KEPORT ON THE TEZPUR LUNATIC ASYLUM, 1877.
No. 247S., dated Shillong, the 3rd June, 1878.
From—A. C. C. DERENZY, ESQ., Deputy-Surgeon-General, Dacca Circle,
To—The Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Assam.
IN forwarding the Annual Report of the Tezpur Lunatic Asylum, I have the honour
to submit the following observations, for the consideration of the Chief Commissioner.
2. From para. 4, and other portions of the Report, it is plain that the huts are
'exceedingly damp. The drainage works carried out by the Superintendent have lessened
this evil to a considerable extent; but, owing to the nature of the soil, I fear that, without
efficient sub-soil drainage, carried out in a still more thorough way, the site will continue
damp to a degree very injurious to health. The soil is a red clay, which is very retentive
of moisture. I think it would be well to have the site thoroughly sub-soil drained, and the
arrangements for this purpose are very simple, and could be carried out by the lunatics
themselves. All that would be necessary would be parallel drains about 5 feet deep, and
from 15 to 18 feet apart, filled with broken stones to a depth of a couple of feet, and over
the stones a soil made of equal parts of clay and river sand, or filled up altogether with
stones, if plenty of that material be available. Deep open drains of the kind described in
para. 16 of the Report are unsightly, and very apt to cause accidents, especially in an
institution like a Lunatic Asylum, where the inmates are often so helpless.
3. I think the proposal to plant a belt of trees to the east and north-east of the
Asylum, made in para. 6, is one that should be carried out at once.
4. With reference to the proposal made in regard to the construction of permanent
buildings, I would suggest that, before any steps are taken in this matter, information
should be obtained from other Provinces on the subject. The advice of Dr. Payne, the
Superintendent of the Dullunda and Bhowanipur Asylums, and of Dr. Crombie, the Su-
perintendent of the Dacca Asylum, would be very desirable, as they have had great experience
En the treatment of native insanes, and are in other respects admirably qualified to advise
|on the arrangement of a Lunatic Asylum required in a damp warm climate like that of
I Assam. The question of the most suitable flooring is one of great importance. There
can be no doubt, 1 think, that the floor should be made of some impervious material.
The question of the amount of superficial and cubical space necessary, the amount
and mode of regulating the ventilation and the lighting, the arrangements for filthy
lunatics, for violent and noisy lunatics, the arrangements for personal ablution,—these
are some of the points on which I think information should be called for.
5. From the information given in paras. 18 and 19, it appears to me very question-
able whether it is expedient to have a separate Asylum for Assam. It appears that there
were only 20 admissions in the year, and there were no less than 13 deaths. The average
population of the year was only 35'46. The cost per head of keeping up an Asylum
for so small a number of insanes must always be very high, and the discipline and manage-
ment of such an institution can hardly be kept effective and satisfactory, except at an
inordinate expense. From No. i) of the Statistical Tables, it appears that the cost per head
of the lunatic population for 1877 was Rs. 176-9-64, in which amount the establishment
counts for Rs. 86-15-4. As I understand from the Report on the Lunatic Asylums of
l^engal for 187(5 that the Bengal Government are willing to take charge of Assam lunatics
lor an annual payment of Rs. 90 per head, I am disposed to think that, for the present
at all events, that would be a better arrangement in every way,—better for the Govern-
ment treasury, better for the lunatics themselves.
6. From para. 27 of the Report it appears that nearly half the population of the
Asylum were natives of other Provinces, chiefly Bengal.
7. From para. 39 it appears that the death-rate of the year under review was 36 per
cent, of average strength, the death-rate for the preceding year being 34 per cent.