No, 539, dated 10th March 1879.
From—Major G. GORDEN YOUNG, Officiating Commissioner and Superintendent, Delhi Division,
To—The Secretary to Government, Punjab.
I HAVE the honor to forward, for the information of Government,
copy of Deputy Commissioner, Delhi's No. 58, dated 3rd instant, giving cover
to the Annual Report on the Delhi Lunatic Asylum for 1878. The report
has been very carefully drawn up by the Superintendent, Dr. Fairweather,
and the more important points have been noticed in the review of the Deputy
Commissioner, so that there is but little requiring comment.
2. The mortality in this institution during the year under report
was very great, and exceeds that of any of the previous eleven years, the sta-
tistics for which are given in Statement No. I, appended to the Report. The
total number of. deaths during the year from different causes amounted to 21.
This great mortality was, however, due, not to any thing specially connected
with the asylum, but to the extremely unhealthy character of the season,
which affected equally the prisoners in the Delhi Jail, the troops, both European
and Native, in the Cantonments, and the general population of the city. No
doubt the distress, which prevailed with more or less severity during the year,
contributed somewhat to increase the mortality, especially in the case of the
fresh admissions, for the Superintendent states that a large proportion of these
were in a very bad state of health when admitted, and several of them died
soon after. It is added, however, that the mortality was by no means confined
to the recent admissions, for some of the oldest and strongest lunatics in the
asylum were carried off.
3. Another point calling for notice is the cost per head of maintenance.
It was remarked in your letter No. 1784, dated 29th April 1878, conveying
the remarks of His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor on the report of this
asylum for the year 1877, that the cost per head on account of establishment
(Rs. 45-4-9), though much lower than that of the previous year, still seemed
high, and was in excess of the rate of the Lahore Asylum, notwithstanding an
increase over the rates of previous years in the latter institution. With regard
to this, it is urged by the Superintendent that the smaller institutions must al-
ways compare unfavorably in this respect, owing to the smaller number of
inmates among whom the salaries of the higher paid officials has to be divided,
and this is, of course, true, a slight reduction has, however, been effected during
the year under report.
4. The rate per head for diet is considerably higher than that for 1877,
but this was unavoidable, seeing that the year 1878 was one of scarcity and
high price, especially for food grains. There has also been a trifling increase
under the head of bazár medicines, but in all other heads there has been a de-
crease ; the result being that the total cost per head for the year is Rs. 89-2-0
against Rs. 90-5-0 for the year 1877.
5. Continued exertion has, the Superintendent says, been made to re-
cover the cost of maintenance of lunatics where the relatives were in a posi-
tion to pay, and for the first time since the institution was established, a sum,
amounting to Rs. 36-1-6, has been realized from different people and credited
to Government. A further sum of Rs. 536-1-6 was paid by the Commissioner
of Ajmere on account of certain lunatics sent by him to the asylum.
6. Dr. Fairweather's management of the institution appears to have been
wise and careful.
No. 58, dated 3rd March 1879.
From—GEORGE SMYTH, Esquire, Deputy Commissioner, Delhi,
To—The Officiating Commissioner and Superintendent, Delhi Division.
I HAVE the honor to forward the Annual Report on the Dehli Lunatic Asylum sub-
mitted by the Superintendent Dr. Fairweather