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vantages which outweigh this. It does not allow us to do our best for them when we have them taken. Our accommodation (I speak from twenty years' experience) is seldom or never in advance of our needs. It is often grievously behind them; and the overcrowding consequent on this is subversive of all order, cramps, if it does not paralyse, the best efforts of our medical officers, and is too often fatal to the mental health of our patients." These are the well-considered opinions of the greatest authority in Australasia, and they describe the state of things in New Zealand, excepting that, with us just at present, the state of affairs is greatly aggravated by the unfortunate fire at Sunnyside and the landslip at Seacliff. I made an effort to relieve the pressure at both those institutions by making temporary use of the old immigration barracks at Addington, where I proposed to accominodate-from 150 to 200 chronic and harmless cases, but the people of the district and the local bodies were so opposed to the plan that it had to be abandoned. Cbiminal Lunatics. We have 60 cases of this kind in our asylums, being a percentage of 3-48 in New Zealand, as against 307 for the whole of the other Australasian Colonies. The effects of the presence of these cases in our asylums is most mischievous. They are often extremely violent and dangerous, and cause great difficulties and turmoil both among the patients and the staff. Their malignity and revengefulness against those who are responsible for their safe-keeping are almost incredible, and, when this spirit accompanies, as it commonly does, an inveterate, tendency to delusions of persecution, they will, on the smallest basis of fact, construct a series of the most monstrous charges against the officers, which they themselves firmly believe, and thus are able to deceive all but experienced observers. The Auckland Asylum has been specially unfortunate in this respect. Indeed, I believe that much of the trouble whioh, during the last two years has prevailed there, was due to patients of this kind. One of our most urgent wants, therefore, is some means of separating these criminal lunatics from the ordinary inmates of our asylums. A properly-equipped criminal lunatic asylum is so costly that I see no immediate prospect of our being able to afford it, and our present practice of scattering them through our different institutions seriously disorders the organization and management of them all. The treatment in the wards is governed by the worst cases, and the necessity of caring for dangerous criminals by the same means as are applied to the ordinary patients gives much liberty to the one class, and compels hurtful restrictions on the other. It seems to me, until we are able to afford separate accommodation for this class, that criminals who become insane under sentence should remain in prison till their sentence expires, unless they can be treated like ordinary patients. Admissions. On the first day of January, 1888, the number of insane persons in our asylums was 1,695 : males 1,053, and females 642. Those admitted for the first time during the year numbered 287 : males 173, females 114. The readmissions amounted to 74 : males 42, females 32. DISCIIAEGES. The percentage of recoveries on admissions during the year was 57-62: males 53-95, females 63-01. For the year ending 31st December, 1887, Dr. Manning gives the following recovery and death rate for the Australian asylums :— Recoveries. Males. Females. Total. New South Wales ... ... 34-63 49-50 40-22 Victoria ... ... ... 37-60 47-24 41-85 South Australia ... ... 30-80 26-70 29-20 Queensland ~. ~. ... 41 57-50 46-88 Tasmania ... ... ~. 2280 8-33 16-94 New Zealand ... ... 53-95 63-01 57-62 Deaths on the Average Number llesideiri. Males. Females. Total. New Zealand (1888) ... ... 7-56 4-05 6-16' New South Wales ... ... 6-64 7-03 6-79 Victoria ... ... ... 8-91 5-40 7"30 South Australia ... ... 12-40 10-10 11-40 Queensland ~. ... ... 6-87 6-09 6-58 Tasmania ... ... ... 12-24 0-67 7-24 Auckland Asylum. The great difficulties which attended the management of this asylum, I trust, have finally disappeared. What with overcrowding, intensified by the confusion and discomfort caused by the building operations both to patients and staff, I am thankful that trying time is over. I feel bound, however, co express my regret that an officer so able and faithful as Dr. Cremonini was so unfortunate that his whole experience of the lunacy service of New Zealand should havo-coin-cided with this evil period. It is largely owing to his efforts that the Auckland Asylum is now one of the most satisfactory institutions in the colony. Wellington Asylum. This asylum continues to be admirably managed. Dr. Hassell has proved himself a very satisfactory Medical Superintendent. The comfort of the patients is carefully looked after, and the best possible spirit animates the staff. The auxiliary asylum at Porirua is also well managed by