H.—7

10

In Table XIII the principal causes assigned for the mental breakdown in the admissions are stated ; but as a matter of fact they are merely approximations, and these, with the small numbers with which we have to deal, show such divergencies from year to year that the proportion assigned to any one cause in any one year cannot be assumed to be our average incidence. Causation is always complex, and the most potent factor is the individual. Hereunder the assigned causations in the table referred to are grouped and shown in their relative proportions : — Males. Females. Total. Heredity .. .. .. .. .. 10-38 11-30 10-77 Congenital .. . . .. .. .. 1.8-94 8-85 14-65 Predisposed by previous attack .. .. .. 11-30 14-74 12-76 Critical periods .. .. .. .. 22-22 29-73 25-42 Child-bearing (puerperal, non-septic, and lactation). . .. 3-19 1-36 Mental stress .. .. .. .. .. 11-84 15-23 13-28 Physiological defect and error ... .. .. 1-64 1-97 1-78 Toxic, including m. f. SBSSr :: :: :: ;• 962 Traumatic .. .. .. .. .. 0-91 .. 0-52 Disorder of nervous system, including— m. f. Epilepsy .. .. .. 4-01 3-19 6-92 5-16 6-17 Other bodily affections .. .. .. . . 0-73 1-23 0-95 No definite cause assigned .. .. . . 1-82 3-93 2-72 100-00 100-00 100-00

Voluntary Boarders.

It will be noted that there were 258 voluntary admissions in the year under review, that 229 were discharged, and that 14 boarders, representing 54 per cent, of the admissions, had to be transferred to the register of patients (having shown mental disorder in degree sufficiently pronounced and sustained to render it improper for them to be continued as voluntary boarders), while the proportion of deaths on average number resident was 7-32 per cent. The column devoted to " Not First Admissions " records readmissions on a return of illness in those previously treated to recovery as voluntary boarders. The average daily number of voluntary boarders in 1929 was 246 (m. 119, f. 127).

First Not First Total Transferred Remaining ! Admission. Amission. , Admissions. Jj * «ied. Discharged. j ~i I j M. P. T. ; M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. M. F. T. j M. F. T. M. F. T. 1912 .. .. 6 17 23 0 0 0 6 17 23 1 3 4 0 0 0 i 4 3 7 1 11 12 1913 .. .. 18 19 37 0 2 2 ! 18 21 39 2 5 7 0 1 1 12 12 24 5 14 19 1914 .. .. 17 19 36 3 2 5 20 21 41 7 5 12 1 1 2 11 15 26 6 14 20 1915 .. .. 15 17 32 1 2 3 16 19 35 3 4 7 0 1 1 8 14 22 11 14 25 1916 .. .. 13 23 36 5 8 13 18 31 49 4 4 8 1 2 3 14 14 28 10 15 25 1917 .. .. 14 21 35 1 13 14 15 34 49 6 6 12 0 1 I 10 23 33 9 19 28 1918 .. .. 23 38 61 5 11 16 28 49 77 1 4 5 2 2 4 15 30 45 19 32 51 1919 .. .. 31 39 70 5 19 24 36 58 94 3 3 6 0 2 2 26 42 68 26 43 69 1920 .. .. 26 38 64 16 12 28 42 50 92 3 4 7 1 2 3 33 33 66 31 54 85 1921 .. .. 39 39 78 11 15 26 50 54 104 2 3 5 5 1 6 38 41 79 36 63 99 1922 .. .. 47 38 85 10 16 26 57 54 111 6 5 11 4 4 8 40 48 88 43 60 103 1923 .. .. 44 50 94 15 21 36 59 71 130 3 6 9 3 • 3 6 47 47 94 49 75 124 1924 .. .. 38 44 82 16 20 36 54 64 118 4 8 12 6 3 9 39 48 87 54 80 134 1925 .. .. 64 59 123 15 34 49 79 93 172 10 15 25 6 3 9 60 63 123 57 92 149 1926 .. .. 71 60 131 11 29 40 82 89 171 10 11 21 7 2 9 49 71 120 73 97 170 1927 .. .. 70 70 140 25 32 57 95 102 197 8 6 14 5 12 17 75 58 133 I 80 123 203 1928 .. .. 120 94 214 37 39 76 157 133 290 8 10 18 10 8 18 102 97 199 117 141 258 1929 .. ..102 63 165 50 43 93 152 106 258 11 3 14 9 9 18 119 110 229 130 125 255