LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
13
Ordinary expenditure includes the usual charges on account of establish-
ment, diet, clothing, and contingencies hitherto presented in the statements
submitted to Government, and the value of articles made over for asylum
use for the same purpose.
The extraordinary charges include the
expenditure for which no payment was made from, nor any account kept in,
the asylums. These, however, properly belong to asylum expenditure and
have therefore been included in total expenditure. The charges, especially
the money expended on buildings are not of regular occurrence, and comparison
of one year with another has no meaning.
30. The gross expenditure of the asylums amounted to Rs. 93,783 in
1881, against Rs. 90,019 in 1880, showing an increase of Rs. 3,764. The
increase was confined to extraordinary items. Building charges, which were
Rs. 7,329 in 1880, amounted to Rs. 15,328 in 1881. The cost of medical
stores rose from Rs. 362 in 1880 to Rs. 570 in the year under report. The
increase occurred at Dullunda, where old air-beds had to be replaced with new
ones, which are costly articles. The ordinary charges show a reduction of
Rs. 3,757 on those of 1880, and Rs. 18,994 on those of 1879. The large
difference in 1879 was chiefly due to the fact that in 1880 and 1881 the manu-
factured goods made over to asylums were valued at the cost of production,
whereas in the preceding years the full value of the goods, calculated on the
market rate, had been shown in the accounts. The fall in the price of food
articles has contributed to the reduction. The average cost of each patient,
including all charges, was Rs. 107-12-3, against Rs. 102-1-5 in 1880. Excluding
the extraordinary charges the cost was Rs. 88-12-6, against Rs. 92-5-3.
Deducting from the total expenditure the actual profits from manufactures and
the money realized from paying-patients, the cost per man was Rs. 96-13-9,
against Rs. 91-13-11. The expenditure under the several heads is detailed
below.
31. Establishment.—The total expenditure on account of establishment
amounted to Rs. 41,725, against Rs. 42,590 in 1880, or Rs. 47-15-2 per head,
against Rs. 48-4-10.
This expenditure is shown under two heads, viz.
establishment proper and superintendence, and the cost per head is given
below—
Dullunda ... ...
Dacca
...
...
Patna ... ...
Cuttack ... ...
Berhampore ... ...
COST PER HEAD.
Superintend-
ence.
Rs.
33
18
20
40
22
A.
4
2
7
12
0
P.
1
0
4
5
8
Establishment
proper.
Rs
34
22
18
22
18
A.
9
15
2
9
2
P.
2
6
5
4
6
Total.
Rs.
67
41
38
63
40
A.
13
1
9
5
3
P.
3
6
9
9
2
The expenditure at Dullunda was, as usual, higher than the other asylums
under both the heads, and this was noticed in the resolution of Government on
the report for 1880. The peculiar position of the Dullunda Asylum, the large
buildings and gardens which are maintained, and the rates of wages at the Presi-
dency, forbid close comparison with other asylums. With regard to the cost of
superintendence, it should be observed that the small number of patients at
Cuttack makes the cost per man unduly large, though the superintendent
receives Rs. 150 and the overseer Rs. 25 a month, against Rs. 250 and Rs. 100
respectively in Dacca and Patna.
At Dullunda, the superintendent, whose
monthly pay of Rs. 546 is distributed over both the European and native
asylums, draws Rs. 23 monthly more than the superintendents at Dacca, Patna,
and Berhampore. The deputy superintendent of the asylum, an European
officer of long-standing, who has rendered valuable services to all the asylums
in the province, gets Rs. 150 more than the overseers of other asylums. The
matron, an East Indian, draws Rs. 50 a month. No matron is employed at Dacca,
but a jemadarni on Rs. 6. At Patna a matron on Rs. 25 is engaged. The
cost of superintendence per head would appear to be slightly in excess of 1880
in Dullunda, Patna, and Berhampore, and this is accounted for by the reduced