REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1894.
5
repugnances to certain occupations ; that, for instance, they had an almost uni-
versal objection to touch night-soil; also that they would not eat with midwives,
whom they considered a degraded order of beings.
By desire of the Committee the sane criminals in confinement in the asylum
were invited, under promise of a gratuity of Rs. 3 per mensem, to undertake the
asylum conservancy, but not a single volunteer was forthcoming.
Some members of the Committee were of opinion that it was not right to
impose duties on lunatics which, if they were sane men, they would not, except
on compulsion, perform. It was, however, finally resolved that the lunatics should
still be employed for collecting and burying the night-soil, but that paid sweepers
should be entertained for carrying out the conservancy of the hospital. Two
warders of the sweeper class were therefore engaged.
30. Drainage.—From its favourable situation and the extremely porous
nature of the land on which the premises stand, the asylum is well drained.
Except for the small masonry aqueducts built at the rear of all the cells to carry
away the sulliage resulting from flushing, there are not any pucca drains within
the asylum precincts.
The cottage floors are no longer flushed to the same extent as formerly;
dry earth is first spilt over all filth found on the floors, which is again collected
before any washing out is done, consequently the sulliage from the cottages is
less noxious than it used to be ; and although the washings still fall upon the
unprotected soil below, the harm produced thereby is comparatively slight. The
soiled earth is removed as occasion requires and replaced by fresh.
31. Clothing and bedding.—The scale of clothing prescribed for use in
the asylum was given in the annual report for 1893. Its suitability has been
proved by the experience of the past year. No conversion of gunny into rope for
suicidal or other purposes has been reported, and no case of pneumonia, arising
from exposure to cold or other cause, has occurred.
32. Statement of cost of clothing and bedding supplied during the last three
years.
Year.
1892
...
1893
...
1894
...
Articles.
Clothing ... ... ... ...
Bedding (blankets, mats and pillows)
...
Clothing ... ... ... ...
Bedding (blankets, mats and pillows) ...
Clothing ... ... ... ...
Bedding (blankets, mats and pillows) ...
Expenditure.
Rs.
630
525
686
420
894
657
A.
15
0
9
0
3
4
P.
0
0
0
0
8
3
Total.
Rs.
1,155
1,106
1,551
A.
15
9
7
P.
0
0
11
Seeing that the expenditure on clothing and bedding has risen by Rs. 400,
an explanation of the increase is necessary.
By adopting and adhering to the scale of clothing considered suitable by the
Committee of Visitors, given in last year's report, it was found that the expendi-
ture shown in this year's report was unavoidable.
Of the Rs. 894-3-8 spent on clothing, Rs. 763-10-11 were paid to the Super-
intendent of the Insein Jail as the value of the jail-made cloth supplied to and
used in the asylum.
33. Diet.—The food supplied to the lunatics is on the whole satisfactory.
Its quality has frequently been inspected by the asylum Visitors, and has on such
occasions been invariably pronounced good. Complaints relating to food are
rare, and no results prejudicial to health can be traced to either the quantity or
quality of the food supplied.
34. In addition to the diet prescribed in the diet scales, many of the lunatics
receive extras in the form of soup, milk, conjee, bread and jaggery. Lunatics
often fluctuate in weight, but although, when weight is lost, such loss doubtless
corresponds to the amount of food eaten and bears no relation to what is served
2