REPORT
ON
THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM
For the year 1892.
From Surgeon-Major P. W. DALZELL, Officiating Inspector-General of Jails with Civil Medical Administra-
tion, Burma, to the Junior Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Burma,—No. 830-66M., dated the
10th February 1893.
I HAVE the honour to submit herewith, for the information of the local
Government, my report on the administration of the Lunatic Asylum during the
year 1892.
Annual Report of the Rangoon Lunatic Asylum for the year 1892.
Situation and Buildings.—The only Lunatic Asylum in the province is the one
at Rangoon, but as the accommodation provided in it is inadequate, a number of
lunatics are confined and treated in a part of the Rangoon Central Jail.
This report, however, deals only with the asylum, which, so far as the town
of Rangoon is concerned, is conveniently situated in a central position on a site
sufficiently open and well raised. Although a daily average population of about
75 lunatics finds accommodation in the Rangoon Central Jail, it has been found
impossible to keep down overcrowding in the asylum. The asylum has accom-
modation for 219 male inmates, but the daily average of the year was almost
238, the maximum number of males on any one night having been 251. As a
consequence, much inconvenience has been felt in the diminished space per
unit in the dormitories and workyard, and particularly by the insufficiency of the
bathing and latrine accommodation.
The necessity for providing additional asylum accommodation to meet the
requirement of the extended province is obvious, and it remains to be considered
whether a second asylum should be built. Plans and estimates have, however,
been prepared for enlarging the existing one.
During 1892 the only works undertaken were the raising of the wall sur-
rounding the female section and the improvement of the surface drainage by the
provision of masonry saucer drains. The former work has been completed at a
cost of about Rs. 4,333 and the latter work was in progress at the end of the
year. The remaining works enumerated in the report of 1891 as requiring
attention have still to be taken in hand.
Water-supply.—As remarked last year, the water-supply though good is in-
sufficient, as during the dry months there is scarcity. Existing wells must not
only be deepened, but at least another well must be sunk.
Conservancy and Cleanliness.—The latrines are worked on the dry-earth system,
but owing to the increased population and to the character of the inmates, the
perfect working of the system was to some extent interfered with. Particular
attention has at all times been paid to the cleanliness of the clothes and persons
of the patients.
Labour.—The chief occupation of the inmates consisted of gardening, drawing
water, grass-cutting, road-making, and attending to the dairy. To a smaller
extent carpentry, bamboo work, rope-making furnished employment. Gardening
and dairy work however afford occupation of a kind most suited to the inmates
of an asylum, and in order that these avocations may be more freely resorted to
the whole of the asylum grounds should be enclosed by a wall 9 feet in height.
Clothing and Bedding.—The supply of clothing and bedding was sufficient and
suitable; when necessary, coarse woollens were issued as a protection against