IN THE ASYLUM.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1917, Page 6

IN THE ASYLUM.

"TII EEVENIXO OF THEIR DAYS." SAD FEATURE OF MENTAL ■HOSPITALS. £ Wellington, July 23. Senility is the cause of the largest number of cases of insanity admitted to New Zealand's mental hospitals—sjgnility accompanied by filial ingratitude, in some cases, according to Dr. .Frank Hay, hispcetor-fipnera-l of these institutions. He writes in very candid in his annual report to Parliament, regarding the cases. After pointing out that 1-00 of the admissions last, year were of persons over (10. and that senility was assigned as the principal cause of their trouble in JIS cases, he states that it -was r»re-

mature in some, but in others the ordinary decay of old age impairing the ■mental faculties. A large number of these old people merely needed a little oversight and nursing, and might well have spent the evening of their days at home, provided some one were at hand to perform dutiful and kindly offices, says. Dr. Ilay. I am not going to make any comment on filial ingratitude—one does not know the actual state of things in this cottage or that house, and may be the aged mentally infirm parent is parted with sorrowftiKy—but I consider it necessary to point out that many such patients are pent to us from Old People's Homes and ißenevolent Institutions, and that iu some of the cases thence received we have noted on admission symptoms which were the pre- ■ lude of the final dissolution. We take over the case of this class, as indeed we must; it cannot be provided for entirely by home care or entirely in instii tutions' under Charitable Aid Boards; but ft certain amount of eommonsense should be exercised with regard to those than ran and those that cannot be cared : for properly outside mental hospitals. It, ' is useless to plead, "If doctors certify I then our responsibility ends." I The Inspector-General urges that Old ■ People's Homes should contain provision ! for dealing with ordinary physiological ! senile decay, instead of helping to till the : asylums. And if the Hospital and Ch&riI table Aid Boards will not undertake the ' care of these c.ises. then they should ; pay the Men'. •! Hospital Department for I what it does lor those who are mentally j weak through old age.