14
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
facts and observations presented in it would have found a place in this report if they had
not been called for when they were:—
“ Replying to your No. 1173BG, dated 4th instant, I beg to say that in 1877
the reduction made in the establishment left us with 24 keepers (male) for a mean
number of 160 lunatics, or about 1 to 7. This number of keepers has during the current
year been reduced to 20 experimentally. We have had a mean number of 164 male
lunatics. This is 1 keeper to 8 lunatics. If addition be made to our number of inmates
we shall have to restore this establishment, and for this reason we have not applied for
formal reduction of this sanctioned scale.
“ The female warders, who in 1877 numbered 6, or about 1 to 9 lunatics, have been
reduced to four, which, on the present average population, gives about 1 to 10.
“Asylums are not comparable as to establishment of this kind unless they are similar
in construction and management. Division of buildings and manner of distribution of
inmates vary materially in different places, and though the several branches of productive
industry provide for the special servants required for them, there must, if the branches
be numerous, be a call on the ordinary establishment which is not felt elsewhere. Again, the
quality and value of the industrial outturn of an asylum affects the comparison. If a
manufacture is such that the workman earns more by laboring at it than he would as an
asylum servant, it would be a mistake to take him from it, even though it should lead to
the employment of a servant the less. This is practically experienced at Dullunda. We
have several workmen who might be made into servants, but our industrial profits would
lose more than our establishment would gain by the transfer.
“ In 1877 we had 13 mehters and one sirdar after the reduction. We have worked
this year with two less.
Here again construction of buildings and distribution of
inmates are the chief considerations. The same number of rooms has to be cleaned,
whether we have one hundred people or double the number, and this reduction will
probably be permanent. In former years some little disturbance arose in consequence
of an attempt to put lunatics of other castes to mehter's work. Our means of employing
lunatics as servants of the kind have been very limited. Our system of conservancy, using
no ward privies and converting everything into poudrette daily for garden use, may involve
us in additional necessities.
“ Similarly, the distribution of water throughout the asylum, as it is made here, involves
the employment of several men. Lunatics are largely available for the rough labor of
this service, and are here employed. We have to fetch drinking water from a distance in
a cart; one bhistee must attend to this. Two others attend to the pumping that goes on
for the supply of baths from morning to night. Nevertheless we have had lately only
three paid bhistees out of seven entertained last year. The machinery for bathing now
used, such as pumps, &c., enables the more stupid lunatics to do the work.
“ Regarding the cost of diet, I can only say that it was due to the high rates ruling
in the market. We purchased only raw materials, and after preparing the food charged at
the market rates for each article. The money thus charged appeared in the industrial
income, so that the Government did not pay the full amount charged, but only the cost of
raw material.
“As to contingent charges, the principal item was gas-lighting, which covered Rs. 1,045
out of Rs. 2,055. Extraordinary items—laying down water-pipes, travelling money of
females transferred to Hazaribagh, and purchase of new brass vessels—amounted to Rs. 443.
The gas charges this year will probably not exceed Rs. 750.
“ A copy of the diet roll accompanies. The ghee entered is not used as an article of
daily supply.”
On diet we spent less money by Rs. 929-0-11 in 1878 than in 1877. We had fewer
daily patients by nine, but our rate per patient also fell slightly. High prices were main-
tained throughout the year, but in this portion of the account actual cost of production
only is charged, that is, cost of raw material, wages of special servants, and repair of machi-
nery. The articles consumed in the asylum, valued at bazar rates, would yield a higher
figure.
In clothing we exceeded the expenditure of 1877 by Rs. 201-0-6. There was
in the earlier year only one issue of clothing, but in 1878 two were required. This figure
is so low as it is because we have regulated the charge in the same manner as that for
diet.
We debit Rs. 2,805-2-5 this year on account of contingencies. Some of the items
would more rightly appear as charges for public works, but the work was done and paid
for in the asylum, and appears therefore in this place. Thus an iron shed was built over
the pumps at the tank costing Rs. 175-15-6. The new shower-bath, with pipes, tanks, and
fittings, cost Rs. 719-5-9. These charges would fall elsewhere, I think, to the Public Works
Department, as well as some improvements in the female latrines which were effected.
We spent on gas-lighting and repairs to fittings Rs. 755-2-0 against Rs. 1,045 in 1877.
In April 1878 a gale destroyed the large iron arbours in the garden, and these were
restored with a special grant of Rs. 1,000 from the Government for the purpose.
The industrial profits of 1878 do not appear so large as in 1877. A cash profit of
Rs. 1,513-11-0 added to Rs. 2,490-0-11 spent on buildings, gives a total cash earning of