56
PATNA ASYLUM.
The only remaining death resulted from suicide under the following circumstances:—
The patient was sent to hospital on the morning of the 4th of July by order of Dr. Allen,
late superintendent, being then free from excitement, but dull and in a weak state, without
appetite. He refused food, and in consequence was obliged to be fed with the stomach pump. He
continued in this state up to the morning of the occurrence, when the hospital orderly, on enter-
ing the ward, found Dangoo lying on the ground quite insensible. This morning having been
appointed for a meeting of visitors at the asylum, their attention was called to the matter, and
they inspected the hospital and found on one of the bars of the south window a piece of string
corresponding with the tat or bedding on which he had been lying on that night, and on
the piece of tat being examined, it was found that a piece of string had been taken out of it
corresponding with that found on the bar.
Since this occurrence has taken place I am happy to say that the sick are now located in
another building much more suited for a hospital, and the guards or keepers keep watch
inside, instead of in the verandah, as was the former custom in the asylum.
The number of keepers seems to be quite inadequate to the duties they have to perform,
in consequence of the steadily increasing number of inmates in the asylum; nor is the pay of
those who are already entertained in proportion to that allowed in similar institutions
elsewhere. A sufficient remuneration should be given to attract a good class of men to seek for
the post; the staff at present employed do not seem to care much whether they are dismissed
or not. It has been the custom in the asylum always to relieve the guards at night every
fourth hour; but although this is still in force as regards ordinary lunatics, since the occurrence
of the above death from suicide, the guards over the criminal ward are relieved every third
hour.
I am unable, from personal observation, to say much on the subject of the sanitary state
of the asylum as compared with former years, as I only took charge of the asylum on 7th
January; but the main building just now is exceedingly damp, so much so that it is not yet
possible to repair the walls, as the mortar would take a long time to dry. The ground,
however, of the compound has been raised in many parts, and doubtless this will prove of great
benefit in the rainy season.
The mortality during the past year is low, being only 18, against 22 in 1869, and the
ratio per cent. only 9.83 as compared with 13.66 in 1869. This seems to be a good result,
considering the comparative unhealthiness of the station last year, especially as regards
cholera, and may be fairly attributed to the improvement in the sanitary state of the asylum,
and the great care taken to avoid all sources of contagion, as far as practicable, during the
epidemic.
The charge of dieting for each patient has been reduced from Rs. 38-11-10 in 1869 to
Rs. 32-2-1 in the year under review. Dr. Duka, the late superintendent, made a slight alteration
in the diet by allowing vegetables at the morning as well as the evening meal, and by
increasing to a small extent the atta, oil, spices, &c. The former contractor was dismissed on
the arrival of Mr. Nowlan, the new overseer, and to this is to be attributed the saving in the
dieting of the patients.
In the new hospital, planked beds have been substituted for the raised earthen ones
formerly in use. The bedding consists of blankets, one setrunjee, and a piece of tat, all made
on the premises. The new building is a great improvement on the ill-ventilated one formerly
used for this purpose.
The working shed built in 1869, and for which a sum of Rs. 858 was sanctioned in Govern-
ment of Bengal letter No. 779 of 22nd February 1869, had to be unroofed last August, and pucca
pillars constructed down the centre, so as to support the ridgepole, and the whole of the walls