MENTAL HOSPITALS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 7

MENTAL HOSPITALS

.REPORT FOR THE YEAR, Tile annual report, of tho InspeclorGenerul of Montal Hospitals for Iho year ended Dceeiuher 81- last was laid on tho labio uf tho Houso ol' Representatives by tho lion, G. ,\V, llussell yesterday aftcrnoou. Tbo number of patients on tho register at tho beginning of tho year was 1200, comprising 2118 males and,1752 females; at tho end tho total was 4375, comprising 2555 males and 1820 females. Tho ratio of patients on tho register to population, exclusive of Maoris, ivas 39.'lti per 10,000 (males 45.80, females 32.97), or' ono patient in 253. .Including Maoris, whoso number on tho register was only 38, tho ratio was 1 in 263. Th admissions (excluding transfers) numbered 579, tho malo admissions being G8 higher and tho female Iho same as in tho previous year. Among these admissions wcro included 18 .immigrants (3 with a, history of previous a.tlacks), who had boon hero for less than a year. Of the 879 eases admitted one-sixth wore of patients who had previously been treated .to recovery iu our institutions, leaving tho number of first admissions 737, nn increase cbmpared with 1915 of 86. Tho ratio of admissions to population (excluding Maoris) was 7.80 per 10,000, and for first admissions 6.5J-; or, in other words, every 1282 persons in tho general population contributed an admission, and cvory 1529 a first admission. The previous decennial averago was 7.12 and 6.07. 'tlio total number of patients discharged (excluding transfers) was 415, of which 331 wero die- - charged as recovered. Tlio remaining 84, though not recovered, were sufficiently well lo bo placed under -the caro of relatives or friends. 1 Tho deaths numbered 2>i9. Tlioro were. ItiO patients over 60 years of ago admitted, and tho principal assigned causo of insanity in tho caso of lIS of these was senility. deferring lo a number of those cases tho report; says: "It is not right that sfich patients should bo filling our inliHilary lieds. The matter of providing special accommodation is under iconsideratiou now; bill: before entering upon tho expenditure and accepting the policy involved, one would like lo know whether the charilnble aid institutions cannot carry out. Iho nursing, care, and supervision of tho aged who are mentally inlirni; and if they cannot. T am nF .opinion I hat flic boards should pay this Dopaiimenl; for the maintenance of Diitients transferred from these institutions!" This year's building programme is a further contribution lo classfiealion. Among the plans prepared is ono giving effect to the Minister's wish to meet; the representatives of relatives who are willing to pay considerably more for patients in whom th'oy are interested ■than tho maximum of ono guinea a week. Regarding fho maximum payment, tho report stales that if allowanc" were made for interest on buildings, iho cost per head would exceed the maximum nermittoil to l>c charged, and if. is considered that the lime has come to consider the revising of the maximum. Tlio average "el- cost ncr during the year worked ont a.l; .£32 Hi. 2!d.