INSPECTION REMARKS on the Tezpur Lunatic Asylum by Surgeon-Colonel C. P.
Costello, Principal Medical Officer and Sanitary Commissioner, Assam, dated the
2nd February 1893.
Inspected this Asylum to-day accompanied by Surgeon-Major Borah, Civil
Surgeon and Superintendent. Excepting the ward for criminal lunatics, the Asylum is
generally clean, orderly, and free from smell, but the asphalt floor of that ward is not
alone wet, but is covered with small pools of urinous smelling fluid. Dr. Borah tells
me that he ordered this floor to be washed out daily with a solution of phenyle in order to
remove the smell of the urine consequent on the extreme degree of lunacy, &c, of the
inmates of this ward, and its being impossible in all cases to arrange for their resorting to
the latrine attached. There is no doubt that Dr. Borah's orders have not been carried out.
This floor should not alone be washed out with a solution of phenyle, but it should be
afterwards swabbed quite dry, which could be easily done, especially as at this time of day
(from 9 to 11 a.m.) the criminal lunatics are all in the central Asylum enclosure. The
burial of the nightsoil is not carried out correctly according to the regulations, which I have
pointed out and explained to Dr. Borah. 1 am sorry to have to record here that the Super-
intendent showed a remarkable ignorance as to the position or situation of the night-soil-
burying ground : and so much so as to leave the decided impression on my mind that he had
not selected, nor ever before been to or inspected, the present plot of ground which is used
for this purpose, and has been so for over four months. He was also unaware of the number
of Asylum bullocks and cows (16) occupying the bullock sheds at night, and as to
whether they were the property of Government or of the warders, and I found this shed
in a most filthy state, which must be immediately remedied. The columns in the general
register of lunatics are not all filled or written up to date, and the registers showing the
employment of the lunatics, the extras given to them, the miscellaneous expenditure,
the diet roll, as well as the register in which is recorded the attendance of officials, and the
cash book have not, except on a comparatively few occasions, been initialed by him as
controlling and superintending officer from October 1S92 to date, as was regularly done
for each day by his predecessor, Surgeon-Major K. N. Campbell ; and, even where his
signature or initial has in previous months been written, one signature or initial has
been made to answer for groups of days instead of being initialed daily, as was done by
Dr. Campbell. Dr. Borah has to be frequently in the district, inspecting gardens, vaccina-
tion, dispensaries, &c, but yet his predecessor had precisely the same duties, and, notwith-
standing, contrived while in Tezpur to show by his initials in each register that he had
carefully checked the accounts, reuisters, &c. After all, taking the whole year round, the
Civil Sargeon here is not absent for much more than a quarter of each month, or perhaps
a little more, from the sadr, and therefore there can be no excuse for the omissions above
noted. Dr. Borah must not rely too much, as I see he does, on his subordinates, as he is
primarily and solely responsible to Government for the careful and successful management
of this Asylum. The general appearance of the Asylum and of the lunatics is, however,
and in other respects, creditable to Dr. Borah ; yet too much care, especially where money
and accounts ate concerned, cannot be taken in strict supervision in an institution of this
kind ; so I hope that in future Dr. Borah will show, by his initials opposite each entry,
and by their satisfactory state, that he has exercised such strict supervisicn over the
registers, &c, and that he will also visit this Asylum at unexpected times, day and night,
taking the roll-call of officials and lunatics on each occasion to see if all are present.
The two iron grating outlets of the main side drains of the Asylum have not been
repaired as yet, as was recommended by me last year. The Superintendent should take
measures to have this done at once. 1 do not clearly know who is to blame for the
delay, but no more delay should occur in this matter.
There is not any overcrowding, and the Asylum is, at present, large enough for all
demands on it. The total population to-day is 105, with a total accommodation for 118 ;
24 are criminal lunatics and 81 non-criminal. There are 31 women and 74 men in the
Asylum. 48 are ex-garden coolies, 11 having been free immigrants and 37 Act-1 coolies.
57 lunatics arc natives of Assam. To-day there are live cases in hospital suffering from
diarrhoea (2), dysentery (1), asthma (1), and amemia (1).
The ordinary wards are in good order. The new wards for women and for men
are very comfortable, and the verandahs attached should be most useful and healthy in
the rains and hot weather. Some of the old male huts still remaining will also be soon
replaced by new huts on the above plan. The Chief Commissioner has selected a place,