No. B—4929 OF 1909.
From
SURGEON-GENERAL H. W. STEVENSON, I. M. S.,
Surgeon-General with the Government of Bombay, Poona ;
To
THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
General Department, Bombay.
Office of the Surgeon-General with
the Government of Bombay :
Poona, 24th May 1909.
Sir,
I have the honour to forward the Triennial Report on the Lunatic Asylums
of the Bombay Presidency for the years 1906—1908.
2. During the three years under report considerable progress has been
made in increasing and improving the accommodation for both patients and
their attendants in the existing asylums of the Presidency. In the Narotamdas
Madhavdas Lunatic Asylum at Naupáda (Thána), quarters for eight permanent
warders and paving the ground to the rear of the buildings were completed
during the year 1908, while quarters for the matron are nearing completion.
At Ratnágiri quarters for the Junior Hospital Assistant, the clerk and three
asylum servants as well as two cells for insanes were added to the asylum
buildings, whilst a padded cell, an isolation block, two bath-rooms and quarters
for two sweepers will shortly be completed. At Poona, bathing-places for male
and female insanes were completed during the year. A cage latrine for the
male day and night barracks was added in the Dhárwár Asylum, whilst a
boundary wall for the asylum grounds is under construction. At Ahmedabad
quarters for the menial staff (excepting those for sweepers which are nearing
completion) were built and handed over by the Public Works Department,
while the construction of 20 additional cells for criminal lunatics and certain
other additions and alterations sanctioned by Government are in progress. At
Hyderabad (Sind) a large convalescent yard with two wards for non-criminal
insanes, a convalescent yard with one ward for criminal insanes and a convales-
cent yard with one ward and a small hospital for females, a bath-room, iron cage
latrines to the barracks for night use and quarters for a second Hospital Assistant
and for 11 warders have provided much needed accommodation and have
tended much to the comfort and well-being of the insanes.
The buildings of the several asylums have been kept in good repair by the
Public Works Department. The accommodation provided in the asylums is
not yet sufficient for the needs of the Presidency and will require further
increase. In two of the asylums only, i. e., those at Colába and Hyderabad
(Sind), there was no overcrowding at any time during the triennium. This has
already been brought to the notice of Government who have been pleased to
call for plans and estimates for the further buildings required.
The erection of the new asylum at Yerávda is proceeding satisfactorily and
will relieve the present tension largely, when it is ready for occupation ; but
certain local asylums will still require to be enlarged in order to cope with the
continually increasing numbers of patients sent to them for treatment.
3. The water-supply at Colába was deficient during the months of April
and May, but it is hoped that, with the laying down of new mains of larger size,
which has been sanctioned by the Municipal Corporation, this long felt want
will be supplied. The water-supply at the Ratnágiri Asylum is far from satis-
factory, as the Municipality is only able to supply about 700 gallons daily,
instead of 3,000—4,000 originally stipulated on. The matter is receiving
attention.
B 2047—1