4
REPORT ON THE LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BURMA
9. Escapes and Injuries.—Criminal lunatic Nga Thauk Kya who,
having been certified sane by the Superintendent, Lunatic Asylum, Minbu,
escaped from the asylum on the 2nd August 1923, has not yet
been recaptured. There were no escapes in the Rangoon Lunatic Asylum
during the year 1923 or in 1922 as against one in 1921. This satisfactory
result is due to close supervision of the inmates and to the provision of
four additional sentry boxes on the walls of the asylum which being low
afford facilities at many places to scale over.
10. Suicide, Injuries and Accidents.—A criminal patient Ninting Tu
alias Hkum Hsai jumped from the upper floor of new cottage No. 2 in the
Hospital Section of the Rangoon Asylum and injured his left foot
seriously, sustaining an extensive lacerated wound on the left ankle with
rupture of some arteries and also injury to the oscalcis. Though
removed at once to the Rangoon General Hospital, he died on the 5th
day after admission, Septicaemia and Cystitis being alleged to be the
causes.
A civil patient Nga Po Hla, while reaching up for his tobacco on a
ledge in No. 10 cottage, fell down and died on the sixth day due to
spinal Myelitis.
Another civil patient Nga Seik Ta sustained fracture of the seventh rib
through a kick by another irresponsible patient Babalur Chinnaya.
In the Rangoon Asylum patient Nga Waing Gyaw, a revengful and
notorious criminal, murderously stabbed the Overseer, Maung Kywa and
also two keepers Dook Choor and Ramsivack Misser who went to the
rescue. An injury compensation of Rs. 175, Rs. 100 and Rs. 40 was paid
to the overseer and the keepers respectively.
11. Employment and Treatment.—Every effort is made to render life
to the unfortunate inmates happy and contented at both asylums. The
majority of the lunatics were employed in gardening, weaving, tailoring,
washing clothes, road repairing, cleaning and keeping quarters neat and
clean, distributing food and in attending the sick. The males are also
employed in the paddy grinding, water carrying, assisting in the kitchen,
dairy, carpentery and masonry, while the females usually clean rice at
the Rangoon Lunatic Asylum, preparatory to its being stored. The
system of paying monthly stipends to well-behaved inmates at varying
rates according to merit has been for long in vogue at the Rangoon
Lunatic Asylum and is much appreciated by the receivers as they spend
these awards generally in treating themselves and friends by purchasing
sweets, cigars, cigarettes, betel and nuts, tobacco, etc., from the Asylum
Bazaar.
In Rangoon, the main lines of treatment are keeping all new admissions
as free from distracting influences as far as possible, restoring the general
health by regular and careful dieting, compulsorily by artificial feeding
where necessary and ensuring the maximum of rest and sleep obtainable
assisted as necessary by sedative medication. Paraldehyde as usual is a
great stand-by in minor cases. Bromides, alone with chloral, and also
sulphonal are the drugs most commonly in use for states of excitement
and agitation.
Hyoscine injections in the most intractable cases
frequently act where other agents have failed. In the convalescent
stages, occupation is undoubtedly a valuable thereapeutic agent.
12. Sanitation and Conservancy.—The asylum buildings, both at Rangoon
and Minbu are kept clean and in sanitary condition. Rubbish is collected
and deposited in bins provided at convenient places and removed daily by
the Rangoon Corporation Conservancy Department from the Rangoon
Asylum, and by the Minbu Municipality from the Minbu Asylum.