REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1897.
3
7. Labour.—This remains pretty much as in former years ; attempts have
been made to make more use of the cured and those on probation. The latter
have been given certain responsible duties formerly carried out by paid hands,
e.g., guarding the walls, supervising bodies of those at labour inside the asylum,
and also escorting those carrying milk to customers. On the whole the experi-
ment has worked well except in that one has to provide for and guard against the
usual casualness of the Burman. One cannot exact the same implicit obedience
and meet offence with the same severity as when dealing with the ordinary warder
staff, but each of the probationers being in receipt of a small sum of money
monthly enables me by threats of fines to keep them fairly up to the mark. As
it happens just now I have not a very intelligent body of probationers, but they
work very fairly well considering all things and the extra liberty enables them to
bear better the slight restraints of the asylum. The cost of twist purchased was
Rs. 419 and the value of the cloth produced Rs. 760: net profit Rs. 341.
8. There was not much demand for extra-mural labour during the past year.
The General Hospital ceased employing insane labour in June as it was found
more economical to make other arrangements. From this source Rs. 516-12-0
was received which after deducting the cost of guards, &c., leaves a net profit to
Government of Rs. 444-12-0. Inside the asylum the employments were as usual
cleaning the buildings and gardening ; several gardeners more or less inefficient
were employed during the year with but poor success in floriculture. The last
man tried promises much better, and certainly has done something in this line.
Efforts are being made to grow ornamental plants.
9. Asylum cattle.—At the beginning of the year there were nine cows, 11
calves, and two bulls. During the year five calves were born and three cows and
three calves purchased ; one cow and calf were sold. At the close of the year
the asylum had 11 cows, 18 calves, and two bulls.
The profit for the year is shown below:—
Received and paid into treasury, being value of milk sold
to the public ... ... ... ...
Value of milk supplied to the asylum and adjusted by
book transfer
...
...
...
...
* Cash in hand on 31st December 1897 ... ...
Amount outstanding ...
...
... ...
Realized by sale of cattle ... ... ...
Total ...
Cost of feeding cows and sundries
... ...
Price paid for cattle purchased ...
... ...
Salary of milkman ... ... ...
Total ...
Net profit ...
Rs.
1,307
1,420
352
138
60
3,278
247
320
180
747
2,531
A.
4
7
1
15
0
13
8
0
0
8
5
P.
11
2
10
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
* This large amount of cash in hand is due to heavy receipts during the last few days of December
which were not sent to the treasury until after 31st December.
The net results of the asylum milk business for the past three years are con-
trasted in the following statement:—
Milk sold to the public
... ... ...
Milk sold to the asylum ... ... ...
Realized by sale of cattle ... ... ...
Total ...
Cost of feeding cows
...
...
...
Salary of milkman ... ... ...
Price paid for cattle purchased
...
...
Total ...
Net profit ...
1895.
Rs.
732
1,064
183
1,980
267
180
A.
10
12
0
6
6
0
P.
0
3
0
3
0
0
......
447
1,533
6
0
0
3
1896.
Rs.
842
959
70
1,872
189
180
100
469
1,402
A.
11
5
0
1
2
0
0
2
15
P.
10
5
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
1897.
Rs.
1,798
1,420
60
3,278
247
180
320
747
2,531
A.
5
7
0
13
8
0
0
8
5
P.
11
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
1