H.—7.

PORIRUA ASYLUM. I have the honour to submit the following report on the Porirua Asylum for the year 1901 :— At the beginning of the year there were 463 inmates, and at the end 515. The average number resident was 501 (255 males and 246 females), and the total number under care 464. One hundred and one patients were admitted, of whom twenty males and twenty-five females were admitted for the first time, fifty-three males and one female were transferred from other asylums, and two females were readmitted. Twenty-four patients were discharged as recovered, three as improved, and one transferred to another asylum. Twenty-one died, making a death-rate of 41-9 per thousand on the average number resident. Nearly half of the deaths were of the aged and chronically insane, which form so large a proportion of the population in this asylum. Ten who died had been inmates for upwards of ten years; and of these, one had been twenty-eight years, one thirty-one years, and one nearly forty-eight years in this and other asylums of the colony. This last case probably forms a record of longevity in our asylums. His was the first case registered in the Wellington Province. He was admitted into the old Karori Asylum on the Ist January, 1854, was subsequently transferred to Mount View Asylum, and finally to Porirua Asylum, where he died in August last. Other Medical Superintendents have in former reports referred to the committal of helpless, infirm, and even bedridden patients to our asylums. Such cases, although demented, are quite harmless, and only require the care and nursing often demanded by the aged, and in no way require asylum treatment. Sometimes these patients are sent to the asylum on the initiation of their relatives, who, perhaps, are unwilling to bestow on them the necessary attention and trouble; but, in my experience, they sometimes come from some hospital or other charitable institution, where they are considered troublesome and .fit for asylum custody because they wander in their speech, or are somewhat irritable and garrulous. There seems to be an increasing tendency to shunt these cases on to the asylum. Several have been admitted here lately, and one arrived almost in a moribund state, and died a few days afterwards. Only one serious accident occurred in the course of the year. In November a female patient who was apparently convalescent, and was about to be discharged, drowned herself in the Asylum reservoir. She made her escape one Sunday forenoon while church service was being held. She had previously never shown the slightest suicidal tendency. What was the apparent motive of her conduct, and the whole of the circumstances in connection with this unfortunate case, I explained to you at the time. At the Coroner's inquest a verdict which did not attach any blame to the members of the staff was returned. In my report two years ago I recommended that both branches of the stream that flows through the Asylum property should be led into the main reservoir which supplies the Asylum with water. This has now been done, and I feel confident there is no longer any danger of the supply running short in a dry season. In the engineer's department important additions to the plant have been made. A large new ■boiler, generating steam for all purposes, has been erected ; an auxiliary direct-acting engine and dynamo, capable of running the electric-light independently has been installed, as well as a complete set of new cells for the storage of electricity. The electric-lighting plant is now ample and efficient, and the service works admirably under the able management of Mr. Anderson, the chief engineer, who has proved himself a most valuable officer. It was found that the septic tank for the reception of sewage from the main building was too small. Its capacity was only about 7,000 gallons, whereas the volume of sewage averages nearly 30,000 gallons daily. In consequence of this it happened that the flow through the tank was too rapid to allow the bacteriolytic process time to liquefy the solid constituents, which thus gradually accumulated and blocked the tank. I therefore recommended the construction of a new septic tank, having four times the capacity of the old one. This has been done, and I have no doubt but that the bacteria will now be able to do their work satisfactorily. A new poultry-farm has been formed on the estate. A suitable site has been selected, and a series of fowl-houses built on modern principles. We are now busy erecting a house for the incubators, and for the preparation and storage of fowl-food, as well as a building for fostering chickens. We shall have ample accommodation to raise 1,500 head next season. The old system of electric fire-alarms was not efficient, and an entirely new system has been installed, which greatly facilitates rapid concentration of the means of extinguishing an outbreak of fire should it occur. In various parts of the main building and in the more important buildings around there are switches, enclosed in boxes with glass lids, so that by breaking the glass and turning on the switch an alarm is raised. The effect of turning on the switch is to localize the alarm on an indicator at the central station, to ring a loud electric bell heard throughout the main building, and to sound a steam-whistle over the boiler-house. The arrangements for extinguishing a fire after alarm is given are efficient. Fixed hoses always ready for use both inside and outside can play water at high pressure on any point where a fire may occur. The danger from fire is further minimised by fireproof staircases, by fireproof partitions in the roof-space, and by steamheating of the wards, in which no fireplaces are used. Our two fire-brigades are drilled from time to time. The most pressing requirement now is additional airing-court accommodation for the patients. Plans have been prepared, which, when carried out, will give an extensive area for recreation for both the male and female patients, and will greatly improve the outlook on the north side of the asylum. Other requirements which I think should receive consideration are a separate building for recent and curable cases, and a home for the nurses. Some of the rooms now occupied by the

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