LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
29
" It only remains now to mention that on the occasion of the Lieutenant-
Governor's visit to this station in August last, His Honor, on learning that
there was sufficient room in this asylum to accommodate its inmates as well as
those of the Moydapore Asylum, ordered the Moydapore patients to be brought
and kept here. They (31 males and nine females) were accordingly removed
towards the end of the year.
" In passing this order it was not the intention of the Lieutenant-Governor
that Moydapore Asylum should be closed altogether, but that, so long as there
was sufficient room in the Berhampore Asylum for the inmates of both, they
should be kept together here, and that the asylum is capable of accommodating,
Moydanore is to be re-opened."
HAZAREEBAGH
ASYLUM.
Hazareebagh.—This asylum during the year was in medical charge of
Surgeon-Major E. A. Birch, F.R.C.S.
Superintendence.
2. Certain alterations have been made in the buildings during the year.
The grass thatch under the tiles has been removed, and thus fire has been
rendered less liable to occur. The solitary cells are being remodelled, and two
have been converted into dark rooms for noisy patients. The ventilation of
the cells has been carefully attended to. A dining-hall has been commenced
and was to be finished by March. Water works have been commenced, includ-
ing pumps, a small reservoir with a tap near each well, a similar reservoir for
the night wards, and a reservoir and stop-cock for purposes of ablution near the
day latrine. The bathing basins round the wells have been fitted with tubes
from the bottom of each, so as to facilitate their rapid emptying.
Requirements of
the asylum.
3. Regarding the requirements of the lunatic asylum, Mr. Birch writes as
follows: " The only things we now require to render the asylum, in my opinion,
perfect, are the construction of a small pucka cook-house, against the rear of
the dining-hall, and the substitution of pucka pillars for the wooden posts
which now support the verandah roofs. As to the first of these requirements,
the object is to isolate the cook-house from the possibility of intrusion by insanes;
the only entrance to be through a single-door leading into the dining-hall,
which door should be kept locked, the key being in charge of a jemadar; and
thus would all pilfering be completely prevented. Two cooks have been
summarily dismissed for this offence, and another was prosecuted ; but that
pilfering still goes on I fear is the case, notwithstanding the measures taken
to prevent it. Only a few days ago the Overseer detected two of the cooks
stealing the meat which ought to have been issued to the patients. As to the
second requirement, the majority of the wooden posts are now failing and must
soon be replaced at considerable expense, and this will be a recurring expense,
which will soon more than cover the cost of pillars ; besides which the posts
are untidy and ugly, and by sinking they disturb the roof and cause leaks.
With pucka pillars and pucka plinth to the verandahs, the present kutcha wards
will answer all the purposes required of the asylum as well as if they were
masonry palaces ; but as they stand now, the buildings can but be regarded as
temporary." In reference to this paragraph, I may say that in the month of
January I visited the lunatic asylum at Hazareebagh, and am prepared to bear
testimony to the advantages likely to result if Mr. Birch's requirements are
attended to. I would add another suggestion, viz. that the food should be
cooked on a ship's galley, American or cooking range, as being more economical
when coals are so easily procured as at Hazareebagh. Wood is also cheap, but
cooking can be done more much expeditiously and better on a kitchen range
than on the clumsy chulahs of the country.
Discipline.
4. An improvement in discipline introduced during the year is obliging
the keepers to occupy the dormitories with the patients at night, each keeper
being provided with a lantern.
Clothing.
5. On the subject of clothing Mr. Birch writes—" The clothing arrange-
ments described in paragraph 29 of my former report will, we find, answer
admirably. As a matter of fact we have not adhered to it during the year,
for we tried whether we could not do with somewhat less; but towards the end
of the year we found ourselves in some difficulties as regards dhoties. In
comparing our expenditure upon clothing with that of other asylums, I hope
it will be remembered that for six months of the year the climate compels
us to give to each insane two blankets and a blanket coat, while during the