H.—7

1895. NEW ZEALAND.

LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF THE COLONY (REPORT ON) FOR 1894.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Inspectoe of Asylums to the Hon. the Minister of Education. g Ist May, 1895. I have the honour to lay before you the following report on the lunatic asylums of the colony for the year ending the 31st December, 1894. - The number of registered insane persons on the 31st December 1894, was 2,168 males, 1 308, females, 860; an increase over the previous year of 79 males and 50 females—total, 129. These are distributed as follows:- ToUL Allckland 249 148 397 Christchurch 250 174 424 Seaclirf(Dunedin) ... - 342 205 547 Hokitika ... 1 g 109 Nelson ... ••• ••• ••• ••■ '* 99 , 2R Wellington 301 ™ 528 Ashburn Hall (Private Asylum) ... ... ••• Jii 1,308 860 2,168 The proportion of the male insane to the male population of New Zealand is :— New Zealand (exclusive of Maoris) 3-60 per 1,000, or 1 in 278 New Zealand (inclusive of Maoris) • 3-38 per 1,000, or 1 m 296 The proportion of female insane to the female population,— Exclusive of Maoris 2-67 per 1,000, or 1 in 375 Inclusive of Maoris 2-52 per 1,000, or 1 in 397 The proportion of the total insane to the total population — Exclusive of Maoris 3-16 per :,000, or 1 in 316 Inclusive of Maoris 2-93 per 1,000, or 1 in 336 Admissions. On the Ist day of January, 1894, the number of insane persons in our asylums was: 1,229 males • 810 females ' total, 2,039. The number of those admitted for the first time during the year was : males, 279 ; females, 213 : total, 492 ; while readmissions numbered 41 males ; 43 females . ° a As compared with last year, the total admissions were 576 against 460. As in former years, the proportion of insane to our population looks much larger than it ought to in comparison with other countries. Our peculiar system of local government has the effect of crowding into our asylums all congenially deficient persons and an unusually large number of aged people who are suffering merely from senile decay, people who elsewhere find refuge in workhouses Slier similar institutions. In fact, the proportion depends on the issue m each case of a struggle between the local bodies, who are anxious to relieve the local rates and the General Governmen officers, who try to defend the consolidated revenue. The Stipendiary Magistrates have thTpower of admission on the certificate of two medical men, while the officers of the General Government cannot venture to discharge unsuitable admissions unless they previously can provide some means of providing for them, either with friends or in some local refuge. Thus it comes tha ouHnTane are steadily increasing, especially in times of depression, at a far higher rate than the real increase of our population warrants. I—H. 7.