Wellington Lunatic Asylum Inquiry.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3837, 16 April 1881, Page 2

Wellington Lunatic Asylum Inquiry.

The report of the Koyal Commission into the charges against the management of Mount View Lunatic Asylum has been sent in. The following is a summary :— The Commissioners, after referring generally to the nature and extent of their investigation. Of the seven charges, sis are against Superintendent Whitelaw, and the seventh against the attendants. The Commissioners consider that the charge against Whitelaw, that he was a man of " violent and tyranical disposition," is established by the evidence of Mclntosh, Carrol, Do Norville and other witnesses. They comment on the treatment of Mclntosh, who was dragged from his bed at 10 o'clock on a midwinter night, stripped, taken across an exposed.yard, and confined in a cold shower bath for 10 minutes, Whitelaw himself handling the tap. The whole of this record is given in evidence. However startling and improbable it is, all the salient points are confirmed and verified by independent testimony. Regarding, the expression " tyranicd," the Commissioners remark that if the word, as applied to Whitelaw, means overbearing in demeanour, and hasty and irascible in temper, unfitting him for the position he held, they are compelled to say plainly that the evidence amply substantiates it. The seventh charge is not affirmatively proved, although supported by much inferential evidence. The perfunctionary and unsatisfactory way in which the officers have discharged their duties is severely commented on. The law does not give the Inspector any power, except to release patients on probation, and a case is quoted of Albert Hall, who was

confined for seven months in " a straight jacket, euphemistically described as a camisole," ultimately stumbling and breaking his collar bone through inability to use his hands to rescue himself. Yet it was proved that this patient was quiet and intelligent, addicted to reading books, &c. Dr Skae stated it was no part of his duty to remonstrate against the ill treatment of Hall and another patient named Ryan, but that when he did on three occasions remonstrate, his remonstrance was wholly disregarded ; yet he did not enter any minute on the matter in the book or report the affair; and here Dr Skae clearly neglected to perform his duty. A single line addressed by him to the Colonial Secretary last August would hare saved the patient Hall from sevenmonths' unjustifiable torture. They add that with various modifications the same remarks apply to Dr Skae's neglect in regard to the number of other patients. They observe that under tlie present arrangement lunatic men are brought into contact with the worst and most untractable female patients, the* male attenddants also having unrestricted access to them. This irregularity and indecency also was not reported by Dr Skae. The Commissioners are wholly unable to understand Dr Skae's grounds for recommending Whitelaw's appointment, as he was totally inexperienced in the duties of the post, and Dr Skae, in his report, laid particular stress on the necessity of especial technical training. Dr France, the medical attendant, is not charged with lacking professional capacity or industry, but the Commissioners regret to say that they can discern no trace of any attempt to cure the mental disorders of patients. The Commissioners report that Miss Brigden has performed her duties satisfactorily, and the female attendants generally display considerable kindness and good feeling. The "beech" ward ought to be demolished forthwith. It is difficult, the Commissioners say, to imagine a worse fate for any human being than to be confined in this part of the Asylum, yet comparatively sane persons have been incarcerated there and subjected to all the degraded and miserable surroundings. They consider that a new Act is imperatively needed. In conclusion, they lament the painful duty they had to discharge, and felt bound to remark on the cleanli • ness and good order of the front wards, whose condition is all that could be desired ; but for those patients suffering from acute mania, the Asylum, with its " back " ward, is a prison furnished with appliances for punishment. The Commissioners remark that a total misconception as to the object of the institution runs through the entire system, and they censure the system as well as the men.