LUNACY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 416, 2 November 1889, Page 3

LUNACY.

(By F. G,"'E\\ixutox.)

Du. Tucker, author of "Lunacy in Many Lands," having very courteously forwarded to me from London by the latest mail the Lunacy Commissioners' last report to March 3rsfc,lBB9, a few .particulars from it may prove 'interesting $o readers of the Star. The total number of lunatics, idiots, and persona of unsound mind in England and Wales oh Ist January last was 84,340, being an increase of 1,697 &» compared with the figures of Ist January t '1887.' Of private patients there are 17,9 v 70.; o(*pau per patients," 75,632; of criminalV 738.> The males exceed the females by 7,43(ji H The increase' for- the year amongst .private lunatics was 175, amdngsb patfpeWli46l, and amongst .the criminal class or. ' t a M ' * .The Wemark-ifjUT fact Jto 'be noticed (p»jf«r^»orrepoi > frj''i6'^he increase t in,"tlie, c y.f^rv»?fe'tl 175 l 75- among the ' private 'patients, ah.d 1w0f,.61 1 w of,.61 ,among.?the criminals. "A's 1 fdgardS'the former cl-assf this is, a larger increase than Imp taken. place si.nee 1883; as-regai'ds the criminals, it is exceptional. ' - It appears that the above figures do not adequately represent all the lunatics in England and Wales, because the Commissioners say: 'JTherecan be little doubt that during the last few years many medical men have, owing to fear of litigation, refused to certify to the insanity of persons requiring care and treatment, "and that this circum'staiice has tended to prevent many insane persons being legally dealt with and treatod, thus keeping down the numbers regietoied as private patients," .... It is to be feared that there are still many insane persons in illegal charge, who if certified and brought under official 'Cognisance, would have- swelled- the 'number- of private patients.- It is the practioe of the Commissioners to take proceedings against persona thus offending against the Statute." While lunacy- hasinereased, the number of recoverje^hos been less; but the death-rate lias been % higher than during the previous, ten years. Amongst the causes of insanity we find that intemperance in drink and hereditary influences take very> prominent placep. The proportion per cent, of "intemperance in drink " cases to the total number of patients admitted during ten years was 18,290, and of cases ascertained to be due to hereditary influence, 28,063. Accident or injury had 1,257 victims, while jrrilvadon and starvation consigned 2,558 to the madhouses last year. What a reflection on rich and prosperous England, that so many hundreds of pooi creatures should be driven literally mad through walit, ; while millions ot pounds sterling are being hoaided by some and wasted by others. , ft* is dreadful to try to jinagino one 'tithe ,vof \vhat those poor ' aWicted cieatures suflered before their I .reason wasdothronedand the State undertook to feed and- clothe them, not for their sakes, but for its owri,sake. 'The weakness, of ithe medical .staffs is remarked -on,, and it isicopsltiered desirable ■ to strengthen themwiph the view of further advancing -clinical 'observation aiid promobing -pathological , in^vcptigatiotifc, • The increase of -lunacy arid over-crowding of a&y,lunv», alluded to fejr-Dr. Tucker in hi 3 "Lunacy in Many Ua'tjds," is more than, borne out.

SUICIDES' AND 'CASUALTIES. Durihg the year sixteen patients in boiough and county asylums committed suicide, and it is singular that; no suicides took place in private .asylums. One, a female, aged 34 years, killed horself by sutlocation, by pressing her^face closely into her pillow at night ; another, a male patient, Escaped and drowned himself ; a third, though entered' as dangeious and suicidal, was sent within a week to work on the farm, and cut his tihroa'b with a hayknife ; a fourth hung herself ; a fifth sufto oated himself under his bedclothes ; another burnt herself by betting fire to her clothes ; and if tho other deaths were enumerated, it would be found that some were preventible, being due to inpfficienb night watches. Cnses of cruelty by attendants are related, and the Commissioners dealt with them with a very firm hand. Some patients had their ribs broken, others their jaws, one his back broken, and some were permitted to get into scalding baths. Se\eral prosecutions tff attendants for cruelty took place. One attendant was charged with giving a patient a dirty bath, forcing ltrs fread under the water, and otherwise ill- treating him. The Commissioners do i&t' minco matters at nil, but promptly and rigorously prosecute cruel attendants, in some cases receiving the evidence of patient* against them, though beine careful not to over-estimate their evidence. . Several cases of suffocation from lying with their faces on the pillows are reported, aud Dr. Tucker s.ugges^» bJi© Margin that the perforated "pillows, huch as- are Used in foreign asylums, would prevent ..that, if attendants were vigilant. The URe of mehnafiical restraint*, vfas on the increase in some asy)ums, s aii,d^ho, Commissioners had tauten "trie matter into consideration, , In '-bis •4*tflrel3?''Jpr. "Tucker found no less tlidn'ißlS asylum's >yhe'ro"no mechanical restraining itee'd.>*-Mrhe'']E'nglish Statutes do not actually, for bid }'bub they do discourage mechanical restraint, and the Board expressed strong disappi oval of such measures merely to ecoirjomise attendants' labourer expense; ' In one hospital no less than thirty -live patients .weije .insane, bqt had not been certified to. The Commissioners spoke out very strongly against such laxity. ■ ,-* * l»• • It is very, noticeable that the Lunacy Commissioners in England publieh copies of their report? of asylums in the inspector's book. Those' reports become public, and can be bought by anyone for about two shillings. It must tend to quietness and confidence to get the fullest publicity about lunacy matters and asylum, treatment, and there should be no reason Vfty the inspectors' and official visitors' reports in New Zealand should nob be published from time to time. The Inspector- General's report is laid before Parliament, but tho official visitors' reports might also be published, care being taken sometimes to delete names and some particulars which only the Government need know about. Not to woary your readers now, I will, with your permission, allude to this subjoct again in connection with our own lunacy report.

Some of the new wool gowns have shirtwaists belted and worn with coats that have loose fronts; after the neglige manner of gowns won; the past summer. The picturesque Venetian collar will be worn both this and next season on demitoilets and tea-gowne, which term now definitely includes a particular stylo of dinner dre«is.