8
(e) The Asylum was visited twice during the year by the Principal Medical Officer
and Sanitary Commissioner of Assam. Eleven meetings of the Committee of Visitors
were held, and copies of their proceedings were forwarded to the Chief Commissioner
of Assam through the Principal Medical Officer and Sanitary Commissioner, Assam.
26. Attention was directed in the Resolution on the Asylum Report for last year
to the employment of the lunatics. I would, therefore, note here that the lunatics, in
respect to work, fall naturally into three classes: first, those, such as confirmed epileptics
or patients suffering from paralysis or other physical disabilities, who are unfit and
unable to work ; of such cases we have at present about 8 in the Asylum; second, those
who, though physically fit, are unwilling and refuse to work, of whom there are 6 in the
Asylum ; and, third, those who are both able and willing to do more or less work. Our
hours of labour are, for the general body of the lunatics in the cold season, out of doors,
from 7 to 9 a. m. and from 2 to 4 p. m., but in the hot season these periods are pushed
further apart so as to secure a larger rest during the hot part of the day, when the
patients are kept under shelter. As we have only one paid menial servant, all the work
of cooking, wood-cutting, sweeping, carting, water-carrying, clothes-washing, repairs
of buildings, pounding dry earth, cow-herding and gardening is done by the lunatics. It
must not, however, be understood that we have done nothing to provide employment
under cover, especially for male lunatics, as we have started carpentry, basket and
mat-making on a small scale under cover. The patients who work at these latter
occupations are not limited to the stated hours. With regard to the female lunatics,
they have hitherto been largely employed in garden work, by themselves, and apart from
the males, guarded by a female keeper, but we have recently started weaving (two
looms), and make sharis and dhutis. The outturn, however, so far has been small,
as only 3 female patients seem to have any experience of this work. We intend now
trying thread-making and the manufacture of newar; 3 females clean rice and dal,
and 4 are employed cleaning up the female compounds and female wards. Most of the
female lunatics are garden coolies, who are accustomed to do little but garden work.
All the labour used in thatching and repairs to the buildings and enclosure is done by
the male lunatics. Progress in the direction suggested in paragraph 3 of Government
of India letter No. 23Medl.—785, dated Simla, the 26th October 1895, is necessarily
slow, as there are few manufactures where either knives or ropes are not required, and
these can scarcely be regarded as safe. I think I have said enough to show that the
wishes of Government have not been lost sight of, but I still think there is much room for
improvement in this direction. I find that the sum of Rs. 974-13-6 was the earnings
of the patients during the year as represented by the sum paid into the treasury
(Rs. 218-1-0) in cash plus the amount of produce made over to the Asylum for the use
of the lunatics (Rs. 756-12-6), and I am aware that the question of working at a profit
is a secondary consideration. It will be seen from the above remarks that only a small
proportion of the lunatics are employed under shelter, but that no work is done out of
doors in the heat of the day.
TEZPUR,
The igth January 1896.
J. W. U. MACNAMARA, M.D., Surgeon-Major,
Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum, Tezpur.