ANNUAL REPORT
ON
THE LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN THE PUNJAB
For 1870.
LAHORE LUNATIC ASYLUM.
HAVING taken charge of the Lunatic Asylum to-day from Dr. Smith, the duty of
drawing out the Annual Report for 1870 devolves upon me.
With one exception (the filtration of the water), I have had no personal knowledge of
the events of the past year, nor have I as yet any intimate acquaintance with the internal
arrangements of the Institution, but have prepared this report from notes left me by Dr.
Smith.
Buildings.
No additions have been made to the buildings during the year 1870, but a few
alterations and improvements have been carried out as follows:—
1st,—Four kutcha cells in the male and female wards have been made pucka for 5 feet
above the ground : this has been done by removing a foot in thickness of kutcha materials
all round and filling up the space with pucka bricks and mortar. The cells in which
this has been done are occupied by lunatics of a mischievous character, who endeavour
to destroy everything they can possibly lay their hands on, especially during the night, while
not under the observation of the warders: thus they used to dig out the kutcha walls to a
great extent with their fingers, thereby causing a constant contingent expense for rebuilding.
Since the pucka work has been finished, this mischief has been checked.
2nd,—The high wall that separates the vegetable garden from the asylum wards, which
was much dilapidated and seemed likely to fall, has been supported by pucka masonry work
5 feet up from the foundation on both sides.
3rd,—The inner walls of the female ward and Nos. 1 and 2 male wards have been white-
washed this year; formerly these used to be leeped over with fresh earth daily by the lunatics,
which kept the walls constantly damp, particularly in the wet seasons. The first outbreak of
cholera, and the greatest number of cases, occurred in these wards in 1869. Believing the
damp state of the walls to be the predisposing cause, Dr. Smith discontinued the leeping and
adopted the whitewashing.
4th,—The annual repairs and whitewashing for 1870 have been duly carried out.
Drainage and Sanitary Arrangements. 1st,—A pucka sewer has been built on the
outside of the asylum, northwards, for the purpose of general drainage: it conveys away the
water of the baths, of the cookrooms, and the rain-water; its contents are thrown into the
adjacent fields every morning and evening. The expenditure on account of this has been
defrayed from the Savings Fund, consisting of the profits accruing from the sale of the produce
of the vegetable garden and articles manufactured in the asylum by the lunatics.
2nd,—The ordure and sweepings of the asylum are thrown into a deep kutcha pit out-
side, about 100 yards off; they are covered up with earth; and the manure thus formed, when
it has lost its fœcal character, is used for the vegetable garden.
3rd,—The general drainage, sewage and other sanitary arrangements are carefully
attended to, the roads are kept in order, and the wards and cells are kept scrupulously clean.
Water. 1st,—The water for drinking and culinary purposes is brought from a well near the
Railway terminus, pronounced by the Sanitary Commissioner of the Punjab to be the best
in the neighbourhood of the asylum, and recommended by him to be used in the absence of the
river water; the means adopted for its conveyance is a cask placed in cart drawn by a pair
of bullocks purchased from the Savings Fund. The water is poured into large earthen vessels
called " mutkas." These are half filled with coarsely-powdered charcoal, in the midst of which
there rests on the bottom of the vessel a jar or bell of zine, open at the bottom,and having a zinc
tube attached to it at the top. This is about 7 feet long, and is bent over the edge of the earthen
vessel, so that its mouth shall be lower than the jar within the vessel. It thus acts as a syphon,
the water being filtered downwards through the charcoal and entering the jar, from which it
can be drawn off in a full stream at pleasure, so long as there is water in the earthen vessel.
This mode of filtration 1 used many years ago at the General Hospital in Calcutta, and last
year suggested it to Dr. Smith, for the Lunatic Asylum.