§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) what measures are being taken to deal with such eases of acute mental and nervous breakdown in the Royal Navy and forces under the Admiralty as are unsuitable for treatment in general hospitals other than at Yarmouth Asylum; and (2) whether, in view of the fact that the Director of the Medical Service has recently authorised an officer to give a full and detailed account of the methods of treatment for all ranks of the Army suffering from mental and nervous disorders, similar action will be taken in the Royal Navy so as to include in the Report the plans of treatment in the United Kingdom and abroad?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe treatment of all cases of mental and nervous breakdown is undertaken in the three large base Naval Hospitals at Chatham, Haslar, and Plymouth. A medical officer who has made a speciality of such cases is detailed to each hospital, and he has as many beds allotted to him as is necessary. The treatment adopted is not to collect these cases into one ward, or one building, but to separate them from each other as far as possible, treating them with other general cases of illness. So far this method of treatment has been followed by favourable results, but the number of cases of this type from the Fleet is not sufficiently large to enable more than a probable estimate of its value to be formed as yet. Later on it is hoped a detailed report of the results obtained will be of value.