2
1911—was nearly completed and two day sheds for male patients and trellis work round
the bathing platforms in the female wards are under construction.
4. At Ratnágiri a masonry tank with a water-pipe connection was provided in the
male criminal yard.
5. At Yeravda a work shed was converted into a work room for carpentry and a
block in the Female Section was converted into a " Matron and Nurses' Room".
Another block of this section was turned into a quarter for a European insane and a
stand-pipe for drinking water was provided in the Indian Male Section.
6. At Dhárwár the male day barracks were paved with artificial stone and
sun-shades added to some of the windows in the female barracks.
7. At Ahmedabad the sills of doors of the male and female wards were removed to
enable the wards to be washed out and the old padded cell which was never used was
dismantled and taken into ordinary use.
8. In the Hyderabad Asylum the new boundary wall was completed in 1915.
9. The annual repairs to the asylum buildings have been regularly carried out and
they are in good order.
10. The new Central Asylum at Yeravda as mentioned in the report of 1912—1914
still remains uncompleted and stands in urgent need of the following additions:—
(1) Provision of padded and strong rooms.
(2) New criminal section.
(3) Bath houses.
(4) Additional quarters for staff.
(5) Provision of accommodation for insane
lepers.
(6) Laboratory.
(7) The provision of wards of one
bed each in hospital.
(8) Railing to separate sections.
I consider that these additions are essential for the efficient working of the asylum and
should be undertaken as soon as possible as the usefulness of the asylum is crippled by
their absence and the staff quarters are crowded beyond the limits of reasonable
privacy.
11. Owing to the large increase in the number of insanes admitted, the several
asylums have been overcrowded. The proposals submitted for increasing the existing
accommodation at the lunatic asylums at Yeravda, Dhárwár, Ahmedabad, Ratnágiri
and Hyderabad, referred to in my last triennial report, which have received the admini-
strative approval of Government in 1915, will no longer be sufficient and in addition
considerable extensions at the Central Asylum, Yeravda, and at Ahmedabad will be
necessary to meet the requirements of the next few years. These extensions should be
planned to meet the requirements referred to at the beginning of this report and
considerably (20 per cent.) in excess of the present asylum population. Funds have
been allotted for the additional accommodation required at Naupáda and Ratnágiri
Asylums, and plans and estimates for the extension of the accommodation sanctioned at
the other asylums are under preparation.
Water-supply.
12. The supply has been sufficient and good at all the asylums with the exception
of Naupáda. The proposal to provide a piped supply at this asylum from the Tansa
main has been approved and plans and estimate for laying a cast iron pipe from the main
to the asylum have been sanctioned. The scheme for supplying river water for garden-
ing and flushing purposes at the Yeravda Asylum has not been carried out yet owing to
the financial stringency caused by the war. This, however, is a productive work which
would pay for its cost in increased garden produce and at the same time provide a most
beneficial form of employment, bodily and mental, for the insanes.
STATEMENT No. I.
Total population.
13. The total number of insanes admitted and re-admitted into the asylums during
the year 1917 was 541 males and 92 females as compared with 569 males and 99 females
in 1916 and 420 males and 79 females in 1915. On an average 510 males and 87 females
were admitted annually during the three years 1915—1917 against 365 males and 76
females in 1912—1914—an average increase of 35.3 per cent. or double the number of
admissions (17.6 per cent.) in the previous triennium. From what has been already
pointed out this state of things must be expected to continue until a large proportion of
the total insane population of the Presidency is under treatment.
14. The total population of the asylums including those remaining from the pre-
vious year and admitted during the year 1917 was 1,947 against 1,900 in 1916 and 1,652
in 1915. The mean annual population for the triennium was 1,474 males and 359
females, showing an increase of 277 males and 62 females (23.1 per cent. and 20.9 per
cent.) over the previous triennium 1912—1914. The average number discharged was 428
annually against 376 in 1912 to 1914—an increase of 11.2 per cent. There was overcrowd-
ing to the extent of 14.78 per cent. The average European population rose from 59 in
1912—1914 to 95 in 1915—1917—an increase of 61.0 per cent. due to the increased
number of British military insanes admitted. The increase took place mainly in 1917
when 70 cases were admitted owing to military insanes being sent to India from Meso-
potamia, etc., instead of going direct to England.