STATISTICAL RETURNS OF THE LUNATIC ASYLUMS
5
38. Contingencies proper.—The charges under this head were Rs. 57,209-5-2
as against Rs. 31,722-0-9 in the previous triennium. The increase is due to pay-
ment of electric consumption charges on account of the installation of electric
lights and fans in the Madras Asylum and also to the higher wages paid to the
menials debited to contingencies under G.O. No. 146, Financial, dated 18th Feb-
ruary 1920.
39. General administration.—Lt.-Col. C. H. L. Palk, I.M.S., held charge of the
Madras Lunatic Asylum in 1918 till the 19th of January and Major A. Chalmers
from 2nd February to 5th September 1918 and from 10th October till
12th October 1918 when he was transferred to Military duty. Senior grade
Civil Assistant Surgeon C. M. Thirumudiswami Pillai, L.M.S., held charge in the
intervals in 1918 and was in charge during the whole of 1919 and till 22nd
January 1920 except for a short period from 17th March to 5th April 1919,
when Lt.-Col. E. M. Illington, I.M.S., was in charge. Dr. H. W. McCaully Hayes
took charge from Senior grade Civil Assistant Surgeon C. M. Thirumudiswami
Pillai on 23rd January 1920 and continues, Rao Bahadur S. Chandrasekhara
Mudaliyar was Acting Superintendent of the Vizagapatam Asylum till 20th March
1919 from whom Lt.-Col. W. H. Tucker, I.M.S., took charge and continued till the
end of the triennium. Dr. W. Stokes, M.B., C.M. (Edin.) was in charge of the
Calicut Asylum in 1918 and till 30th April 1919 except for 2 months in 1918
when Civil Assistant Surgeon Dr. M. L. Kamath, M.D., was in charge. Civil Assist-
ant Surgeon C. Rama Kamath, M.B., C.M., took charge from Dr. Stokes and
continued till 7th June 1919. Lt.-Col. T. S. Ross, I.M.S., took charge in 8th June
1919 and continuing till 31st May 1920 handed over again to Assistant Surgeon
C. Rama Kamath from whom Lt.-Col. P. L. O. Neill, C.I.E., I.M.S., took charge in
8th October 1920 and is continuing. The subordinate medical staff worked satis-
factorily.
40. Visitors.—Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Willingdon visited the
Calicut Asylum in 1919 and Her Excellency Lady Willingdon paid a visit to the
Madras Asylum in 1920 and expressed great pleasure with everything she saw.
The Inspector-General of Prisons inspected all the asylums annually, I visited
the Calicut Asylum in 1918 and 1919 and the Madras and Vizagapatam Asylums
in 1920. The usual monthly inspections by the official and non-official visitors
were regularly carried out.
41. Inventory of stores has been carried out periodically and the stock is
efficiently maintained.
42. The service books have been verified and found correct.
43. General remarks.—The standard of comfort in the Madras Asylum is
greater than that at Calicut and much greater than that at Vizagapatam. In all the
three asylums, however, the standard of medical treatment, nursing, accommoda-
tion and the opportunities for recreation of convalescents are greatly below those
in the Asylums of Great Britain. There seems to me to be still far too great a
tendency to be satisfied in India with an asylum that partakes of the nature of a
medical prison rather than of treatment in a " hospital for mental disease." A large
area of ground to the north of the Madras Asylum has already been acquired but
the money to convert it into an enclosure for the recreation of patients and to set
aside a part of it for an up-to-date hospital for mental cases has so far not been
forthcoming. The Madras Asylum remains too small for the numbers of cases seeking
admission. There is not sufficient separation of classes of insanes. Chronic cases
and incurables are obliged to live in close daily companionship and in proximity
with convalescents and even with sane patients who are awaiting discharge. More
rooms and especially more single rooms are required for the treatment of noisy
patients who at present often, for want of space, are kept at night, in the same
ward with a dozen or more quiet patients. These noisy patients not only are a
great nuisance to the quiet patients but also seem to precipitate attacks of mania
among their comrades in the large wards. The nursing of all the asylums and
the attendance is far below, both in quality and in numbers that which is con-
sidered necessary in an European mental hospital. The Superintendent is not
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