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The Hon. the Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord,— Wellington, 31st July, 1912. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Inspector-General of Mental Defectives for the year 1911. I have the honour to be, Your Lordship's most obedient servant, E. HEATON EHODES, Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives.

The Inspector-General to the, Hon. the Minister in Charge of the Department for the Care of Mental Defectives. Sir,— Wellington, 29th June, 1912. 1 have the honour to present, pursuant to section 78 of the Mental Defectives Act, 1911, the report for the year ended 31st December, 1911. The number of patients under the control of this Department at the beginning of the year was 3,670 (males, 2,160 ; females, 1,510), and at the end 3,756 (m., 2,220 ; f., 1,536), an increase of 86 (m., 60 ; f., 26). The average increase during the former five years was 111-6, the figures for the most and least favourable years being 34 and 174 respectively. The total number under oversight, care, or control was 4,447 (m., 2,615 ; f., 1,832), as against 4,558 (m., 2,722 ; f., 1,836) in the previous year, a decrease of 111 (m., 107 ; 1, 4), while the average number resident in our institutions during the year was 3,601 (m., 2,105 ; t, 1,496), against 3,473 (m., 2,028 ; f., 1,445) in 1910, or 128 more in the year under review. Distribution. Counting 129 (m., 90 ; f., 39) absent on leave as still resident in the mental hospital whence they left, the 3,756 patients on the register at the end of the year were distributed as follows :— Males. Females. Total. Auckland ... ... .. ... ... 536 312 848 Christchurch ... ... ... ... ... 368 321 689 Dunedin (Seacliff and Orokonui) ... ... ... 546 344 890 Hokitika ... ... ... ... ... 122 54 176 Nelson ... ... ... ... ... 92 90 182 Porirua ... ... ... ... ... 531 397 928 Ashburn Hall (private mental hospital) ... ... 25 18 43 2,220 1,536 3,756 Of those technically on leave, 55 men were resident at the Camp, near Dunedin, and 17 boys at the Home for Feeble-minded at Eichmond. Ratio to Population. The following calculations show the ratio of patients on the register at the end of the year to the estimated general population, both exclusive and inclusive of the Native race. The number of Maoris on the register was 38 only (m., 27 ; f., 11). The proportion of the total insane to the total population was, — Exclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 36-26 per 10,000,0r lin 276 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 34-93 „ lin 286 The proportion of the male insane to the male population,— Exclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 40-63 „ lin 246 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 39-21 „ lin 255 The proportion of the female insane to the female population,— Exclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 31-40 „ lin 318 Inclusive of Maoris ... ... ... ... 30-17 „ ■ lin 331 Comparing these figures with those in the last report and taking the ratios therein as a standard, it will be noted that, whereas the increase in the male patients to the number of 60 was slightly in excess of the proportional increase of males in the general population, the addition of 26 female patients was slightly below the proportional increase of females in the general population, with the total result that the increase of mentally defective persons was proportional to the increase in the general population. Admissions. Exclusive of 12 patients (m., 7 ; f., 5) transferred from one institution to another, the admissions numbered 765 (m., 448 ; f., 317), as against 788 (m., 474 ; f., 314) in the previous year, a decrease of 23, Of the 765, those admitted for the first time numbered 648 (m., 386 ; f., 262), the remainder, 117