218 REPORTS FROM THE SECTIONS. 
A question of considerable interest is the proportion of insane 
persons to the general population, and because a mistaken idea on 
this point is widely prevalent in this Colony, and because no 
impressions men, T think it advisable to place the 
figures before you. It is generally ae that the number of 
insane persons here is unduly large. will see that it is 
slightly below that in Great Britain oak Saatanel and in two of 
the Australian Colonies. On December 31st, 1877—and I take 
this date as the latest nas whath I have the figures complete—the 
proportion was as follow 
In England 368 an Pas 
Scotland Ei anes pone pee got Ireland, 
Treland <esi: Be5y BBB 
New roe Wales NR bee 
in Rae ale 
ee, ettay ca ae 
et ‘Rustraiis at, 49] ¢ Australian Colonies, 1 in 
eens te coat Digg MAT | 
Western Australia... 1 ,, 419 
=e far as I have been able to learn, the peoeee of insane 
$ to population is nearly the same in civilized c mmunities 
all the the world over. Wherever the statistics are ears kept, 
the Sr Ses appears to be 1 in from 350 to 400 of the general 
populati 
South Australia, Queensland, and Western Australia, being 
paratively young Colonies, have not yet obtained by accumula- 
tion their full prdportion. 
The proportion in New South Wales is now he be? 4 hag 
increasing. In the year 1868 it was 1 in 379; in 1878 1 in a 
It has taken ten years to rise from a siiieniien of 2°63 to 78 
per oe The mo increase in the population, pet in. 38) 
year to 18,000, brings an increase in the number of patient i 
the amount of about 90 or 100 ee and for these accommoda- 
tion, attendance, and maintenance have to be provided. 
Epilepsy as seen in an institution for the insane is a disease of © 
Ponca 
It was found to exist on 
ission in 208 patients(1 43 males and 65 soremor a out a — rape” 
number, 3,078 (1,942 males and 1,136 females) admitted, and #5 
as less common among the female than the male pa : 
Ina ands of the cases epilepsy was the cause of the i 
but in others was only a concurrent disease or symptom. epee 
