Proceedings of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the
Home (Medical and Sanitary) Department, No. 396 -S.,
dated 27th May 1918.
READ—
A letter from the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Punjab, No. 2929-Genl., dated 12th—16th
April 1918, submitting the report on the Punjab Lunatic Asylum for the triennium ending
1917, together with his own note thereon,
REMARKS.—The report covers the triennium 1915—1917. During this
period the number of inmates of the asylum has continued to rise steadily, and
the increase is ample proof of the growing popularity of the institution. A
special feature is the number of military patients admitted from the various
expeditionary forces ; these numbered 123 in the year 1917, but the report
indicates that many of them were only mildly affected by shell-shock or the
privations of a campaign and made a rapid recovery. Among the civilian
population the percentage of those discharged as "cured" shows a decline,
but the number of those discharged as " improved " has increased.
2. The daily average number of patients in 1917 was 837. As the
capacity of the asylum at 50 superficial feet per head is 836 , it is clear that
there must be occasional overcrowding in spite of the recent enlargement of
the quarantine block. The Ranchi asylum has now been opened for Europeans,
but this cannot result in any saving of accommodation or reduction of estab-
lishment for the Lahore institution, as provision must still be made for the
temporary reception of patients who will ultimately go to Ranchi. The ques-
tion of acquiring land for an extension of the Lahore asylum is under consider-
ation, and the Lieutenant-Governor agrees with the Superintendent and the
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals that the best way of utilizing any
additional land would be to form an entirely separate enclosure for criminal
lunatics.
3. It is not surprising that in the present scarcity of labour the Super-
intendent should have found it more than ever difficult to obtain a suitable
staff of attendants, and when there is so little to attract the right type of man,
it is satisfactory that escapes and suicides have not been more frequent.
It appears to be established that something must be done to increase the
attractions of the service, and the Lieutenant-Governor is prepared to consider
sympathetically proposals with this object. Meanwhile he suggests that the
Superintendent should persevere with his endeavours to obtain the services
of retired or invalided non-commissioned officers or soldiers of the Indian Army,
whose employment should tend to raise the standard of discipline and effi-
ciency.
4. Every effort continues to be made to provide occupation for the
patients, and the advent of the military patients has stimulated the popularity
of gymnastics. It is matter for satisfaction that 50 per cent. of the inmates
are now provided with regular work, and that the produce of the garden, in
particular, continues to do credit to the institution.
5. His Honour is glad to see that there were no epidemics of disease
during the triennium, and that the general health of the patients is reported to
have been good. The daily number of sick—about 10 per cent. of the popula-
tion—is about the same as in previous years and in view of the habits of a large
proportion of the inmates, may be regarded as creditably low. A more dis-
quieting phenomenon has been the rise in the death rate, due especially to
tubercle and pneumonia, but the autumns of 1916 and 1917 were both particu-
larly unhealthy. The result of Major Forster's thorough investigation into
the spread of tubercle is on the whole re-assuring, and his recommendations
are receiving careful consideration.
6. Owing to the war it has been impossible to post a whole time I.M.S.
officer to the asylum during the triennium, and the Lieutenant-Governor wishes
to record his appreciation of the services of Major Ward who held charge