NOTE
ON THE
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BURMA
FOR THE YEAR 1912.
During the year under report the laws relating to lunacy were consolidated
and amended and the Indian Lunacy Act, 1912, was brought into effect.
Draft
rules under the new Act have been submitted for consideration and approval of
Government. On the 4th December 1912, the Director-General of the Indian
Medical Service visited the Rangoon Lunatic Asylum and expressed satisfaction
in the working of the Asylum.
2. Under the orders conveyed in Government of India, Home Department
Resolution Nos. 224—234 (Medical), dated the 20th March 1912, Statements
Nos. VI and VII of the forms in which statistics are required to be appended to
this report were revised—the former with reference to types of insanity and their
classification according to the several causes and the latter hitherto used for
tabulating alleged causes of insanity, has (as suggested by Captain W. S. J. Shaw,
I.M.S., in 1909) now been recast to afford information as to Ætiological Factors
and Associated Conditions in patients.
Statement I.
3. Accommodation and buildings.— The accommodation available at the two
Asylums of the Province, Rangoon and Minbu, remained the same (namely, 566
for males and 90 for females or a total of 656) throughout the year. Excepting
the European section of the Asylum at Rangoon, there has been no overcrowding
the daily average strength being 593.38 as against 629.67 in the previous year.
In the European section at Rangoon the accommodation available is for 9 only
while the actual number confined is 22. The long delayed question of constructing
a new Lunatic Asylum has made some progress during the year. The site
has been acquired and the necessary plans are now under discussion.
4. Water-supply.—In Rangoon the water-supply continued to be the same—
from wells—as in previous years. To meet the deficiency of water-supply
specially during the hot season, the provision of an artesian well was sanctioned by
the Local Government. The work was not taken in hand till after the close of the
year. In Minbu the Asylum pipe-service worked efficiently. On the 15th Septem-
ber 1912 it was linked up with the Municipal pipe-service and this arrangement
has also worked satisfactorily and the purity of this new source is all that can be
desired.
5. Sanitation and conservancy.—The latrines of the Rangoon Asylum are
not satisfactory as the floors are kutcha. The question of providing cement
floors is in the hands of the Public Works Department. Up to the 8th July 1912,
the night soil was buried with a sufficient quantity of earth in a secluded corner of the
Asylum. Since the 9th July 1912 night soil and rubbish have been removed under
arrangements made by the Rangoon Municipality. In Minbu, additional latrine
accommodation, consisting of a one-seated Horbury pattern latrine, was provided for
the Hospital and the latrine attached to the small dormitory was remodelled and
supplied with four seats. The ultimate disposal of night soil was by trenching.
Major Cox, I.M.S., has, at my suggestion, recently experimented with oil
commercially known as " navy fuel" in place of coal tar in the latrines in the
Rangoon Asylum. The results are pronounced to be excellent and the system
will be continued-
Statement I.
6. Sickness and mortality.—In Rangoon the year under report was most
unhealthy owing to cholera, dysentry and diarrhœa having appeared in an epidemic
form in the Asylum. Cholera accounted for 22 deaths. Unusual sickness among
chronic insanes accounted for many deaths and consequently the death rate to
daily average increased during the year under report to 31.29 against 13.48 in the