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No. 2077, dated 13th June 1872
From—LEPEL GRIFFIN, Esq., Offg. Secretary to Government, Punjab
To—The Offg. Commissioner and Superintendent, Lahore Division
I AM directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 1397, dated
the 30th ultimo, forwarding and reviewing the report on the Lahore Lunatic
Asylum for the past year, 1871, and to state that His Honor the Lieutenant-
Governor considers the management of the Asylum to have been generally
satisfactory, and creditable to the Superintendent, Dr. Scriven.
2. Your suggestions for raising and plastering the walls of the quarantine
wards outside the Asylum, so as to prevent escapes, are approved by His Honor,
and should be carried out.
3. As regards the conservancy arrangements mentioned in para. 3 of the
Superintendent's report, the plan now adopted of burying the filth in shallow
trenches is, I am to observe, far preferable to the former dangerous practice of
storing it in deep pits; but the Lieutenant-Governor would wish that, instead of
opening the trenches after a time and removing and selling the manure, the plots
of land on which the trenches stand or adjacent thereto should, if possible, be
brought under cultivation in rotation. This is, in His Honor's opinion, the best
and safest method of utilizing the filth, and it has been prescribed for adoption
in all jails.
4. With reference to Dr. Scriven's remarks in para. 7 of his report
regarding the transfer of certain criminals to the Asylum as supposed to be
insane, but who in reality were feigning insanity, I am to point out that it is
His Honor's practice, whenever there is a conflict of opinion in such cases
between the transferring authorities and the Superintendent, to appoint a special
committee of medical officers to examine into and report upon the case.
5. It is not understood on what authority the Savings' Fund, of which
mention is made in para. 9 of the Superintendent's report, is maintained, and
why the proceeds of the sale of garden produce and the other items noted are
not credited to Government. I am to request explanation on the matter.
6. The system of filtration adopted by Dr. Scriven seems a very effective
one, and the extract of the report containing the account thereof will be sent
to the Inspector-General of Prisons, who will be requested to try the system in
some of the larger jails and test its comparative efficiency with the filters in
ordinary use. It will also be sent to the Military Department.
No. 2078, dated 13th June 1872
From—LEPEL GRIFFIN, Esq., Offg. Secretary to Government, Punjab
To—The Inspector-General of Prisons, Punjab
FORWARDS extract para. 3 of a report on the Lahore Lunatic Asylum
for 1871, regarding the system of filtration adopted by Dr. Scriven, and requests
that the system may be tried in some of the larger jails and its comparative
efficiency tested with the filters in ordinary use.
No. 2079, dated 13th June 1872
From—LEPEL GRIFFIN, Esq., Offg. Secretary to Government, Punjab
To—The Offg. Secretary to Government, Punjab, Military Department
FORWARDS, for information, extract para. 3 of a report on the Lahore
Lunatic Asylum for 1871, regarding the system of filtration adopted by Dr.
Scriven.