No. 207C, dated Shillong, the 7th February 1890.
From—C. P. COSTBLLO, ESQ., Deputy-Snrgeon- General and Sanitary Commissioner, Assam
To—The Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Assam.
I HAVE the honour'to submit the Annual Report of the Tezpur Lunatic Asylum for
the year 1880, prepared by Surgeon-Major S. Borah, M.B., Superintendent of the Asylum
and Civil Surgeon of Tezpur. The report was first received in my office on the 18th
January 1890; it had to be returned for correction on the 22nd of that month, and was
received back on the 4th current (at Gauluiti by the Deputy-Surgeon-General when
on tour, and on the 6th current at Shillong).
2. I inspected the Asylum on the 23rd ultimo.
I give below a copy of my
inspection remarks as made in the visitors' book:—
" Inspected this Asylum, accompanied by Surgeon Major S. Borah, Civil Surgeon.
"(2) The want, of a walled enclosure to prevent escapes strikes one when entering and inspecting
this Asylum. The weak enclosing and, in many places, rotten palisading is not suffi-
cient for this purpose. The palisading between the criminal lunatic sheds and those of
the women is so broken and rotten in places that communication between them and entry
into the female division presents no difficulties to the former class of lunatics. I am glad
that an extra keeper has been sanctioned. I think that there .should be two more keepers,
as the present men complain of being overworked. I quite agree with the Com-
missioner in thinking that there ought to be a police guard for this Asylum, and also
that two policemen should accompany each visitor, as, with so many criminal lunatics, the
wonder is that the compounder has been the only person killed by these lunatics in the
past few years. More of such catastrophies must, in time, occur unless precautions are
taken to prevent them.
"(3) There have been 3 escapes, 1 criminal, 2 non-criminal = 3, in the past year. The criminal
lunatic had escaped twice in 1888, and is still at large. A special report of this escape
was submitted to the Chief Commissioner, through the Deputy-Commissioner, by the
Superintendent. I am surprised that no more escapes have occurred, as there seems no
great difficulty in the present comparatively open state of the enclosure, which offers no
sufficient obstacle to a determined man. It will be an advantage in this respect when
the proposed criminal lunatic ward has been built.
"(3) The annual repairs are not, completed as yet. The Asylum and surroundings are clean and
in a sanitary state, excepting the latrines which, owing to the filthy habits of many of
the inmates, are not as clean in all cases as is necessary and desirable. All the arrange-
ments for the preservation of the general health of the lunatics are excellent: food,
clothing, and ventilation, as well as drinking-water being satisfactory, and there are
good bathing arrangements. The small hospital is in good order. The medicines, &c,
for immediate use should all be locked up in the almirah to prevent accidents in case of
any of the lunatics finding their way into the room, which is at once office and dispensing
room. There is no overcrowding, nor has there been during the past year, the Asylum
being licensed for 108 lunatics, and the maximum number in any one day in 1889 did
not exceed 105.
''(5) The average population in this Asylum is fast increasing, having been 71*29 in 1887,
33*40 in 1888, and 95*42 in 1889; and this should be considered in any re-construction
of this Asylum. The average number of criminal lunatics has increased from 20*42 in
1887 to 26*99, or almost 27, in 1889."
CHARLES P. COSTELLO, Deputy Surgeon-General,
Administrative Medical Officer and
Sanitary Commissioner, Assam.