CO885(2-3) — Page 211

Despatch,

Juni 20, 1863.

34

adding a new female ward and making other necessary improvements, bat there is no explanation of what is the action referred to.

The drainage of the Ballarat hospital is defective, and the accommo- dation insufficient to meet the demand. The great defect is the entire want of visitation by superior civil authorities.

The Yarra Bend lunatic asylum differs from the hospitals in being entirely supported by Government funds, and apparently in being managed by a medical superintendent instead of by a board. The buildings are very inconveniently arranged, being scattered over a line of three-quarters of a mile-is length. Only one latrine is supplied with water. The space allowed to each patient by the size of the wards is wholly insufficient. The total average is only 595 cubic feet, and one ward at present gives only 333. In other respects this asylum seems to have been well managed, especially since Mr. Paley's arrival. There is a visiting board of live members-two being medical-who are appointed by the Governor in Council.

The Governor regrets that a design of building three new lunatic asylums in different parts of the colony has been postponed.

93. Western Australia.—The Perth hospital seems to be generally in a satisfactory condition except as to the drainage, which is said to be "natural," and may be inferred to be defective, and as to visitation, which is not made on any regular system. The management is vested in the Colonial Surgeon.

The Freemantle hospital for convicts seems to be very good. It has heen administered by the Comptroller-General.

The lunatic asylum is a small and bad establishment. The site is low and swampy, and there is no land except between two and three acres, which are rented from private persons. There is no sewerage, the drainage is doubtful, and the latrines are pits in the garden leading to cesspools. There are no baths, and a room with some tubs is the only lavatory. The informa- tion as to the space per head is absurd, but seems to point to a great deficiency. The means for employment are quite insufficient. About fourteen patients are admitted annually, and several who cannot be received here are sent to the Perth hospital.

January 14, 1864.

*

Appendix.

NOTE I-List of Colonies from which Answers have not been received.*

Bahamas. Montserrat.

St. Kitts. Virgin Islands.

British Columbia. Vancouver Island. Falkland Islands.

Malta. Lagos.

British Kaffraria.

New South Wales. Queensland.

South Australia. New Zealand. Ceylon.

NOTE II.~(a.) Institutions which are governed by Boards (omitting Victoria)

Trinidad

Turk's Island British Guiana Barbados (?)

St. Vincent Grenada Antigua

Dominica

New Brunswick

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

Prince Edward's Island

Cape of Good Hope (Albany and Port Elizabeth

Hospitals)

Natal

Bermudas

Gibraltar

Tasmania

وو

2 Institutions

1

3

33

2

งา

"

2

"}

2

"

"

3

2

"}

"

1

2

1

I

"

2

"

"

* 360 to 400 cubic inches,

29

(b.) Institutions of which the constitution is not described.

British Honduras

1 Institution.

St. Lucia (Poor and Yaws Asylums and Immigrant

and Soufrière Hospitals)

4

"1

Natal (Durban Hospital)

1

"

Cape (Somerset Hospital) Hong Kong

22

"}

• Answers have been received from Bahamas since the date of the Minute.

[102]

G

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TTC.O.885

3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO