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We are under an obligation to the Primitive Methodist minister resident in Porirua for conducting divine service in the Hospital every Sunday. The services were attended and appreciated by iuany of the patients. I have, Ac, Gray Hassell. The Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals, Wellington.

WELLINGTON MENTAL HOSPITAL. Sir,— Mental Hospital, Wellington, 24th June, 1908. 1 have the honour to forward the following statistics and report in connection with this Hospital for the year 1907. At the beginning of the year there were 261 patients in the institution, and 7 out on trial. The admissions for the year mentioned were 36 males and 30 females, which is considerably less than the number admitted during the two preceding years. Of the 66 admitted, 12 men and 12 women had previously been under treatment for mental disease. A review of the cases admitted shows that 5 died during the year, 27 (41 per cent.) were discharged, 5 were transferred to other hospitals, and 29 remain. Of those remaining, 7 have fair prospects of recovery, 5 will not live long, and 17—chiefly cases of permanent enfeeblement and epilepsy—will be left, requiring institutional treatment for many years to come. In addition to the above, 16 cases of incipient insanity were treated during the year. Two of these had to be certified and detained, as they required prolonged treatment, and one broke down again shortly after leaving and was sent to Porirua. The number discharged during the year, exclusive of incipient cases, was 42—comprising an equal number of men and women. Here I have pleasure in bringing under your notice the help afforded us by the Labour Department in finding suitable work for discharged patients. The number of deaths for the year under review was twenty. This gives a death-rate of 8 per cent, on our average population, and is slightly higher than that of the two preceding years. But beyond a sudden death from rupture of an hj'datid cyst in the lungs the deaths were due to usual causes. The average number of patients in residence during the year was IM7. This is twenty men more than we have statutory accommodation for. Consequently we were glad to be able, last September, to transfer thirty-eight patients to other hospitals where accommodation was available. The employment of patients out-of-doors lias gone on as usual. Through the help of the Agricultural Department we were able to obtain some young cattle of excellent niilking-strain to suppleincut our existing herd. As milk is absolutely necessary to us, both for ordinary dietetic purposes and in the treatment of acute cases of mental and bodily disease, our efforts are particularly directed to keeping up the milk-supply. With this end in view the land is carefully and regularly top-dressed, and crops of mangolds are put down. In order to conserve the grass as much as possible the hills have been fenced in in various directions, and we are now reaping the benefit of this in the shape of increased feed. Some roadmaking has also been done to facilitate the working of the estate. The recreation of the patients has been studied as in former years. The residents of Wellington give voluntarily and liberally to our recreation fund. We are much indebted to several concert parties, notably among them the Victoria College Glee Club, for giving us bright and amusing entertainments. I have much pleasure in recalling the loyal support and co-operation extended to me by the officers and members of the staff throughout the year, and I take this opportunity to heartily thank them. I have, <tc, The Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals, Wellington. Arthur Crosbt.