REPORT
ON
THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM
For the year 1894.
Introductory Remarks.—It may be advantageous to preface this report with
a short summary of the chief events of the year.
2. The Burmese Assistant Surgeon in subordinate charge of the asylum
became unworthy of trust and was removed in July. For a short period of time
the asylum was without a Deputy Superintendent and the duties allotted to that
officer were, as a temporary measure, distributed between the Overseer, the Hos-
pital Assistant, and the Superintendent.
3. In December, 1st grade Assistant Surgeon Reilly, who had been selected
by the Government of India for the post of Deputy Superintendent of the asylum,
arrived in Rangoon, and assumed charge of his duties.
4. Many of the new buildings being completed, and sufficient accommo-
dation thereby provided for the criminal lunatics who were in confinement in the
Rangoon Jail, orders were issued for the transfer of these men from the jail to
the asylum. The orders were complied with without loss of time, and, on the
20th December, the Superintendent of the Jail, with the assistance of a force of
jail warders, personally conducted to the asylum, and made over to the asylum
authorities, all the criminal lunatics, 62 in number, of whom he held charge.
5. The asylum was visited by two epidemic diseases; the first was in-
fluenza, which appeared in March and attacked 49 lunatics, but without producing
any mortality; the second was beriberi, which broke out in October, and caused,
before the year came to an end, 7 deaths.
6. Situation, buildings, accommodation, &c.—The asylum enjoys an excel-
lent situation. The buildings stand on high, well-drained land, which is in close
proximity to the Cantonment. At no great distance from the asylum walls
several private dwellings have in recent years been erected, and sounds arising
from within the asylum not infrequently penetrate these houses with their widely
open windows and unsubstantial wooden walls, but the inconvenience is not more
than slight and complaints connected therewith are rare.
Residents who enter into occupation of premises built in juxtaposition to
lunatic asylums must perforce occasionally hear strange noises.
7. During the year of report numerous and extensive additions were made
to the asylum premises. The buildings previously in existence were described
in last year's report, but in view of the important and costly extensions recently
completed, it seems advisable, albeit the recapitulation, to enter upon a descrip-
tion embracing all buildings, old and new, intended for the use of the insane
population of the asylum.
The narration is facilitated by the arrangements which obtain, whereby the
premises are recognized to consist of three main divisions, namely, the male
criminal enclosure, the male civil enclosure, and that for females of both classes.
8. The old buildings in the male criminal enclosure were shown to be two
blocks of cells, one single-storied, the other double, containing 76 cellular rooms
and two open sheds. The newly constructed extensions of this section of the
asylum consist of one double-storied block of cells of palatial dimensions, con-
taining 48 cellular rooms and two more open sheds.
9. In the male civil enclosure the old buildings were represented as con-
sisting of 12 wooden cottages and a barrack of 10 cells. The additions
here made comprise an admirably arranged block of cellular chambers for 6