Proceedings of the Hon'ble the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, in the Home (Medical and Sanitary)
Department, No. 41 S., dated 26th May 1896.
READ—
The Report of the Lahore and Delhi Lunatic Asylums for the year 1895 received with the
letter from the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Punjab, No. 1131, dated the 15th
of April 1896.
Paragraphs 1 to 7 and 37 to 41 of the
Report.
REMARKS.—The number of inmates in the Lahore Asylum was less at the
end than at the beginning of the year, and the daily
average was also less than that of the preceding
ten years. But it is noticeable that the daily average exceeded the number of
inmates at the end of the year, and also the daily average, 238.09, of the year
1894. The fall in the figures at the end of the year is accounted for by the high
death-rate—the number of deaths, viz., 40, being the highest on record, with the
exception of that for 1892—and the large percentage of persons discharged cured.
*Vide enclosures to letter from Govern-
ment of India, Home Department, to
Government of the Punjab, No.23 Medl./782,
dated 26th October 1895.
An explanation of the large number of discharges should have been given with
reference to the remarks of the Surgeon-General with the Government of India,
calling attention to the unusually high percentage
of such discharges in 1894.* The large number
of readmissions combined with the fact that the
percentage of discharges has increased even beyond
the figure reached in 1894 would seem to indicate
that sufficient care is not taken in discharging lunatics as cured, and His Honor
will be glad if the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals will give this matter his
attention and submit the result of his enquiries regarding it for information. With
reference to the death-rate, it may again be noted that the defects of the Lahore
Asylum have been fully recognized, and that measures to remedy them will be
taken as early as possible. It has, however, been unavoidably necessary to defer
the execution of improvements which were comtemplated till a decision has been
arrived at on the possibility of amalgamating the Lahore and Delhi Asylums in a
Provincial Asylum at Lahore. This matter is now under His Honor's considera-
tion, and early orders may be expected to issue, either for the establishment of
a suitable Central Asylum or, if that cannot be done in the present state of the
Provincial finances, for the improvement of the Lahore buildings.
Paragraphs 8 to 11 and 37 and 44.
2. The figures for the Delhi Asylum as regards sickness and death
compare very favourably with those for Lahore,
though as regards discharges and readmissions
the remarks made above as to Lahore apply to Delhi as well. The small number
of admissions to hospital and deaths from malarial and chest diseases in Delhi
as compared with Lahore is remarkable. The general prevalence of pneumonia,
the climatic conditions of the neighbourhood and the state of the buildings
account for the large proportion—22 out of 40—of deaths from chest affections
in Lahore, but it is hoped that the orders recently issued for the supply of two
woollen jerseys to each inmate of both the Lahore and Delhi Asylums will have
a good effect in reducing the number of such deaths in future. It is not understood
what is meant by saying that the number of cases of pneumonia of an infective
type was increased owing to " the inmates being favourably placed for its spread."
It is presumed that defective though the accommodation in the Lahore Asylum
may be there are means there of segregating the few persons who may be suffer-
ing from an infectious disease. It is observed that bowel diseases are said to be
favoured by the circumstance that those of the inmates who are earth-eaters find
earth to eat in the walls and floors, but enquiry should be made as to whether
the persons afflicted with a propensity for eating earth are so numerous that
special arrangements could not be made at a small expense to prevent them
indulging in it.
Paragraphs 19 to 31.
3. The report in so far as it concerns the efficiency of the warder estab-
lishment at both Asylums is very unsatisfactory.
Attention has in former years been called to the
necessity for greater care in watching inmates. But no improvement is apparent