A PROBLEM IN SOCIOLOGY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 45, 21 February 1913, Page 8

A PROBLEM IN SOCIOLOGY.

EVIDENCE OX THE GIRL MARKS. Auckland, February 19. Tlic death of the girl Florence Frances Marks, who, while dressed in a boy’s clothes, took poison on iJie doorstep of the Salvation Army Home at Parnell, and afterwards died in the hospital, was enquired into at the Coroner’s Court this morning before the coroner and a jury. Dr. Alexander Kinder stated that ho was called to the Salvation Army Home, Parnell, on February 3, where he attended deceased and ordered her removal to the hospital. A postmortem examination showed that death was due to poisoning by perchloride of mercury. There was no signs of pregnancy. Dr. Kinder said that the girl was evidently one of the weak-minded type—a type for the handling i,f widen there were no arrangements at the present time. All that one could say was that they were weak-minded. In Christchurch a movement was started for the establishment of a home under Government control where such girls could be put under strict discipline and kept regularly at work. The matter was a very serious one, and the doctor thought the jury should recommend the Government to take such steps as would make it possible to place -uah cases under proper control. The coroner remarked that, in his opinion, the lunatic asylums would not have half the number of patients if there were homes for imbeciles as there were in England. At the precent time there was nothing recognised between insanity and a normal metyl condition. There should be a reformative institution for the i are of those who, while not fit to be at large, were not proper subjects for an asylum. Dr. Kinder said that the need for such a home as he suggested was much more urgent in the case of the female sex than foy the other sex. The father of deceased said it was only fair to the girl to say that she was always a good worker. She never shirked, and had a good name wherocveir she had worked. The matron bore out this statement, and said she had heard the same tiling from the girl’s workfellows. Such cases were very difficult to deal with, and individuals varied very much. After they had been put on their feet, some of them would work for twelve months, some six months, some three, and others would only work a few weeks before they went off again. If these girls wore under proper control and received proper instruction and treatment, a great deql could be done for them.

The jury found that death was caused by perchloride of mercury, selfadministered while deceased was of unsound mind. They added a strong rider calling the attention of the Government to the importance of establishing an institution where imbecile girls could be brought under prc.pei control, as suggested by Dr. Kinder.