REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1895.
3
15. Of Rs. 571-13-3 spent on clothing, Rs. 456-9-0 was the value of the
jail-made cloth supplied from the Insein Jail.
16. Diet.—The food supplied to the lunatics has been satisfactory. Its
quality has been frequently inspected by the asylum visitors, and pronounced to
be good. The vegetable requirements were entirely supplied by the asylum
garden, and the milk from the home dairy.
17. Lunatics classed as convalescents receive extras in addition to the
ordinary diet of the asylum. The number of these convalescents is usually
about 20 per cent. of the population, and the list is revised in accordance with
the results of the monthly weighments. The cost of extra diet thus supplied
during the year to the convalescent gang was as under.
18.
Cost of extra diet supplied to members of the convalescent gang.
Article of diet ...
Cost ... ...
Milk.
Rs.
668
A.
4
P.
8
Bread.
Rs.
421
A.
10
P.
0
Beef soup.
Rs.
1,521
A.
13
P.
6
Conjee.
Rs.
227
A.
11
P.
2
Jaggery.
Rs.
348
A.
2
P.
3
Total.
Rs.
3,187
A.
9
P.
7
19. Labour.—Of the lunatics who are capable of work, the greater number
are continually employed as asylum servants. As heretofore, with the exception
of the two sweepers entertained to maintain cleanliness in the hospital, the lunatics
are their own servants, and furnish gangs for water-drawing, gardening, conser-
vancy, and road-making. The manufacture of baskets, mats, brooms, rope, coir
for sale to the public, as well as for use in the asylum, affords employment to a
portion of the insane population.
20. Marked improvement has been made during the year in promoting the
manufacture of textile fabrics. Six looms were erected in August 1895, since
which date the asylum has been enabled to supply entirely the clothing required
for the inmates as well as the warders. No more looms can be erected until the
work or day shed accommodation is extended. The total cost of the twist pur-
chased was Rs. 221-4-0. The total value of cloth manufactured was Rs. 407-12-0 ;
the net profit to the asylum was Rs. 186-8-0.
21. Extra-mural labour has not been carried on so extensively as in the
previous year, because the Public Works Department have not erected any new
buildings this year in connection with the asylum. A small gang of five lunatics
has been employed continuously at the General Hospital and elsewhere ; from this
source a sum of Rs. 456-4-0 was paid into the treasury, giving a net profit to
Government of Rs. 381-4-0 after deducting the salary of the warder.
22. Large numbers were employed in the gardens in raising vegetables.
Efforts were made to promote floriculture in the asylum as directed in the Reso-
lution of the Chief Commissioner on the report of last year. The services of a
warder were temporarily obtained from the jail, but the asylum committee re-
solved that as the warder from the jail knew nothing of floriculture, and none of
the asylum staff had any knowledge of the subject, the only plan would be to
engage a good floriculturist at Rs. 20 per mensem. I do not think myself that
this is an industry that would be at all remunerative, as flowers for sale are easily
obtained elsewhere.
23. Asylum cattle.—At the beginning of the year the asylum owned 13 cows,
14 calves, and a bull; during the year 11 calves were born, 2 of the 14 calves were
taken on the books as bulls, and one as a cow; 1 cow and 4 calves died, whilst 3
cows and 11 calves were sold ; so that the asylum owned at the end of the year
10 cows, 7 calves, and 3 bulls. The money realized in cash sale and book transfer
by the disposal of milk and sale of cattle, and the net profits during the year
1895, are given below:—