THE WRITTEN QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1276, 3 November 1911, Page 4

THE WRITTEN QUESTION.

ABOUT AN INSANE PATIENT. (By Tftleuraph-Boccla'. Correspondent.! Auckland, November 2. A rather startling question was put to Sir John Findlay at Newmarket last night. This was in tlio form of n written query as to whether tho Minister knew that a man had, for some considerable lime past, been detained in tho Auckland Mental Hospital without justification, and simply to suit persons who had a reason for wishing his continued detention.

Sir John Pindlay expressed his surprise at tho nature of tlio question, and said that if the person n.skin" it would see him after tho mooting closed and givo hiin full i»rt.icu!(u's, ho would have instant inquiries made. When seen this morning, tho Minister said that his invitation to divulge further particulars had not been availed of, and lie had heard nothing further of tlio matter.

Dr. lieattie, superintendent of tho Auckland Mental Hospital, when interviewed by a reporter this morning, said that tho statement made at last night's meeting by one of the audience was absurd. It was oikmi lo anyone in Auckland to take a medical man into the institution, and e.-jiminc the condition of any patient there. The doctor added that, although Sir John l'indlay's invitation for the divulgcnco of further information had not been accepted, ho nevertheless felt suro that lie knew tho identity of the person rsponsiblo for the statement made, and that he also knew the particular case referred in. This was one in which a discharged patient had gone round to various people in authority declaring that a patient whom ho had met, while in tho institution, was quite sano. It had even been made tlio subject of a petition to Parliament, but investigation of tho ease had borne out his contention that, while tho patient in question had periods of sanity, it would really be dangerous to dischargo tho man from tho institution.