2
RESOLUTION ON THE REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR 1897.
4. Eight natives of India were transferred to asylums in other provinces and
arrangements are now in progress for transferring other lunatics of Indian races.
5. The number of deaths was 36, which gives a percentage of 10.80 on the
daily average strength. This percentage, though less than the average of the
previous ten years, is higher than in the year 1896. It is clear that the compara-
tively high mortality was due to the general bad health of the civil lunatics newly
admitted to the asylum. The percentage of mortality among the criminal lunatics
was only 6.37. Only three deaths were attributed to tuberculosis and one to
phthisis, and there is apparently no ground for believing that the high mortality
from phthisis in 1896 was due to any local defects in the asylum. The daily average
sick (13.97) was much lower than in 1896 (17.33), but the total number of admis-
sions to hospital (154) was higher than in that year (133), the increase being due
to the cause already given in explanation of the heavy mortality among the civil
lunatics.
6. During the year a proposal was sanctioned to pay all criminal lunatics
on probation and sane patients of the same class a monthly stipend of Rs. 2 each,
up to a maximum number of 15, and provision has been made to continue these
payments in 1898. The system of stipends strengthens the hands of the Super-
intendent in maintaining discipline.
The Lieutenant-Governor observes with pleasure the efforts made by the
Superintendent to provide amusements for the patients. He hopes that pwès
will be held frequently in future. Further endeavour is necessary to ensure the
success of the ornamental garden. His Honour does not understand the want of
success in this direction, seeing that there is a good water-supply and that labour
is plentiful.
7. The Lieutenant-Governor regrets to notice the large number of cases in
which the cause of insanity is entered as unknown in the medical history sheets
forwarded to the asylum. The omission to record information on this point in-
creases the difficulty of the Committee of Visitors in dealing with the cases of the
patients. The Superintendent should act in accordance with the instructions con-
tained in Circular No. 98 of 1896 providing for further local enquiries by the
Magistrates in such cases.
8. The expenditure of the year calls for no special remarks, except as re-
gards the abnormally high cost of dieting. It is not understood why information
on this point could not be included in the report. A further report should be
submitted. The average cost per head on all accounts was Rs. 128 as com-
pared with Rs. 112 in 1896.
9. Sir Frederic Fryer does not concur in the Inspector-General's proposal
to transfer all dairy operations to Insein. From paragraphs 6 and 9 of the re-
port it appears that in many cases milk is the only diet of the patients, and it
is well that the Superintendent should be able to watch over and control the
source of its supply. It is observed that there was a considerable expansion of
the dairy business during the year of report, the supply to the public as well as to
the asylum having greatly increased. The Superintendent is to be congratulated
on the success of the dairy operations. Owing mainly to this cause the profits
on account of " Manufactures" were better than in the previous year. The
Lieutenant-Governor is glad to see that the asylum manufactures afforded employ-