respect to ventilation and the admission of sunlight/into each of the' rooms are working satisfactorily. This hospital will ■ now .tap' the whole district - south of the Auckland province; and therefore it must be.the first relieved -'when buildings at' Tolcanui. ■; It has,' for .'-'the'. area ' and V quality of.' its land, just- about reached. : the ..limit of patients that can be .economically managed on the estate. . . .- ■ I

Males. Females. Total. Auckland 45S 239 747 Christchurch ...... 337 .290 .027 Dunedin (Seacliffe) 500 329 829 Hokitika ..-..■. 140 .55' 195. Nelson ; 97 105 202, Porirna ■ 371 324 ■ 095' Wellington ; 155 55 ' 210 Ashburn • Hall ' (private mental hospital)' ..;. 25 19 ,' 44 ■'.';■■. 20&3 '1466 3549