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affected, than did the former small and ill-arranged and unsuitable compound.
Being solidly built and with washable floors and walls they do not afford the
facilities for constant destruction that all the older buildings do, nor are they
like those liable to become with advancing years impregnated with filth and
disease germs; the upper floor of the main wards being completely shut off
have enabled us to segregate cases of pneumonia, &c., and to finally stop the
fatal habit of mud eating that was spreading so widely as to greatly increase
the mortality, while the large tubercular area where selected patients live
practically in the open air has been a wonderful success; emaciated moribund
men transferred there rapidly becoming fat and taking on a new lease
of life.
The benefits of these new " pucca," well built erections are so striking
and obvious that it is devoutly to be hoped that Government will be soon able
to see its way to providing funds for the paving and cementing of floors and
walls of all the old barracks and cells; as a result of this the comfort of the
occupants would be immeasurably increased and a large amount of disease
prevented and much expense for the constant repairs now necessary would
then be obviated. Estimates and plans for these improvements have been
already sent in, and if these changes can be carried out an enormous improve-
ment will be effected in the entire asylum.
Though nominally there is no overcrowding there actually is some of
a particular kind which is very acutely felt. With the gradual increase in
the population the number of men requiring separate accommodation at night
is still more rapidly increasing, so much so that it is now becoming very
difficult to provide sufficient " cells," as most of the original buildings were
in barrack form, and there is only separate accommodation for 200, while far
more than that number should at least at night sleep alone. This requirement
does not, it must be remembered, simply refer to the dangerous insane
(though as a matter of fact most are at one time or another of that class),
but also includes the man who by his filthy habits or his tendency to annoy
or bully others and to be constantly noisy it is impossible to allow to remain
in a barrack, and still more urgently does it include the man addicted to sodomy,
often of a brutal character, which is such a common habit among the large
number of Pathans received here.
It is very desirable that there should be a special and separate quaran-
tine enclosure for new comers (at present a block of the ordinary cells is
reserved for this purpose, thus still further lessening the accommodation). If
a separate enclosure with a block of cubicles for some 20 could be provided
for this purpose it would be an immense boon and greatly relieve the imme-
diate necessities, for which also it may be hoped that some method of divid-
ing up some of the old barracks into cubicles can be devised. It may be
here remarked that every additional year's experience more firmly convinces
one that among the men at least separate accommodation ought to be provided
for almost all at night, and that nothing is more obnoxious or more uncomfort-
able, miserable and unhealthy for the unfortunate occupants than the large
barracks formerly provided.
Females.
The female asylum is absolutely separate from that for the men; it is
well arranged and convenient, and has
the immeasurable advantage over that
for the males in being under the direct supervision of four Franciscan sisters
who labour with incessant patience, gentleness and assiduity in the care of the
unfortunate beings in their charge, and of whose good qualities it is impossible
to speak too highly. Nothing would be of greater benefit than to find a
similar suitable religious body who would take charge of the men; but hitherto
it has not been possible to find any such, and it is out of the question on account
of the expense to ask for that which would be of equal service—four European
warders to take immediate charge of the four main male compounds.
The number of female lunatics is always much lower than that of the
males, and this reversal of the usual rule in Europe is obviously due to the
great objection people in this country have to placing their female relations
in any institution, except under the direst necessity, and that explains the fact
that the large majority of the women here are unfortunate people who during
their malady have slipped away in an unguarded moment and have been
arrested wandering and a nuisance each mostly as " an unknown female."
There have been many here for years whose names we do not know.
The accommodation of the female asylum is nominally for 162, and is
sufficient, though a few more separate rooms would be an advantage for the
segregation of those noisy and objectionable to others.