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1924. NEW ZEALAND.

MENTAL HOSPITALS OF THE DOMINION (REPORT ON) FOR 1923.

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

The Hon. the Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives to His Excellency the Governor-General. My Lord, — Wellington, Ist July, 1924. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Inspector-General o[ Mental Defectives for the year 1923. I have, &c., M. Pomare, Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives.

The Inspector-General to the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare, the Minister in Charge of the Department for the Care of Mental Defectives. Sir,— Wellington, Ist June, 1924. I have the honour to present my report for the year ended 31st December, 1923. The patients on the register at the end of the year numbered 4,996 (m., 2,839 ; f., 2,157), or 64 (m., 23 ; f., 41) more than at the beginning, and the daily average under treatment during the year was 4,868 (m., 2,789 ; f., 2,079), or 15 males more and 20 females less than in the previous year, while the total under care was 5,740. Patients belonging to the Native race numbered 70 (m., 36 ; f., 34) at the end of the year. The admissions numbered 808 (m., 442 ; f., 366), or 31 (m., 11 ; f., 20) fewer than in the previous year. Of these, 141 (including 2 Maoris) had been previously under care, making the proportion of readmissions 17-45 per cent., and 667 patients, including 11 Maoris, were admitted for the first time. The ratio to population of all admissions (exclusive of Maoris) was 6-23 (m., 6'69 ; f., 5-76) to 10,000, and of first admissions, 5-14 (m., 5'54 ; f., 4'73), so that 1,603 persons in the general population contributed one patient, and 1,943 contributed a patient admitted for the first time. These figures, the index of " occurring mental disorder," disclose an unusually low ratio. The discharges (excluding transfers) numbered 419, or 36 more than in 1922. One hundred, or 30 more, harmless unrecovered persons were returned to the care of friends, and 319 (m., 168 ; f., 151) recovered, 6 more than last year, representing a percentage of 39-48 (m., 38 ; f., 41-25) on the total admitted. With voluntary boarders added the percentage rises to 43-84. Altogether 54-69 per cent, of the inmates admitted were able to leave institutional care. Of a total of 5,740 patients under care 325 (m., 194 ; f., 131) died, or 5 - 66 per cent. An inquest is held in the case of every death, whatever the cause. The causes are detailed in Table XII, and the following is the percentage of causes mainly contributing : Senile decay, 32 ; disease of the brain and nervous system group, 27-7 ; heart-disease, 10-15 ; tuberculosis, 7-38.

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