The Nelson Evening Mails. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1880. .

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 193, 14 August 1880, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mails. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1880. .

Dr. Skae's fourth annual report upon the Lunatic Asylums of the colony, which has recently been presented to Parliament, contains a deal of interesting information, not; only with regard to the individual asylums, bufc upon the subject generally. The admissions during the year were 399, of whom 248 were males and 151 females, the proportion to the population being one in 1162, which does not tell in favor of New Zealand when compared with other countries where it is, in Victoria one in 1324, id New South Wales one in 1636, and in England oue in 1854. In the table showing the cause of lunacy there is the old, old story, namely, that in a large proportion of cases, namely, 21 per cent, it is attributable to intemperance, which compares most unfavorably with England where the percentage is only 14. A curious fact, and one for which Dr. Skae is unable to find any explanation, is that in some districts in the colony the excessive use of alcohol ia a much more frequent cause of insanity than in others. In Auckland, for instance, it was the cause in only eight per cent of the males and none in the females, whereas the percentage of cases among tbe male admissions due to this cause was in Wellington 24, in Christchurch 27, in Dunedin 32, in Nelson 40, and in Hokitika over 50. These figures show to what an alarming extent the vice, or, as in some cases ifc may be more charitably called, tbe weakness, of intemperance acts aB a feeder to our asylums. It is, however, as well to explain with regard to Nelson that while " forty per cent " conveys the idea of an enormous number, the total of male patients admitted during the year was only ten, of whom four owed their condition to drink. In reporting upon the Bunnyside Asylum at Christchurch, Dr. Skae makeß certain remarks upon the admission of habitual drunkards, which may bo taken as having a general application, and not merely relating to those in the particular institution referred to. Speaking of the twelve who had been admitted during the year he says : — " In every case bufc one the judge's order of committal directed that the patient should be detained in the asylum for twelve months unless ordered to be discharged before the end of tbat time. Only one, however, of those discharged during tbe year had remained that time. It can hardly be supposed that when a man's moral powers bave bo utterly broken down under the influence of drink as to justify his being placed in confinement, two or three days' repentance or a few months of rebellious grumbling are kely to secure his recovery. A year's seclusion does not seem a day too long, but the patient can seldom be got to take tbis view. Shortly after being placed in the asylum the more immediate effects of drink disappear; nothing is left but what cannot be seen. Impatience and self-confidence daily increase; the patient bewails, that his family is in destitution and his business being ruined through his prolonged detention, and he protests that he is all right and determined to drink no more. , . His wife believes him, and the doctor ia called in to re-examine him. Ten to one he is looking as fresh as a daisy, and there is nothing remarkable about him except his resolve not to drink. So he is discharged as ' recovered,' which no doubt he is from the acute symptoms which may have principally led to hiSybeiDg placed ih the Asylum, but in many cases the tendency to drink remains ahd reasserts itBelf almost as soon as liberty is regained.. In all cases' the patient's maintenance is ordered to be paid "for at a certain weekly' rate; and in the cases in the Asylum during t>ie year this had been fixed.at 4bs LinYbhe, at 30s in two, at 253. in three, and at 20s in the six others. It can hardly Have beeu the intention of the Act' that .habitual, drunkards should be maintained grat'is'iri asylums, and at the same time be at lib'e'rfiy to spend their time in absolute idleness. Yet this ia what actually happens when, although an order for payment for board has been made, it turnß out that there are no funds from ■which payment. can. be^gofc.; These patients will rarely work.. They are not working men to begin with, and they object to do anything inconsistent with their dignity as

drunkards and calculated to confuse them with those who are really insane. Then when maintenance has been paid for, their presence has generally an injurious influence. They spend all their time in amusements or grumbling. Their superior airs hurt the feelings of their insano companions, and their determined idleness sets a bad example. But in the case of those who pay nothing, mere broadcloth paupers, this lordly idleness is peculiarly offensive to both patients and officers of the Asylum. There is no proper accommodation in the Asylum for this class of patients. A separate house is wanted, and indeed has ,been built for them, but owing to overcrowdiug ifc cannot be reserved for tbeir exclusive use. Moreover, they could not possibly be confined to it and the small garden attached to it. Nor could it be occupied by both sexes. As it is, the male inebriates reside in a small part of ifc, and the females in the ordinary wards of the Asylum. Great as are the annoyances which result from the reception of habitual drunkards into asylums and the small benefits from such generosity, it does not appear desirable altogether to rescind the law which provides fche only means of recovery to a class of people who are a misery to themselveß and others, and many of whom are undoubtedly desirous to get rid of their infirmity, and some of whom do through these means. * In a few years, the experience of the " retreatß " for inebriates, which are about to be established in England, may justify the adoption of a similar plan of treatment here." Here, in forcible language, Dr. Skae describes the difficulty of dealing with those who may fairly be classed as " habitual drunkards," or, in other words, as men who, when drink is obtainable, are utterly powerless to refrain from it. Kept out of the way of it, they become clothed and in their right mind; they look, as tbe Doctor puts it, "as fresh as a daisy, and there ia nothing remarkable about them except the resolve not to drink." OE the genuineness and honesty . of this resolve there can, in hundreds of cases, be no doubt whatever, but the poor victim over-estimates his strength of will, and at the first encounter goes down before his enemy almost without a struggle. Degraded though men are when they arrive at this stage, it is of no avail to sneer at them, nor is it wise to endeavor to ignore the fact that there are such in the community. Ifc is well-known that there are many, and that, despite the praiseworthy efforts of the Good Templars and other Teetotal Societies, their [ number is not on the decrease, or, if at all, but J very slightly so. Is ifc theu necessary tq , wait " a few years " for the experience of others before trying tbe effect in New Zealand i of the " retreats " for inebriates which are about to be established in England ? Dr Skae thinks that we ought to delay moving in tbe matter until the success of such institutions elsewhere " justifies tbe adoption of a similar plan of treatment heie." Ifc seems to ns thab a full justification of making the experiment is to found in Dr Skae's remarks upon the habitual drunkards in the Sunnyside Asylum, and his implied admission that under the present circumstances he is utterly at a loss to know what to do with such men. A programme that should tempt many to attend at the Theatre on Tuesday night is published in the present issue. We understand that the seats are being rapidly taken up, and there appears to be every pobability of the house being as well filled as when the last entertainment for the Hospital convalescent fund was given by the same company. We reported the other day that a man named Arthur John Ford had been committed to the Lunatic Asylum. Respecting this individual the N.Z. Times says : — " Ford waß a firm believer in spirits and spiritualism, and during his stay here made a number of unsuccessful attempts to start a controversy on the subject, either by verbal arguments or letters to the Press.'-' He gave evidences of the same belief existing in him here a day or two before his committal. One of his hallucinations was tbat he had received a command from the spirit world to search for a lady, whose name be gave, until he found her, and he was convinced that if be failed iv his search he would go mad. On being asked what he would do if he found her, his reply was that he should have no hesitation whatever, for his instructions were to fall down and worship her. The importation of fruifc from the Bister colonies to New Zealand, appears to be Bteadily increasing. The steamer Wakatipu, which arrived afc Wellington on Tuesday night, brought over 160 tons from Sydney ; 50 tons were landed there, the remainder being taken South.