H—7

4

Financial Results of the Year. The following table gives the net cost per patient for the year 1898, as compared with the previous year:—

There has been a large increase in the cost at Wellington Asylum during last year. The reason of this is explained in Dr. Hassell's report on page 7.

Farm.

It will be noticed that at Christchurch and Auckland the net cost per patient is considerably reduced by the receipts from the farm. At Christchurch the revenue from this source amounted to £2 Os. Id. per head, and £1 9s. 9d. per head at Auckland. The receipts from the farm mentioned above are the actual amounts received in cash, and paid into the Public Account, for produce, &c, sold. In addition to this a great quantity of milk, butter, bacon, vegetables, &c, raised on the farm, is consumed at the various asylums, thus reducing the annual cost per head.

MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENTS' EEPOETS. AUCKLAND ASYLUM. Sib,— 1 have the honour to submit my report on this Asylum for 1898. The average number of resident patients was 426, as compared with 424 for the preceding year. There has been an increase during the year of only five patients. This small increase is due partly to the decrease in admissions—eighty-one, as compared with eighty-nine for 1897—and partly to the increased discharge rate. The admission rate seems to be what one might regard as the normal rate for Auckland under normal circumstances. Slight variations occur from year to year; but, in the absence of any special exciting or. predisposing causes, abnormal variations can scarcely be anticipated. The recovery rate for the year —5T85 per cent, on admissions—is considerably above the average. A high rate for one year, however, means very little. In a few instances, too, I have been materially assisted by the relatives of patients. It is almost a matter of common knowledge that in our asylums a number of cases progress gradually to a stage short of recovery, there become stationary for a longer or shorter period, and then usually retrogress. In such cases I find that nothing can make up for that undivided attention which we cannot at present give. I have endeavoured to minimise this evil by representing to responsible relatives the imperative need for the removal of such patients from, the asylum for their individual care. Where my advice has been accepted I have always found apparently complete recovery within the probationary period. The death rate, calculated on total resident during the year, is again reduced. The rate, 75 per cent., is still too high. For four of the deaths I accept no responsibility, the patients being almost moribund when they reached the asylum. One patient, an old man eighty-one years of

Asylum. 1898. 1897. Increase. Decrease. £ s. 19 13 17 8 20 6 25 10 21 12 25 1 26 8 a. 6i Of 1 If £ s. a. 22 18 4* 19 4 llf 22 8 3| 23 3 61 23 5 4* 24 17 6| 21 1 If £ s. a. £ s. d. 3 4 10J 1 16 10f 2 17* Auckland Christchurch Seacliff Hokitika Nelson Porirua Wellington 2 6" 6| 1 13 3i 0 3 7J 5 7 2f Averages ... 21 3 6* 22 0 0* 0 16 7

Asylum. Cost. Receipts. Cost per Head. Receipts per Head. Net Cost per Head, not oounting Receipts from Farm. Auckland Jhristchurch ieacliff lelson 'orirua Vellington ... £ s. 502 18 819 8 1,650 7 224 4 425 15 224 1 d. 1 3 4 5 2 2 £ s. 634 12 1,044 12 459 12 132 12 182 6 221 12 d. 4 8 8 3 1 9 £ s. d. 1 3 71 1 11 5i 2 14 7i 1 11 9| 1 7 li 0 18 lOf £ s. 1 9 2 0 0 15 0 18 0 11 0 18 d. 9 1 2 9 7 8 £ s. d. 21 3 3} 19 8 2 21 1 10J 22 10 10 25 12 8| 27 7 Oi Totals 3,846 14 5 2,675 8 9 1 12 6i 1 2 7 22 6 0*