8
REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1893.
According to the diet scales published in previous annual reports the
European insanes are not supposed to get any vegetables or cooking oil. This
is, I think, an oversight; and I need hardly say that a sufficiency of vegetables
and cooking oil is and always has been issued to them, although the supplies
have not hitherto been charged for in the diet bills.
It would seem that during the past year the vegetable known as " roselle "
was issued with such monotonous frequency that certain of the inmates in
possession of their senses asked to be supplied with some other kind for a
change ; they tersely said, so the Assistant Surgeon explains, that they " could.
not possibly eat roselle morning and evening any longer." This bears out the
statement of the present overseer that the vegetable " roselle " was largely culti-
vated to the exclusion of other varieties.
Labour.—Whereas sane persons require for the preservation of health a
definite amount of exercise, the necessity is more urgent in the case of lunatics.
Exercise promotes muscle-development, accelerates sluggish circulation and
respiration, and strengthens the forces of life. Absolute idleness on the other
hand leads to muscle-degeneration, retards circulation, reduces respiration, and
favours the production of general debility, the frequent harbinger of disease and
death.
Exposure to influences prejudicial to health is constantly taking place, and,
while the debilitated succumb to these influences, the physically robust overcome
them.
A perpetual conflict is waged between health and disease, and it is only
when the vital forces prove the stronger that disease in some form or other does
not appear ; hence the necessity for providing all classes of lunatics with a
sufficiency of exercise to obviate debility.
Such insanes, therefore, as are fit for work are given some form of manual
labour, preferably in the open air, whereby they obtain as much exercise as is
needful, while those who are from bodily infirmity or mental affection incapa-
citated for employment of any kind are roused at fixed periods of the day from
their apathy and idleness and given walking exercise.
A large number of the physically strong are constantly engaged as Asylum
servants on conservancy, water-drawing, and gardening operations, for which no
paid agency is entertained. Others are sent outside the Asylum in small gangs
to work in private compounds at road-making, grass-cutting, weeding, &c., while
the residual number of the able-bodied are employed on industries carried on
within the Asylum walls, consisting of basket and mat making, coir-pounding, and
carpentry.
The proportion of the lunatics capable of work is about 70 per cent. of the
entire population, but many of them are not very industrious labourers.
Of the various forms of labour gardening and compound-cleaning are pro-
bably the most suitable ; and efforts will be made to extend the scope of these
invigorating and at the same time remunerative occupations.
The Asylum vegetable and flower gardens.—The changes in the overseership
of the Asylum have not been of advantage to the gardens. The gardening ope-
rations were formerly supervised by the Deputy Superintendent, but other and more
responsible duties occupy the whole of the present Assistant Surgeon's attention.
The Overseer Mr, Carlile, whose services were obtained for the Asylum in
September last, asserts he succeeded to a heritage consisting of " grass jungle
and sour leaf."
It is to be hoped that, if he remains on the Asylum staff, of which there is a
doubt, since his services have only been lent by the Jail Department, he will ex-
tend the area under vegetable cultivation and show improved results.
The value of the vegetables raised in 1893 is set down at Rs. 829-14-9.
About one-fourth of this sum was realized by the sale of vegetables to the out-
side public, while the remaining three-fourths represent the value, at the market
rate of 3 pies per lb., of the vegetables supplied to the Asylum for consumption.
The Asylum had to purchase during the year from the contractor 18,354
lbs. of vegetables, costing Rs. 286-12-6, to complete the requirements of its
population.