4
Among the many improvements and changes in the management of the
insanes I might mention the following :—
I. All the inmates are regularly examined and treated for intestinal worms
of all kinds.
2. All the dairy milk, instead of being sold or converted into butter or
cream for sale, has been issued to the inmates since the 27th
January 1911. The result has been a very large increase in the
body weight of the patients and presumably in their general health.
3. All meal parades are held after washing of patients hands.
4. The work of cooking, cleaning plates, etc., has been mostly done by
paid cooks instead of lunatics.
5. Night-soil is trenched deeply in lime.
6. The floors of all the solitary cells and barracks were thoroughly dis-
infected by heat, i. e., by burning cow-dung and sugarcane leaves
so as to kill ova and bacteria of all kinds.
7. Very great care has been taken to detect early signs of indisposition
or illness among the inmates, many of whom can or will give little
or no information regarding their symptoms.
How far each or all of these measures have been responsible for the great
improvement in the health and the well-being of the inmates it is difficult to
estimate exactly. The fact remains, however, that the mortality of this asylum,
which during the previous five years stood at the high average of 166 per mille,
was, during the year 1911, brought down to 55, which is the lowest mortality
recorded in this asylum for a great many years Comparing this with the asylums
in the other parts of India, it is found that the death rate per mille was 114 in
Burma, 105 in Eastern Bengal and Assam, 99 in the United Provinces, 91 in
Punjab, 87 in Bombay and 74 in Bengal. This reflects much credit on Lieute-
nant-Colonel Buchanan, the Superintendent, and the staff of officers working under
him, and I wish specially to bring their excellent work to the notice of the
Hon'ble the Chief Commissioner.
Among the proposals made by Lieutenant-Colonel Banatvala for the
improved working of this asylum was, that a whole-time psychological expert
be appointed to the charge. The proposal was strongly supported by me,
and the Local Administration has agreed if the Government of India can see
their way, to providing such an officer. The question is still under consideration.
As pointed out by Lieutenant-Colonel Banatvala, an asylum is virtually a
hospital in which each case has to be studied individually. The mere herding
together of a number of insanes in an asylum, even if the greatest care is given
to their general health, does not tally with modern ideas on the management
and treatment of insanity. We should aim at appointing an expert alienist who
can devote his whole time to the patients and treat them on approved lines.
I might mention, while on this subject, that as a proposal is now under
consideration of opening a Medical School at Nagpur for the Central Provinces.
of which the Civil Surgeon of Nagpur will probably be the Superintendent, it will
be absolutely necessary, if this comes about, to relieve him of the asylum charge,
for he would certainly never be able to find time for both in addition to his other
multifarious duties.
Statement II.
6. Criminal Lunatics.—On the 1st January 1909, there were 75 criminal
lunatics under detention.
60 were admitted and 3
re-admitted in the course of the triennium, making a total
of 138 in all. Of these 35 were discharged (17 discharged, 6 transferred to non-
criminal list, 1 transferred to jail, 2 escapes and 9 sent to stand their trial), 23
died, leaving a balance of 80 at the close of 1911.