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reptiles. At Patna a criminal lunatic who had been under treatment in the hos-
pital for dysentery was found by the overseer to be bleeding and evidently
seriously injured, the base of his skull having been found fractured. He
died shortly afterwards. The Magistrate who enquired into the case was
unable to say whether the injuries were self-inflicted or otherwise. The
warder on duty disclaimed any knowledge of the circumstances under which the
injuries were received, but the Superintendent punished him by dismissal for
suspected remissness. Another warder of this asylum was also dismissed for
assaulting a lunatic.
12. Escapes.—Two lunatics escaped from the Berhampore Asylum; one
was recaptured and brought back to the asylum. The other, a criminal lunatic,
was at large up to the end of the year. The warders through whose negligence
these men escaped were duly punished.
Statement VIII.
13. Finance.—The total expenditure was Rs. 1,58,710-15-1 against
Rs. 1,64,311 in 1908, the cost per head being
Rs. 179-0-4 and Rs. 193-0-1 respectively. The
cost of superintendence showed a large reduction, viz., Rs. 1,147-7-5 in 1909
because the superintendentship at Berhampore was held by an officer of lower
rank for the greater part of the year. The cost per head was Rs. 25-15-7
against Rs. 28-6-4 in 1908. Establishment charges amounted to Rs. 30,027-9-11,
or Rs. 33-13-11 per head against Rs. 29,539-8-6 and Rs. 34-11-2, respectively
in 1908. At Bhawanipur the entertainment of extra servants for a larger
number of paying patients accounts for an increase of Rs. 709. There was a
total saving of Rs. 4,693-15-2 under the head of diet; at Bhawanipur the cost
went up from Rs. 6,495 in 1908 to Rs. 7,836 in 1909, owing to the larger daily
number of lunatics treated in that year. The issue of new clothing and
blankets to the lunatics at Patna was responsible for an increase of
Rs. 758-13-10 in 1909. The cost under this head elsewhere does not call for
special comment. The total charge for bazar and European medicines shewed
an increase of Rs. 725-5-1 chiefly attributable to the local purchase of stores at
Berhampore to meet emergent requirements and to the supply to this institution
of new surgical instruments, operating and post mortem gloves.
The total amount spent on contingencies was Rs. 12,326-12-6, or
Rs. 365-10-9 more than that in the previous year. The increase at Berhampore
of Rs. 999-2-6 was mainly due to the purchase of articles of brass and
iron-ware and lamps. At Bhawanipur owing to revised municipal assessment
of buildings Rs. 2,306 was paid as rates and taxes against Rs. 1,645 in 1908,
the total expenditure on this account being Rs. 4,887-2-6 and Rs. 4,054-5-6
respectively. There was a large saving in 1909 in Public Works charges viz.,
Rs. 3,098-4-8. At Bhawanipur quadrennial repairs raised the expenditure
from Rs. 1,025 in 1908 to Rs. 3,463 in 1909.
The average cost per lunatic, deducting the Public Works charges was
Rs. 169-10-10 against Rs. 179-10-1 in 1908. Excluding again from these
figures the receipts from paying patients, which were credited to Government,
the cost per head was Rs. 153-5-7 or £10-4-5 against Rs. 163-8-9 and £10-18
respectively, in the previous year. The net cost per head at Bhawanipur was
Rs. 519-12-9 or £44-13 against Rs. 447-10 and £29-16-10 in 1908.
The amount realized from paying patients was Rs. 14,477-10-4 against
Rs. 13,692-10-10 in 1908. There were larger collections at Bhawanipur and
Berhampore owing to a greater number of patients of this class having been
admitted during the year under review. At Patna there was a falling-off, but
some of the paying patients were admitted towards the latter part of the year,
and the maintenance charge of a lunatic was paid in January of the current
year.
Statement IX.
14. There was no important change in the establishment attached to the
asylums. At Berhampore by the retirement of the
old clerk, two clerks on the pay he was drawing,
were appointed as sanctioned by Government. The Superintendents at
Bhawanipur, Patna and Berhampore report in favourable terms of the work
done by the staff. Military Assistant Surgeon Mann, the Deputy Superin-
tendent at Berhampore, is reported to be exceptionally well fitted for his work.
Statement X.
15. The manufacturing department yielded a net profit of Rs. 7,213-7-7
against Rs. 7,074-1-10 in 1908. At Patna the pro-
fits were greater by Rs. 587-12-9 as compared with
the previous year owing chiefly to the garden having been more productive and
to a lower price having been paid for raw materials. The net earnings from