4
away : all three had practically recovered. In a fourth instance, the patient, an old
dement, wandered away from the garden and has not been seen or heard of since.
The two criminal escapes were much more serious and both the men have so far
eluded recapture. In both instances the patients were quite sane; both behaved
and worked quietly and both had laid their plans carefully. In their actual
escapes they were without doubt assisted by their fellow-patients, by attendants
and possibly by friends outside, although definite proof of guilt could be brought home
to no person or persons. Considering that many criminal lunatics are among
the most dangerous of all members of the community, I am of opinion that their
detention in a special prison is essential. It is quite impossible to treat two such
very different classes of insanes as criminals and non-criminals in one institution,
and at the same time pay sufficient regard to the safe custody of the former and
to the comparative freedom of the latter.
Sanitation.
15. The internal conservancy of the institution receives great attention.
Many of the patients of the lowest castes assist very much
in this, but the main work is done by menial servants who
perform their duties satisfactorily. Recruiting for this class of men has become
very difficult and the competition of a neighbouring unofficial institution is partly
to blame. Besides, wages for all menial servants in Lahore are rising.
There is one great sanitary blot on the asylum precincts and that is the
channel of the "Mian Mir drain" which intersects the asylum grounds between
the female asylum to the north and the male asylum to the south. Owing to
irrigation and other causes this channel, whose outflow is defective, gets filled up
with water which stagnates and is then (as at present, February, 10) in a noxiously
odorous condition ; in the hot weather it forms a magnificent breeding ground for
mosquitoes. The matter has been represented for five years and is at present
receiving attention; a plan of regrading and resectioning the channel having been
sanctioned, is being proceeded with. I am very doubtful if this will have any per-
manent benefit, and I think a well graded masonry channel will eventually have
to be constructed.
Water supply.
16. The water supply continues to be excellent and has been laid on to the
female asylum daring the past year. The single well
will not be sufficient for the needs of the proposed extension,
but I am informed by the Engineer that it will be possible to sink another
well in the vicinity of the present one capable of being served by the same
pumping engine.
The garden.
17. The garden continues to supply ample vegetables of excellent quality
for the needs of the asylum. Part of the grounds have been
laid out in grass and the sale of this valuable product during
the hot months has been a source of excellent employment to the patients and
of clear profit to the asylum. I have proposed an extension of this and at
the same time I think the asylum should take over and entirely manage its own
dairy farm. The destructiveness to trees and plants remarked by Major Ewens
has by education of the patients been considerably lessened and trees and flowers
are growing fairly well in all the sections. In the tractable section the attempt
to grow limes and fruit trees has so far not succeeded in being productive. An
epileptic patient after a fit stripped every tree of its young fruit.
Occupations.
18. Apart from vegetable gardening, grass-cutting and dairy work, which
give employment to about one-fourth of the men, all the cloth-
ing and blanketing in use in the asylum are made in it, chiefly
by the criminals who cannot be taken outside the enclosure walls. The work
is constant, for the amount of destruction is almost incredible ; an acute maniac
recently tore up four thick blankets into shreds in a single night. The making
of " munj " matting is another exceedingly profitable industry which affords fairly
constant employment to about twenty men.
Amusement.
19. Amusements, such as exhibitions of jugglery, native minstrels, &c.,
are provided once or twice a month. Holidays or special
occasions are always celebrated by these or by a feast of
sweetmeats. On the occasion of the visit of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince
and Princess of Wales to Lahore, in November 1905, Dr. Ghulám Nabi, Zubdut-
ul-Lukma, Mochi Gate, Lahore, gave the native inmates a feast of " Halwa " and
" Nán " which was most highly appreciated. Beyond card and chess-playing