NOTE
ON THE
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BURMA
FOR THE YEAR 1910.
Statement I.
Accommodation and population.—During the year 1910 the total popula-
tion of patients in the Rangoon and Minbu Asylums increased from 623 to 641
—553 males and 88 females. The capacity of the Minbu Asylum (where only
criminal lunatics are confined) is for 141 males calculated at 36 superficial feet
per patient. In Rangoon the accommodation was increased during the year from
484 to 516 by the erection of additional buildings, and this addition of extra
buildings reduced the superficial area per patient from 46 to 43 square feet. In
both the Asylums the total accommodation available at the end of the year was
for 657 patients—567 males and 90 females. The daily average strength of the
two Asylums increased from 604.87 in 1909 to 627.33 in 1910. The maximum
confined on any one day was 668, or eleven in excess of the accommodation
available in the two Asylums. Overcrowding in Rangoon has been relieved by
the transfer of 12 Native females to various Indian Asylums. It is proposed to
transfer 25 harmless criminal lunatics to Minbu with a view to relieve congestion in
the near future. Towards the close of the year, the building of four extra quarters
for Male Europeans was taken on hand.
2. Water supply.—The water supply in Rangoon is now obtained from the five
wells in the Asylum compound and is filtered before use. Though the system
worked satisfactorily during the year under report, there is yet the urgent necessity
of some improved drinking water supply, and it is hoped that in the near future a
suitable supply will be obtained either from the artesian well recently sunk at the
Central Jail, Rangoon, or from some other outside source. The result of the
chemical analysis of the present water supply shows that it is good for drinking
purposes. The filtration gallery and distribution system of water supply at Minbu
worked very efficiently.
No change has been made in methods of sanitation and conservancy, diets
or employment in either of the Asylums.
Statement I.
3. Sickness or mortality.—The health of the inmates was on the whole good,
there being no epidemic disease during the year. While the daily average sick in
Hospital increased from 20.61 in 1909 to 27.08 in 1910, the percentage of "Cured "
rose from 7.44 in 1909 to 10.52 in 1910, and the mortality fell from 8.1 per cent.
to 6.7 per cent. in 1910. There were 42 deaths in the year of report against 49
in the previous year. One European died in the Rangoon Asylum of general
paralysis of the insane. Deaths from phthisis were only two as against eleven in
1909. There were two unnatural deaths: in Rangoon one criminal lunatic com-
mitted suicide by hanging himself in his cell and in Minbu a criminal lunatic died
of carbolic acid poisoning. In Rangoon nasal feeding was required for 30 cases
against 31 in 1909, the average number of days per patient being 13.4 against
16 in 1909. In one case it was required for 58 days.
4. Escapes and injuries.—There were two escapes of civil lunatics during the
year, one of whom was recaptured a few hours after his escape, and the other (a
Chinaman) is a harmless civil lunatic and is still at large. The latter's escape
was due solely to the defective structure of the cottage in which he was confined.
In March 1910, Junior Head-keeper Nanan Singh sustained the loss of a
finger which was bitten off by a violent patient. Government granted him a
gratuity of Rs. 100.