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organization of a manufacturing industry in a Lunatic Asylum is necessarily a slow process,
for many lunatics are with great difficulty induced to work; when so induced they are often
very hard to teach, and, unless constantly watched, idle away a great part of their time. Be-
sides this, when a lunatic who has been taught becomes sane, he is, like all others that recover,
discharged; and it often happens that a man cannot be taught till he begins to recover, so skill-
ed labour only lasts during his convalescence, which may be a very short period.
Grinding corn.
10. One decided improvement in the employment of lunatics, suggested by His Honor's
remarks on the Report of 1876, is making them grind their
own corn. We were obliged to send to Amritsar for mill-
stones, and when they were procured, had some difficulty in getting them properly cut. In
December, however, the grinding was commenced on eight stones worked by sixteen men. As
this was effected so late in the year, it makes but little show in the daily average number of
men employed ;* but I hope during 1878 we shall make the lunatics grind all the corn used
in the institution.
Food.
11. The food of the inmates is fairly good. Vegetables are supplied as far as possible
from the Asylum garden, and are therefore the product
of lunatic labour; but in consequence of the drought last
year, and of some mismanagement on the part of the gardener, we had less than usual. Meat
used to be supplied thrice in a week, ½lb each time, but now half the quantity is supplied six
times, or every working day. The cooking also is tolerable. Good milk is provided every
day for the sick from cows brought to the Asylum and milked at the gate. In consideration
of this, we get 1½ seer less per rupee than the market rate.
Drinking water.
12. The process of filtration of drinking water is the same as described in my report of
1871; the filters answer well. The water however is not
brought from the same well as formerly, as this well be-
came contaminated in some way.
Health.
13. This has been pretty good. The mortality has been 13.9 per cent of strength, but
a large proportion of it has been furnished by cases of
epilepsy, phthisis pulmonalis, and dropsy, which are
scarcely curable diseases. The deaths from the prevalent disorders of the climate, diarrhœa,
dysentery and fever have not been numerous. A post mortem examination is made on every
lunatic that dies, unless his friends object.
Establishment.
14. In consequence of a considerable increase in the number of inmates during the past
year, it became necessary to apply for a portion of the
money budgeted for contingencies to be set apart for
extra servants ; and in the month of August, four warders, one bhistie, and one female cooly,
were entertained at a cost of Rs. 34 per mensem. This made the proportion of attendants to
male lunatics 1 to 6.39 and to female lunatics 1 to 18.71.
Rupees 5 has also been added to the pay of the Native Doctor. This was done in May.
The pay of the present Deputy Superintendent, being an Assistant Surgeon of the 2nd Class,
educated in Calcutta (which entitles him to the Punjab allowance, Rs. 50) is 100 per mensem
more than that of Taboo Singh, who left in September 1876. Thus, the whole cost of establish-
ment has been Rs. 1,153-3-0 more than in 1876; but, in spite of this, and of the dearness
of provisions, the cost of each lunatic has been less by fifteen annas.† This is due to the increase
in the number of lunatics, and consequent proportional decrease of the establishment during the
first seven months of the year, before the additional servants were entertained; also to some
reduction in the contingent expenditure.
A nurse has been continued from last year for the child of a lunatic woman in the Asylum.
No provision is made in this Asylum for children. When any are unavoidably admitted they
are Kept in the female ward, and it becomes necessary to entertain a special attendant for each
child, who occupies one person's entire attention; otherwise it would not be safe from injury by
the lunatics. The Matron, the English writer, the Native Doctor, the Jamadar and Jamadarni
have all done their work to my satisfaction.
The new Deputy Superintendent, Assistant Surgeon Abdul Hamid, who was transferred
from Pind Dadan Khan in October 1876, has shown himself well qualified for his present post.
Of course, he has had to learn the work, and not the easiest part of his task was the garden-
ing and manufacturing, for even in these departments his immediate superintendence is es-
sential. I think he has succeeded very well up to the present time, and there is good
promise in this institution of more active management, of more profitable labor, of better
preservation of bodily health, and of geater benefit to the mental condition of the lunatics than
in previous years.
* The daily average number of all the lunatics usefully employed in the Asylum is about 169.
† There was an error in the calculation of the expense of each lunatic in 1876, which should have been 96.6.0 instead
of 97.12.0, as stated in the report of that year.