( 6 )
who joined his post on the 3rd December, has expressed no opinion on the
conduct of the asylum staff, but refers to the favourable opinion recorded by
his predecessors regarding Mr. and Mrs. Slater, the overseer and matron. Mr.
Lawrence, the overseer at Bhawanipur, also worked well. The native Overseers
at Dacca, Cuttack and Berhampore are reported to have given satisfaction.
The medical subordinates at Dacca and Cuttack are also favourably mention-
ed. The Civil Hospital Assistant at Dullunda and Bhawanipur has recently
misbehaved himself and has been transferred. The medical subordinate at
Berhampore was found unsuitable for asylum work and was replaced by another
man. The clerk and store-keeper at Dullunda, Babu Sham Prosonno Bhattachar-
jee, has been attached to the Asylum for some years and has uniformly earned the
good opinion of the officers who from time to time held charge of this
institution. The conduct of the warders was generally satisfactory. In 1902
there was some want of discipline among the warders at Patna. The offenders
were duly punished.
Statement X.
19. The manufacturing department furnished varied and suitable occupa-
tion to the lunatics which is essential in the treat-
ment of insanes. 42.52 per cent. of the average
population was employed on manufactures in 1900, 51.13 per cent, in 1901, and
51.43 per cent in 1902. Many lunatics, however, were unfit for any work.
Industries yielded a net profit of Rs. 6,721-5 in 1900, Rs. 6,540-5-2 in 1901,
and Rs. 6,688-7-4 in 1902. At Dullunda there was a falling-off of Rs. 465-6-8
in 1900, and Rs. 217-1-8 in 1901, but in 1902 it gained Rs. 575-3-7 more
than in the previous year, by purchasing raw materials at cheaper rates than
in the previous year, and by expending nothing on the rethatching of work-
sheds as was done in 1901. The garden was also more productive. Owing
chiefly to the latter reason Berhampore had a larger profit of Rs. 1,597-7-6
in 1902. Patna showed a falling off of Rs. 793-4-9 in 1902, owing to a smaller
sale of manufactured goods and to less supply of articles to the asylum.
Dacca showed an annual increase in profits during the past three years. At
Cuttack owing to the recovery of arrear dues from the local municipality the
accounts showed a larger profit in 1901, but as a matter of fact no manufacture
is carried on in this Asylum. The dairy farms at Dullunda, Dacca and
Berhampore showed a total profit of Rs. 653-7-1, against Rs. 951-4-1 in 1901.
The decrease was due to the death of a cow at Dullunda and to the depreciation
in the value of the old ones. Apart from the monetary results, the dairies
afford congenial work to the lunatics and supply pure milk for their use. In all
the asylums the hard working and well behaved lunatics were rewarded either
by extra diet, and indulgences or small monthly stipends. The Superintend-
ents report that the system worked well during 1902.
20. Sanitation—Was carried on chiefly on the old lines. At Dacca night-
soil was hitherto buried in the jail trenching ground, but as the area of the latter
was curtailed by the construction of a barrack, the nightsoil of the Asylum
from the 1st May has been trenched in its compound under strict and careful
supervision. In asylums it is especially necessary that all impurities should be
removed at once and that petty repairs should be made as soon as they become
necessary. The Superintendents have generally borne these facts in mind.
21. General remarks.—During the past three years great attention was paid
to the diet and clothing of the lunatics. Periodical weighments were carried
on, and the lunatics who lost weight were put on the infirm gang and received
special diet. Various amusements and pet animals were provided for the
lunatics to keep them cheerful and contented. Prophylactic medicines
were regularly and systematically issued to the inmates of all the asylums
during 1902 though they were not given in Berhampore in 1901. At Berham-
pore though quinine was administered the admissions to hospital from fevers
were more numerous than in 1901, but the Superintendent remarks that "in
the town the seasonal malarial outbreak was exceptionally severe."
22. I inspected regularly all the asylums in 1900 and 1902. In 1901 I
visited Dullunda, Bhawanipur and Cuttack Asylums and Colonel McConaghey,
who officiated for me during the eight months I was on leave, inspected Dacca,
Patna and also Cuttack. My suggestions for improvement, which have been
numerous have always received the best attention of the Superintendents,
and most of them have been carried out. The completion at an early date of