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on the total average daily number on the registers during the year was 6.06 as
compared with 6.92 for the previous year.
Private List, County and Service patients.
34. The usual enquiries have been made as to all patients in respect of whom
it appeared likely that there were means, and 177 patients have been found entitled
to be classified as private patients in accordance with section 3 of the Lunacy Act,
1891, the cost of maintenance being recovered from the patients' estates or secured
by undertakings to pay on the part of relatives or friends.
35. The following statement shows the action taken in regard to the classification
of patients during the year ended 31st March, 1929:—
Patients on
the "private
list."

These were located at Banstead (9 m. 21 f.), at Bexley (18 m. 26 f.), at Cane Hill
(7 m. 27 f.), at Claybury (21 m. 30 f.), at Colney Hatch (12 m. 28 f.), at Ewell Colony
(3 f.), at Hanwell (11 m. 24 f.), atHorton (56 f.), at Long Grove (25 m. 26 f.), and at
West Park (22 m. 28 f.).
36. Patients who are chargeable to the county are those who have not acquired
a poor-law settlement in any parish of England and Wales or who have no status
of irremovability from any such parish. All patients when first received into the
mental hospitals are prima facie chargeable to the union or parish from which they
are sent. The parochial authorities in the case of a patient who is found not to be
settled in or irremovable from any parish or union of England and Wales may
give notice to the local authority (the Council) of intention to obtain an order of
a justice to adjudicate the chargeability to the county. All such cases are
enquired into by the acting chief officer of the mental hospitals department, and
where settlements can be found elsewhere steps are taken to get the notices
withdrawn. The attention of the parish authorities is also drawn to cases in
which, from information obtained, it would appear that patients might be
chargeable to out-county parishes.
37. The acting chief officer makes enquiries as to the ability of all patients,
who are chargeable to the county, to reimburse either wholly or in part the expenses
of their maintenance.
38. During the year under review 77 notices were received from London
boards of guardians of their intention to obtain orders adjudicating the chargeability
of patients to the County of London. With 2 cases standing over
from last year this gave a total of 79 cases to be dealt with. In 19 cases
settlements were found and the notices were withdrawn, in 47 cases orders were
made on the County of London, and 13 cases are still under consideration.
39. The 47 patients adjudicated to the county appeared to belong to the
following countries :—Ireland, 20 ; England, 8 ; Scotland, 6 ; Italy, 1 ; France, 1 ;
16624 c 2
County
patients.