H.—l3

8

the average number resident. Pour of the deaths were ascribed to cerebral disease, Ito lung disease, and Ito spasm of the heart. The report of my inspection of this asylum in March has already been published, and T was not able to visit it again within the year. It was repeatedly inspected by Mr. Joseph Mackay, the Deputy-Inspector, who made the two following entries in the Inspector's book:— 22nd December, 1880.—The following are the dates of my visits to the above asylum since mv last report: Monday, 6th September; Tuesday, sth October; Thursday, 14th October; Saturday, 20th November; Saturday, 10th December; and Monday, 20th December. Everything connected with the management continues to be most satisfactory: all books and papers relating to patients were found correct. I saw all the patients, and no complaints were made to me by any of them. The whole of the premises have been thoroughly overhauled by the patients under Mr. Mills's direction, and is now in excellent order. Owing to the limited extent of the ground belonging to the asylum, the difficulty of finding suitable employment for the patients is daily increasing, and I would again urge the necessity of securing a few acres of ground in the neighbourhood as soon as possible. I believe the outlay might be made partly reproductive (if not wholly), as even now Mr. Mills raises more vegetables than the patients can consume. 28th August, 1880. —Since the date of my last report I have paid five visits of inspection to the above asylum. On each occasion I inspected the whole of the premises, and found everything in most satisfactory order. I have also seen almost all the patients, and had no complaints made to me. The keeper continues to be successful in inducing the great majority of the patients to take an interest in some kind of work : his greatest difficulty now is to find enough for them to do, as the ground connected with the asylum is so limited in extent. The walls of both wards are now ornamented with a great variety of pictures, the frames of which have been made and varnished by the patients themselves. Outside, the patients have built two neat surnmerhouses, one on the female side and the other on the male side of the grounds. These will no doubt be appreciated by the inmates in warm weather. On my last visit I was pleased to find most of the females usefully employed. A large number were busily at work making new ticking for the bedding; some were knitting, others amusing themselves with fancy work. In the female ward I saw one patient in solitary confinement, and on inquiry found that she occasionally required to be confined and to have leather gloves put on her hands to prevent her from tearing her clothes to pieces. I examined all papers of admission and found them correct; one certificate from Dr. Scaly seemed to me to contain little indicating insanity ; but on interviewing the patient herself I felt confident she was insane. Without wishing to exceed my duty, and to interfere in a matter which does not directly concern me, I cannot help recording that in my opinion the 10 per cent, reduction bears very heavily on the attendants here. Considering the nature and extent of duties required—'the attendants have to watch during the night in turns —tho salary scale in this asylum could ha'dly be called extravagant before the reduction was made. Should tho reduction bo enforced, I am afraid the inducements will not be sufficient to attract the right sort of men to the service, nor to make them take that amount of interest which is desirable. I have only to add that I fail to see why attendants in other asylums in the colony should receive more for their services, even after their salaries have been reduced, than the attendants here received before the reduction was made. 28th August, 1880.—Looking over the above report, I find I have made one omission : About two months ago Mr. Mills, the keeper, sent for me to see a patient named Harkness. On going to the asylum Harkness complained to me that one of the attendants had treated him roughly and had burnt his arm. I examined the arm and found it swollen and evidently painful. On inquiry I learned that at tea Harkness had become violent and abusive, and had to be removed. He resisted, and during the struggle his arm got hurt. I felt it to be my duty to caution tho warder against any violence in future, and against attempting to remove a violent patient without first securing tho help of another warder. "With respect to the want of sufficient ground for the employment of patients, commented upon in the above entries, and previously reported by myself, steps were being taken by the Government to obtain an orchard of some five acres in extent, conveniently situated behind the asylum; but, although this would certainly have been a considerable acquisition, it was not thought worth as much money as was asked for it, and its intended purchase was abandoned. Apparently there will be great difficulty in getting a sufficient extent of suitable land in the neighbourhood at a reasonable price, and the want of this is certainly a very serious disadvantage to the asylum. Eeferring to the Deputy-Inspector's remarks about the wages, I also think that they are too low, and have recommended that those of the male attendants should be increased to £70, and understand that it is your intention to have this done. With regard to the case of the patient mentioned as having got his arm hurt in a struggle with an attendant, I have been informed by the Medical Officer that the injury sustained, and which at the time was thought to be a strain of the muscle of the forearm, and was accompanied with such an amount of swelling and inflammation as to cause examination to be very painful, was some weeks afterwards, when all the swelling had subsided, found to be a lateral dislocation inwards of the bones of the forearm, which it did not seem advisable to meddle with. The attendant who had caused the injury was afterwards dismissed for striking a fellow-servant. Mr. Mills, the Superintendent, has forwarded plans prepared by himself, together with a requisition for the necessary material for a billiard- and readingroom, which he undertakes to erect by asylum labour. This would certainly be a most desirable addition to the building, but, considering the great expenditure necessitated for things which are absolutely indispensable, it does not seem advisable to recommend this work for your approval at present. The defect in the water-supply, formerly reported upon, still continues, and apparently cannot be completely remedied, except by adopting the proposal of the District Engineer to bringing in a supply from a neighbouring creek, at an estimated cost of about £600, in addition to that of acquiring the right to monopolize the stream. Hohitika Asylum. —There were 77 patients on the 31st January—s7 males and 20 females. During the year 7 males and 6 females were admitted, all for the first time. Of these 90 patients, there were discharged as recovered 4 males and 2 females, as relieved 4 males and 2 females, and 5 males died; and at the end of the year there were 51 males and 22 females, or a decrease of 6 males and an increase of 2 females. Three of the deaths were due to cerebral, one to thoracic, and one to abdominal diseases. The recoveries show a percentage of 46 on the admissions, and the deaths a percentage of 694 on the average number resident. In September the Hon. Mr. Bonar, M.L.0., and Dr. Giles, E.M., were appointed Official Visitors; and in the following month Mr. A. Clapcott was appointed Deputy-Inspector. Eleven visits of inspection were made by these gentlemen before the end of the year, and their entries in the Inspector's book express satisfaction at the management. The DeputyInspector reports " that a new picket fence has been erected round the cottage on the north side of the asylum ; that the steep, dangerous gully in front of the cottage has been sloped down and terraced in such a manner as to do away with the danger, and improve the general appearance of the place ; that the enclosure in front of the cottage has been nicely laid out and planted with flowers; that a number of young pines have also been procured by Mr. Gribben, the Superintendent, from Canterbury