3
Deaths from Violence.
9. There were two deaths from this cause during the triennium.
When we consider the heterogeneousness of
the inmates, it is astonishing that there
are not many more such incidents. Assaults are, however, common
among the insane. Although every care is taken to immediately place apart
any dangerous insane, cases do occur, where patients known to be quiet and
tractable suddenly develop a furious outburst of temper, and assault anyone
near them. The two assaults noted were on these lines. In one the victim was
pushed over by his assailant and sustained a fractured thigh bone, from the
effects of which he died. The second case was somewhat similar. In this
instance the patient received injuries to his lung occasioned by fracture of
the ribs.
Suicides.
10. During the period under report, there were three deaths from
suicide. (1) Criminal insane Mulkraj hanged
himself by means of his pyjama cord. This
patient had attempted suicide on a previous occasion. (2) Non-criminal
insane Mulky, an Indian Christian, committed suicide by drinking a quantity
of Nitric Acid, which he procured from the asylum laboratory. (3) Criminal
insane Bhola Ram belonging to a respectable family, committed suicide by
taking opium, presumed to have been given him by one of his relatives
during the course of an interview.
In this connection it may be mentioned how futile our precautionary
measures are for preventing the entry of toxic drugs through the agency of
asylum servants, when it is pointed out how easy it is to introduce such drugs
by simply throwing packets over the enclosure walls.
Occupation.
11. The insane like the same must have something to do that will take
up his attention and divert him from introspec-
tive morbidness For this purpose gardening
in its various forms is found to be the best. It is the only means of making
the asylum a pleasant hospital. Most of the workers in the institution are
employed on this special form of labour, and the asylum garden has during
the period under report produced an ample supply of vegetables and condi-
ments of excellent quality to meet all demands. Some of the workers select
weaving or tailoring, and here I might mention that the major portion of the
clothing and bedding of the institution is manufactured by them.
Cost of Maintenance.
12. Although stops were taken to curtail expenditure, the cost
of maintenance has greatly increased, mainly
due to high price of foodstuffs and raw material.
The expenditure under the head of diet, alone, amounted to Rs. 84,686,
Rs. 95,762 and Rs. 1,02,574, respectively. The average cost per head was
Rs. 18-10-8 per mensem or Rs. 224 per annum.
The recoveries from paying patients increased by nearly a thousand
rupees in 1920. The annual income under this head was Rs. 9,441, Rs. 9,169
and Rs. 10,165, respectively. If the amount thus realized be deducted from
the expenditure, the cost per head is still high, viz.—about Rs. 17, whilst the
maintenance charge demanded from friends or relatives is only Rs. 12, a sum
I consider far too small.
The expenditure under the head—Public Works Department charges,
increased to Rs. 67,018 in 1920, most of which was utilized in the erection of
the new tubercular enclosures already referred to.
Although the population and size of the institution has increased
enormously the annual contingent grant has remained the same, since the in-
auguration of the asylum. Since the installation of electricity a sum of
Rs. 2,200 has been sanctioned to meet the charge, whilst the actual expendi-
ture under this head is Rs. 3,583, thus encroaching upon our already attenuated
contingent grant, leaving little for other very necessary wants, such as, dis-
infectants, soap, sujji, feeding of bullocks, canal water rates, stipends for
workers, cigarettes, tobacco, locks, feeding vessels, etc. To double the amount
will not be asking too much, considering the deteriorated value of the rupee.