REPORTS ON NEW ZEALAND LUNATIC ASYLUMS.

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G—No. 26.

keeper had made arrangements for this patient's messing with the attendants and not with the lunatics. But it will readily be conceived that any regulation that may tend to keep up an irritating feeling of degradation must greatly tend to retard the cure of this class of patients. Any asylum in which "curative treatment" is to be undertaken, under clause 21, of those addicted to excessive and continued use of intoxicating drinks, ought most unquestionably to be so planned that the patients need not be compelled to occupy the same wards and mess and associate with the ordinary lunatics. This " curative treatment," to be successful, seems to require a long term, in order that the patient may have his power of self-control thoroughly restored to him, and his mental faculties so re-invigorated, that on his discharge he may be safely counted on as able to resist temptation. Now so long as the patient —knowing himself to be sane —feels that in every respect but that of sanity his position is simply that of any lunatic confined in the asylum—that on visitors arriving there he will be seen, possibly by old acquaintances, in the wards with the lunatics, as if he were actually one of them, it is inevitable that his rapid progress towards a sound and vigorous state of mind will be checked, and his arrival at a right feeling as to the moral probation he has been sent to undergo must be seriously interfered with. He will become despondent, his patience will give way, and there will arise a rancorous and bitter feeling that he is unjustly detained beyond the time required for a complete cure. This feeling will gain strength with brooding over it, and for want of associates, where there is but one patient of this class. This " curative treatment," under clause 21, has once previously been applied at Sunnyside Asylum, and with success. There was every reason to feel assured that the patient whose case is now under notice would shortly be in a fit state to release. I feel it my duty to represent very urgently that in every asylum an effort should be made to provide separate wards for such patients. Friends and relatives of habitual drunkards would then feel less scruple and hesitation about placing them under treatment. Judging from the two cases mentioned above, it would appear that nothing should be left undone by which the fullest effect can be given to—so humanely conceived—a portion of the Lunatics Act as that by which it is attempted to reclaim the habitual drunkard from a vice which, in the Colonies especially, is known to bring about the ruin of so many families and the commission of so much aggravated crime. J. AV. Hamilton, Inspector Provisionally.

PROVINCE OF OTAGO. No. 11. Mr. A. C. Strode to His Honor J. Macandrew. Sir,— Dunedin, 26th June, 1871. In compliance with the provisions of " The Lunatics Act, 1868," I have the honor to lay before you a Report of the Progress and general Condition of tho Dunedin Lunatic Asylum, for the year ending the 31st day of March, 1871. As Inspector I have visited the asylum monthly, and on each occasion have seen the patients. At the same time I also inspected Park House, the residence of tho private patients, and found everything in a perfectly satisfactory condition. The various books and documents required by law to be kept in the asylum were also examined, and found to be correct. The admissions, discharges, and deaths of patients during the year is shown by the following statement, by which also will be seen that the male patients have been less in proportion to the females: — Males. Females. Total. Patients in the asylum on the Ist April, 1870 ... ... ... 79 33 112 Patients admitted during the year ending 31st March, 1871 ... ... 34 27 61 Total under care during the year ... ... 113 60 173 Discharged— Males. Females. Total. Recovered ... ... 21 16 37 Relieved ... ... 3 0 3 Died ... ... 5 0 5 Escaped ... ... 1 0 1 30 16 46 Number remaining in the asylum on the 31st day of March, 1871 .... 83 44 127 Annexed hereto is the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of the Asylum for the year ending 31st March, 1871, with tables appended showing the income and expenditure of the institution, and average cost of each patient during the year. In consequence of the large increase of female patients during the past year it became necessary to extend the accommodation ; an additional ward has therefore been erected, containing day-room, single bed-room, pantry, bath-room, atfendants'-room, Ac; adjoining is a dormitory, with space available for sixteen beds, allowing 1,000 cubic feet for each patient; immediately fronting the building half an acre of ground is being laid out by the patients as an airing court. In the male division a hospital-room furnished, and containing six beds, has been added. Notwithstanding the accommodation which has already been provided, it has been deemed necessary to build another addition to the male patients', a portion of which it is proposed to set apart for the reception of Chinese lunatic patients (four of whom are at present inmates of the sylum); their habits and general conduct rendering it desirable that the they should be separated from the European patients. A considerable amount of work has been executed within the asylum, and the grounds have been skilfully laid out by the attendants and patients. It may here be remarked that the male attendants are mechanics, who, with the assistance of the patients, erect buildings and do all the requisite repairs, thus relieving the Government of what otherwise would be a heavy yearly charge to the Province. 4^