Proceeding of the Hon'ble the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the Home (Medical and Sanitary)
Department, No. 37 S., dated 27th May 1895.
READ—
The Roport of the Lahore and Delhi Lunatic Asylums for the year 1894.
2 from the Lahore Asylum.
3 from the Delhi Asylum.
† Paragraph 9 of Report.
REMARKS.—It is unsatisfactory that 5 inmates of the Lunatic Asylums
of Lahore and Delhi succeeded in escaping from
confinement.* Two of those that escaped from
the latter institution were re-captured, but the remaining three are understood to
be still at large. In the case of the three escapes reported from Delhi the Warders
seem to have been clearly to blame, and they have been suitably dealt with. With
reference to the escape of two men from the Lahore
Asylum, it is explained † that "the room from
which it was made is a small one, and, when the door is closed, quite dark inside.
The Warders walking about outside could not be expected to see what was going
on in the interior. The guard was changed at 12 o'clock, and it is not known
whether the men got away before or after that hour." The Lieutenant-Governor
considers, however, that some means should be provided to enable the Warders to
see into such a room, and that each Warder on being relieved should show the
man relieving him that all the lunatics are present.
2. In paragraphs 13 and 14 of the Report it is noticed that 15
cases of insanity in the Lahore Asylum and the
same number in the Delhi
Asylum are ascribed to the use of the various preparations of Indian hemp,
and in paragraph 15 it is added that in entering the alleged causes of insanity Su-
perintendents of Asylums and Magistrates are largely dependent on the statements
of ignorant friends or relatives, or often of Police Officers, who are total strangers
to the habits of the lunatic.
With reference to these remarks His Honor
observes that, having regard to the misapprehension created by these reckless
entries in returns ascribing insanity to hemp drugs without foundation, officers in
charge of asylums should be required, in future, in every case in which for the first
time they report that the insanity of an inmate is due to hemp drugs, or other such
cause, to state the evidence on which they have formed this opinion. In subse-
quent returns in which the entry appears it will be enough to refer to the previous
returns in which the evidence is set forth.
3. The mortality in both asylums shows an increase on the figures
of the preceding year. The deaths in the Lahore Asylum rose from 22 to 24
on a smaller total and average daily population, while in the Delhi Asylum the
deaths rose from 10 to 18, a rise incommensurate with the small increase in the
number of inmates. This increased sickness in Lahore was largely due to the
prevalence of malarial fever during the latter half of the year.
4. The cost of maintenance per head shows a slight reduction on the
figures of 1893. In view of the cheapness of food, this reduction might possibly
have been even more marked in the case of the Lahore Asylum. The saving
of Rs. 11-7-7 per head of average strength at Delhi would doubtless have been
even greater but for the method of distributing the cost of medicines supplied
to the medical institutions of that station. Under the recent orders of the
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, the Lunatic Asylum has been debited with
one-sixth of the total cost of such medicines, and the cost per head has accordingly
risen from 3 annas 2 pies to 2 rupees 6 annas 4 pies for the year.
5. It is satisfactory to see that attention is being bestowed on the develop-
ment of manufactures. In the Lahore Asylum an average number of working
lunatics of 143.73 produced profits of Rs. 1,027-10-0 as compared with
Rs. 914-11-4 earned by an average number in 1893 of 152.64, while in Delhi
the earnings of 40 working lunatics rose from Rs. 684-44-11 to Rs. 862-15-4.