Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1908. THE CARE OF THE INSANE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43348, 11 July 1908, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News.

SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1908. THE CARE OF THE INSANE.

This above all—to thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

There are six hundred and seventyfive patients confined at present in the Auckland Mental Hospital. In the matter of age they range from children under two years, to hoaryheaded old pilgrims of over four score years. Few things indicate more clearly the progress we have made in humane feeling, than the care of the insane does; and as there are very few persons who are not interested in insanity, we may profitably allude to this not very cheery subject. Of all the suffering members of our common brotherhood, few are more seriously afflicted, or more to be pitied than the insane. And, unpleasant as it may seem, it is nevertheless a fact, their fate to-day may be our fate to-morrow. A sudden mental shock, an excessive joy or grief, an accidental blow on the head, or an attack of fever, might dethrone our reason and necessitate our treatment in a mental hospital.

How careful then should old and young be of that precious. gift of reason ; and yet how many persons recklessly or thoughtlessly incur the risk of its dethronement. By excessive indulgence in intoxicating liquors, by the inordinate excitement of gambling, by self-indulgence in various ways, or by running “ the pace that kills in the race for wealth or position or popularity, they expose themselves to great dangers. One of the lessons we learn from the Parliamentary returns of lunacy in the Auckland District is this: “ Live while you live.” Live in moderation as accountable beings and live at one’s best so as to render all possible benefit to one’s family and to the State. Life is a trust, patriotism a duty. ' ..

Another lesson we learn is that the inmates of our mental hospitals, being the most helpless and pitiable of our fellow creatures, are somewhat dependant on the* public for their protection and welfare. If the public forgot that thord are such institutions, and if no interest is taken in the welfare of the inmates, then they become absolutely dependant on the Official Staff who, however good they

may be. might relax their vigilance and tenderness of care of the patients if they saw that nobody cared and. nobody noticed. How many residents of Te Aroha give t a thought of, or pay a visit to the Auckland Asylum ? How many have ever thought to send them a picture to enliven the walls of their rooms, books to cheer their weary hours, or a roll of music to entertain their winter evenings ? The old story, in a book, reputed bv most persons, says : “ Inasmuch as ye did it unto the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.”

It certainly. is most gratifying to' learn from Official reports that so much is being 1 done in the mental hospitals for the best interests of the patients. It reflects great credit on the Government, and it also reflects credit on the people who have to pay in taxes the upkeep of the institutions. It also is most satisfactory to learn that a better system of classification of the patient prevails now, and that the authorities contemplate erecting another building w,here new patients can be placed und'or observation before they are put to herd with the until it is clear that they are insane. There can be no doubt that numbers of persons in many lands are what is 1 called “ Asylum made lunatics,” because they have been prematurely, or unjustifiably relegated to such ins'itutions. So long as we weild the journalist’s pen in the public interests, we shall feel it incumbent upon us to take an intelligent interest in all who are confined in the public institutions of the Dominion. In such a course we feel sure that we shall have the sympathetic approval of our readers. Registered insane persons are those who are officially known to the Department, being placed on its register, and only to such do the statistics refer. At the end of the year they were distributed as follows: —

Malt's Females Total Auckland 406 269 675 Christchurch 276 253 529 Dunedin (Seacliff) 477 277 754 Hokitika 1 127 39 166 Nelson 91 59 150 Porirua 342 280 • 622 Wellington 159 109 268 Ashburn Hall (private mental hospital 22 20 ■ 42 1,900 1,306 3,206