( 4 )
cost of each patient in the different asylums are given in the following state-
ment, the Cuttack asylum alone showing a lower cost for patients than
in 1877:—
Dullunda ... ..
Dacca ...
...
Patana
...
...
Gross.
137
119
112
Net.
121
98
95
Cuttack ... ...
Berhampore ...
Hazareebagh
...
Gross.
109
86
89
Net.
96
78
85
The high cost at the Dullunda asylum is explained by the heavy charge
for superintendence, and by the inclusion, under the head of contingencies,
of expenditure on account of an iron shed over the pumps, a new shower-
bath, and other improvements which would ordinarily be debited to the
Public Works Department. The Lieutenant-Governor noticed last year
the great divergence in the proportion of keepers to lunatics in the different
asylums, and the scales of establishment have in consequence been more
nearly equalized. Excluding the Hazareebagh asylum which is about to
be closed, the proportion of male keepers to male patients now varies only
from 1 to 7.4 at Dacca, to 1 to 8.76 at Patna. As regards the proportion
of female keepers to female lunatics there is, however, still a great diver-
gence, there being 1 to 5.6 patients at Dacca, 1 to 5.96 at Cuttack, while at
Patna 1 to 10.68, and at Berhampore 1 to 12.3 are found to be sufficient. The
number of paid water-carriers employed in the six asylums has been reduced
from 15 to 9. The abolition of the Moydapore asylum and the transfer of
the inmates to Berhampore, has reduced the average cost per patient in the
latter asylum, under the head of establishment, by Rs. 6-4-8 per head as the staff
at Berhampore did not require any increase for the additional number of
lunatics. The average charge for diet during the past two years was as
follows:—
Dullunda ... ... ...
Dacca ... ... ...
Patna ... ... ...
1877.
Rs
58
57
46
1878.
Rs.
56
65
55
Cuttack...
...
Berhampore...
...
Hazareebagh...
...
1877.
Rs.
37
37
35
1878.
Rs.
36
44
40
The decrease at the Dullunda asylum is explained by the fact that only
the actual cost of the articles has this year been entered, and not the value of
the articles at the time of consumption ; the decrease at Cuttack is due to
increased economy. The increased charge for diet at the other asylums is
attributed by the Superintendents to the dearness of provisions, but no attempt
has been made to explain the great difference between the charges for diet at
the different asylums. The average cost of each diet was at Cuttack 1 anna
6¾ pie; at Hazareebagh, 1 anna 9 pie; at Berhampore, 1 anna 11 pie;
at Dullunda, 2 annas 5 pie ; at Patna, 2 annas 5 pie ; and at Dacca, 2 annas
10 pie. In accordance with the orders of Government no uniform scale has
hitherto been adopted, but it is quite clear that the differences in the cost
of diets given above cannot be satisfactorily accounted for by the variations
in the price of food, or by the different requirements of lunatics in the several
asylums. The Lieutenant-Governor has therefore referred the whole question
of the cost of diet in asylums for the consideration of the Committee of
Enquiry into Medical Expenditure in Bengal.
9. The average daily number employed on the various classes of work
during the year was 889, or 84.61 per cent. of the total asylum population, against
911, or 81.64 per cent., in 1877. The net profits during the past year amounted
to Rs. 1,514 at the Dullunda asylum, Rs. 3,923 at Dacca, Rs. 3,219 at Patna,
Rs. 372 at Cuttack, Rs. 1,458 at Berhampore, and Rs. 773 at Hazareebagh: the
profits from manufactures at the six asylums being Rs. 11,259, against Rs. 12,237
in the previous year. There was an apparent decrease of Rs. 2,500 in the net
profits of manufactures at the Dullunda asylum, as compared with those of the
previous year, but this is in part explained by savings on account of articles of
diet prepared in the asylum not being this year credited to manufactures. The
profit earned by each inmate employed was Rs. 12-10-6, against Rs. 18-13-3, the
falling-off being apparently due to some extent to the larger proportion of inmates
engaged in manufactures, many of whom were not efficient workers. The advan-
tage of giving occupation to as many of the lunatics as possible is very great,
although the average earnings of those employed are necessarily diminished by the
inclusion of less skilful workmen. Compared with the average daily population