MENTAL HOSPITALS IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY
3
16. General hygiene of mental patients.—This was carefully supervised as in
previous years. Particular attention was paid to clothing, bathing, and food of
the patients, in all the institutions.
17. Drainage.—No progress has yet been made in the underground sewage and
drainage scheme referred to in the previous triennium and consequently there is
an urgent want of pucca drains within certain parts of the Madras Mental
Hospital. The drainage system in Waltair and Calicut is satisfactory,
18. Water-supply.—In the Madras Mental Hospital water-supply is from the
Red Hills. The Superintendent in his report has brought to notice the unequal
supply of water to the different buildings in the hospital compound. Steps will
be taken to have an adequate supply of water at all times for all the buildings.
In Waltair, the Municipal water-supply is supplemented by water drawn from
the hospital well in times of scarcity. With the completion of the well under
construction it is hoped that the Calicut Mental Hospital will get an adequate
supply of water for cooking, gardening and other purposes throughout the year.
19. Food and weighment.—The foodstuffs supplied during the triennium were
generally of good quality and the cooking and distribution were quite satis-
factory. The fortnightly weighments were carried out regularly in all the
institutions and the results on the whole were satisfactory.
20. Clothing.—The Mental Hospitals supplied as usual clothing for their use
from their handlooms. The supply of clothing was not sufficient in the Madras
Mental Hospital owing to lack of weaver patients.
21. Industries.—Those of the inmates who could be employed were engaged
in gardening, vegetable growing, mat making, coir twisting, basket making,
weaving, sewing and knitting. Some were employed in assisting the carpenter,
blacksmith and cooks.
22. Amusements.—As usual the inmates were given treats on principal festival
occasions. Several, concerts and entertainments were arranged for during the year.
With regard to out-door games, matches with outside teams were played and some
of them were won by the Mental Hospital teams. Some of the inmates competed
at the Park Fair Sports, and won Rs. 85 in prizes. The inmates still enjoy the
privilege of visiting free of charge the performances by the Wellington and the
Globe Cinema Companies. Selected patients were sent in charge of nurses and
attendants to the beach in the motor bus, presented by Mr. Jamal Muhi-ud-din.
The classes for the training of patients in the three " R's " are still being
continued in the Mental Hospital at Calicut. In the Waltair Hospital a musician
was employed throughout the year for the amusement of the inmates. It will
not be out of place to note here the kindness and interest evinced by several
ladies and gentlemen in associating themselves with concerts, and treats arranged
during the year for the patients.
23. Treatment of the patients.—The largest number treated was for diseases of
the nervous system, dysentery and digestive diseases. The daily average sick
was 104.30 in 1921, 125.27 in 1922 and 125.47 in 1923. The mean for the
triennium was 118.35 as compared with 83.69 for the previous triennium.
24. Forcible feeding.—This was resorted to in 22 cases and the method was
the nasal tube. Rectal feeding in one case in the Waltair Hospital had to be
resorted to for a week. Some of the patients were also fed by band occasionally.
25. Epidemics.—There was no epidemic in all the hospitals during the
triennium.
26. Mortality and injuries.—The following figures show the number and chief
causes of death during the years under report :—
Tubercle of the lungs ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Diseases of the nervous system ...
...
...
... ... ...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Digestive diseases
...
...
...
...
... ... ... ...
24
14
13
9
4
Pulmonary tuberculosis accounts for the largest number of deaths. Fourteen
post-mortems were held during the year by the Superintendent of the Mental