iii
original suggestion had been adopted after 1863, the cost of despatching 20 other seamen
would have been similarly saved.
17. The local Government being thus acquitted of the removal of insane soldiers and
sailors, the number of passages annually required had become very small; being, indeed,
that only of the unrecovered pauper lunatics of the season. Ship charges on individuals are
higher with small than with large numbers, and it would seem that this has been felt at
Bombay as well as here, for in 1874 the Bombay Government proposed that we should send
our lunatics there in the shipping season, for embarkation with those on the spot, and so get
them carried at lower rates. The proposal was accepted, being in substance the same pro
cedure that had proved to be full of advantage in the case of soldiers. A despatch of five
men was made in 1876.
18. I have since come to think that the Government of Bombay will derive much
greater benefit from this plan than that of Bengal. Freights are lower no doubt, but Bengal
has to pay for railway transport across India, and has, moreover, been lately called on, as
already intimated, to pay Bombay Rs. 45 per mensem for each person maintained in asylum
there, pending his embarkation, although they are all paupers, for whom no payment could
be obtained here, even if they should be kept for months in the asylum.
19. The economical results to the local Government of the foregoing attempts at
reform may be seen in part from the following abstract statement of the cost of despatching
lunatics to Europe in quinquennial periods from 1856 to date. Particulars are given in the
appended table:—
1856-60 ... ...
1861-65 ... ...
1866-70 ... ...
1871-75 ... ...
1876-77 ... ...
Total number of
lunatics despatched
by local Govern-
ment.
184
157
75
54
......
Money cost.
Rs.
1,52,907
99,131
77,223
23,469
......
20. The number of insane paupers to be removed and ruling rates of freight from year
to year are not matters of asylum control. Expenses have therefore been affected in some
degree by ungovernable causes. Nevertheless, something has been done towards checking
unnecessary admissions, by strict orders of Government limiting the classes to be received,
and by careful scrutiny of the means of families, as will be seen hereafter.
21. Of course it will not be supposed that the revenues of India have been entirely
relieved to the extent indicated above. The removal of insane soldiers still costs money in
the Military Department, but where they formerly paid £80 for a man they now pay £25.
In the case of sailors, however, and foreigners, the Indian funds have been altogether freed,
and in that of paupers much relieved.
22. Reduction of admissions and removal of accumulated cases have affected largely
the internal expenditure of the asylum, to which end also other efforts have been made.
Thus, between the years 1860 and 1865 the dietary charge fell till it reached one-third of
its former amount—a diminution much greater than that of the people ; and it has continued
at a minimum, subject only to such fluctuations as necessarily attend rise and fall in numbers
and in proportion of paying-patients. Through all subsequent years, wherever there are
large differences, they are seen to be associated with these two conditions. The variations
are caused by these numbers in the gross, but are not accurately measured by them, being
further affected by the proportion of first class patients among those who pay, and by the
length of their sojourn in the asylum.
23. Dietary economy is often well tested by consumption of alcoholic stimulants. I
have therefore introduced a table showing separately the annual outlay for wines, &c. As a
medicinal stimulant, commissariat rum is the only form allowed. Wine and beer are occa-
sionally given as indulgences for paying-patients for a short time after admission. A certain
very limited right is recognized in this matter. Caprice is sometimes, though seldom,
humoured. It is never encouraged, and habit is sedulously counteracted.
24. There is a standing rule which ordains that all dietary articles supplied to inmates
of the asylum, whatever their class, shall be of the best kind procurable in the market.
With gram-fed mutton costing 6 annas per lb this rule may be made to cover wasteful outlay,
and in the new code of rules a modification will be proposed. The rule at present does no
harm, for excellent beef is chiefly bought for the lower classes. As the quantities of the
several articles are not large, and meat alone varies in quality and cost, we effect many little
economies by including all in one daily provision. There is a nominal diet scale, too, but we
cannot work to it. Total consumption is always within it in respect of the principal articles.
The diet scale recognizes no difference in a man's requirements in hot and in cold weather,
whether he labours or whether he rests; but here there are months in which a man passes
several days without tasting meat, and I think no group of men can be more free from sick-
ness than the insane Europeans are, or more contented with their food.
25. Twenty rupees a year has covered the cost of Europe medicines in the asylum, and
bazar medicines have been valued in annas. These items do not appear in the table, being
drawn from the supplies of the native asylum.
26. The fifth and sixth columns of the table exhibit the successive charges for establish-
ment. Here money saving is not so marked, for the later course of events has not been so