H.—B.

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of some of the rooms and passages. These things I hope soon to get remedied. The number of patients is 123 males and 89 females. On the female side all were up and dressed, though I found two violent cases requiring special attendants to prevent them doing injury to themselves or others. Six males were in bed from various causes, which seemed to me sufficient; one of them, however, a violent epileptic, will be more in the open air for the future. The general appearance and clothing of the patients are satisfactory, and it gives me special satisfaction to find that all the male patients, except 20, are induced to do some kind of work, while 41 are at work in the garden and grounds. On the female side I found 15 working in the laundry, 8 at needlework; and of the whole 89 not more than 19 refuse to do any work at all. There are 8 males and 14 females who do not join in recreation. The donatories and beds are all clean and comfortable. The food is good and well cooked. I think, however, a little more despatch might be used in serving the dinner, for I observed that the fine fresh vegetables which were supplied for dinner were cold before the patients were seated. I examined all the books and medical certificates, and, with the exception of the Medical Journal, I found them all in proper order. I read and destroyed a large number of patients' letters, and found none that had been improperly detained. The branch asylum at Porirua is a great addition to the responsibilities of the Medical Superintendent, and considerable difficulty has been experienced in finding a suitable married couple who combined some knowledge of lunacy with the necessary experience of farming operations. After trying two married couples we have found it advisable to promote Attendant Wybourne, whose experience as an attendant enabled him to manage the patients, and who had large experience of a dairy farm in England, to take charge at Porirua. I have every reason to hope that this plan will prove satisfactory. I have formed a favourable opinion of the staff: Miss Linton, with a little more experience, will fill her position admirably, and Mr. Morrison makes a most intelligent and vigorous head attendant. It is very gratifying to observe the conscientious devotion to duty displayed by Dr. King, and the kindly and considerate manner in which he deals with his patients and his staff has secured my hearty admiration. I cannot close this report without recording my thanks to the Deputy Inspector for the great interest he takes in this asylum and the care and vigilance with which he watches all the inmates. In fact, the knowledge of Mr. Mackay's close supervision and his living in the immediate neighbourhood is a very great relief to my mind. Nelson. 16th June, 1887.—1 was engaged in inspecting this asylum on the 14th and 16th of June. The number of patients is 100 : males, 59; females, 41, besides one female inebriate admitted under a Judge's order, and one female patient admitted on trial. Of the males, 43 were found working at various jobs out of doors, and two who were unfit to be outside were usefully engaged inside. All the females except five were engaged in washing, ironing, sewing, cleaning, or helping in the kitchen. This will be admitted by all to be a most gratifying state of things. I found 2 male patients confined to bed and under medical treatment: one a painful case of lupus of the face and neck ; the other suffering from abrasions and contusions of the face, caused by falling in a fit. Two female patients I found wearing strong canvas dresses, being very violent and destructive. One of these, whose case I discussed with Dr. Boor at my last visit, I found still in the same distressing state. She is now in such a condition that there seems to be no longer any chance of her mental improvement. A special attendant has to remain beside her night and day to prevent her from injuring herself, and the greatest care has to be exercised lest she should bite her attendant. Altogether this is the most inveterate and intractable case I have ever seen. The other case is also a painful one, but I hope that in her case the acute mania may soon subside. To show the extent to which this, like other asylums, is encumbered with chronic and incurable cases, I may state that I found 49 males and 32 females, out of a total of 100, to be beyond the reach of curative treatment. Of these, 7 males and 2 females are idiots or imbecile : nearly all of these could be accommodated in a much less expensive institution than this. It is evident therefore that if all cases of this description in our different asylums were removed to one central asylum for chronic and incurable lunatics, which only require to be carefully and kindly looked after, such a classification of the remaining cases could be effected as would greatly increase the chances of recovery. I found 12 females and 8 males suffering from goitre, and more or less anaemic. The epileptic cases number 6 males and 2 females ; while 3 males and 4 females are suicidal. One of the male patients, who is allowed a great deal of liberty, and who, notwithstanding the character of his delusions, is considered harmless, I cautioned Mr. White and the head attendant to watch most carefully. I would also recommend that he be not allowed to write so many letters to public men. I have endeavoured personally and by letter to induce the City Council to lend their aid in closing up the road which passes immediately behind the asylum, and I am hopeful that this great benefit may be secured, and that in this way the heavy price which has been paid to buy up the rights of those who were interested in keeping the road open may give an adequate return. The abundant water-supply which this purchase places at our disposal I hope will soon be taken advantage of to make the asylum independent of the town supply. Already a sufficient supply of fire-hose and hydrants has been provided, and the water is laid on all round the building ; all that is wanted is sufficient pressure, and this can be got at a moderate cost by constructing a reservoir on our own grounds. The old Taranaki buildings have been pulled down, and Mr. White has, in a most praiseworthy way, utilised such of the materials as were still available for the erection of workshops and a tool-shed. The amusement of the patients is systematically cared for every Wednesday evening, and no opportunity is lost of giving the patients an outing. lam afraid that many of the fruit-trees, with which a large part of the land is stocked, are so old and so affected with blight that no great return, by way of fruit-crop, can be expected; and I have asked Mr. White to consider whether it would not be better to work the land as a dairy farm. It appears that vegetable-growing could not be made profitable, and it remains to be seen whether milk-selling would give a better return. The religious