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No. 1242, dated Lahore, 10th April 1872
From—C. M. RIVAZ, Esq., Offg. Under-Secretary to Government, Punjab
To—The Commissioner and Superintendent, Dehli Division
I AM directed to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 34, dated the 1st
ultimo, forwarding the report on the Lunatic Asylum at Dehli for the year
1871, by the Superintendent of the Asylum, Dr. Penny, and of your No. 51, of
the 21st ultimo, recording the result of your personal inspection of this institu-
tion.
2. The Lieutenant-Governor has perused Dr. Penny's report with interest,
and considers it satisfactory. His Honor had an opportunity lately of visiting
and making a careful inspection of this Asylum, and was much pleased with the
general management and order, which reflect great credit on the Superintendent
and his subordinate officers.
3. I am to notice a few points touched on by you and in Dr. Penny's
report, which require remark.
4. You observe that the accommodation for dangerous lunatics is capable of
improvement, the doors to the rooms being very bad. This should be remedied,
and substantial doors substituted for the present insecure ones.
5. Dr. Penny remarks that among the wants of the Asylum are—
(1).—Baths.
(2).—A work-shed.
(3).—Accommodation for one European lunatic.
(4).—A better establishment.
The question of the construction of baths and a work-shed must be deferred
for the present for financial reasons, and any proposal for a revision of establish-
ment must form the subject of a separate reference. Accommodation in the
Asylum for one European lunatic is, in His Honor's opinion, necessary, and
should be at once provided.
6. Dr. Penny's remarks regarding the unnecessary violence often practised
in the arrest of lunatics, and the insufficient enquiries made into cases of reported
lunacy, have been noticed by the Lieutenant-Governor, and action will be taken
in the matter.
7. Dr. Penny's statement that insanity is more prevalent among Hindús
than Muhammadans, as shown by the statistics of admissions to the Asylum,
cannot be accepted as correct. The proportion of the Hindú to the Muhammadan
population in the districts of the Dehli and Hissár Divisions, from which the
inmates of the Asylum mostly come, is as three to one, or that the conclusion
arrived at by Dr. Penny is, as might naturally be expected from consideration
of the habits and creed of the two races, contradicted by the facts. Dr. Penny's
statement may, however, only refer to the prevalence of insanity among males
and females respectively, and, if so, does not call for remark.
8. His Honor notices with pleasure Dr. Penny's favorable mention of the
Deputy Superintendent of the Asylum, Mr. Platner.
9. In conclusion, I am to request that the Superintendent may be desired
to number the paragraphs of his future reports.
No. 1243, dated Lahore, 10th April 1872
From—C. M. RIVAZ , Esq., Offg. Under-Secretary to Government , Punjab
To—The Offg. Registrar, Chief Court, Punjab
I AM directed to forward the accompanying extract of the report on
the Lunatic Asylum at Dehli, for the year 1871, by the Superintendent of the
Asylum, and, with reference to Dr. Penny's remarks on the insufficiency of many
of the enquiries made into cases of lunacy, to request that the Judges of the
Chief Court will take such action as may seem to them desirable in the matter
as regards Judicial Officers.