7
General Health of the in-
mates.
23. The general health of the inmates has been good, except at Ahmed-
abad and Hyderabad, where it was affected by the
floods of the year under report and the preceding one,
as was to be expected would be the case. It is a
matter of regret that one of the inmates of the Ahmedabad Asylum was lost
—supposed to have been drowned ; but, considering the greatness of the
calamity, it can only have been due to the active zeal of the Superintendent
and his subordinates that many lives were not lost, or that many escapes did
not occur.
Causes of Insanity.
24. As I have before reported, in most cases the causes remain
unknown, though I cannot but believe some facts
relating to this might, at times, be given. Cases are
sent up by the police authorities in Bombay sometimes, in which it is stated
the cause is unknown, though the insane has parents living with whom he
has been residing. Surely, in such cases some facts ought to be ascertain-
able regarding the antecedents of the insane. No opportunity should be
lost of adding to our knowledge of the causes of insanity among the natives
of this country.
Cures.
25. With regard to " cures," the percentage must decrease yearly, by
reason of the chronic cases which remain and
accumulate. This shows the necessity for an asylum
for incurables, which might be placed in some locality where the cost of
maintenance would be small. I may here point out how unfavourable it is
to have such incurables associated with cases which may be cured.
Ventilation, Conservancy,
and Drainage.
26. All these have been carefully attended to. The Superintendent of
the Ahmedabad Asylum considers that the ventila-
tion of the cells and lower rooms is not so free as it
should be, and Dr. Murphy finds that, in the base-
ment stories of the old buildings of the Colába Asylum, particularly in the
early morning, the air is disagreeably hot and stagnant during the monsoon,
but it is hardly possible to remedy this.
Water supply.
27. The supply of water has been good and abundant, except at Colába,
but the want of water at the latter has been already
so prominently brought to the notice of Government,
that I need offer no further remark regarding it, unless it be to add that this
want will be met when the Tulsi scheme is accomplished.
Employment.
28. Government will be pleased to learn that there has been a further
increase in the number of insanes employed. At
Ahmedabad, an attempt was made to teach a female
convict knitting, for which purpose she was sent daily to the Jail, but her
intelligence proving too feeble, the experiment failed. It is impossible to insist
too strongly on the curative value of employment, but this subject has already
been so prominently brought to the notice of Government, that it is unneces-
sary to enlarge upon it further than to add that all the Superintendents have
given this subject much attention ; and I would especially notice Dr. Murphy's
efforts at Colába under the difficulties which Government are aware there
obtain. I beg to ask attention to paragraph 20 of his report which shows
what that officer has done. I observe also that the insanes in the Sir Cowasji
Jehangier Asylum have been well employed in assisting to build a wall
around the asylum grounds—a very wholesome and suitable employment.