REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1894.
19
In one or two cases at the General Hospital blood-letting undoubtedly
saved life. It is extremely gratifying to witness the relief afforded in embarrass-
ment of the respiration arising from œdema of the lungs by the withdrawal from
the systemic circulation of from 16 to 20 ounces of blood.
106. Measures adopted to arrest the epidemic.—To give the asylum a differ-
ent water-supply, to obtain food from other directions, and to keep the lunatics
as far as possible in the open air, were the first measures to engage attention.
The use of drinking-water drawn from the asylum wells was therefore put a stop
to, and water taken at municipal hydrants was brought into the asylum for
drinking purposes. The rice in use was no longer issued, but another variety of
rice obtained. The various enclosures of the asylum for males were emptied of
their inmates, who were kept in the open air under the shelter of trees, a temporary
palisading of jungle-wood being rapidly erected to prevent them from wandering
away. In the female section of the asylum bamboo huts were built to provide
a change of residence. At night the male lunatics were accommodated in the
many verandahs with which the various buildings in the asylum are furnished.
107. The disinfection of all buildings was then taken in hand. One after
another the barracks of masonry cells, and the cottages, were repeatedly washed
with water, and afterwards flushed with a solution of corrosive sublimate of the
strength of 1 in 1,000, to which some hydrochloric acid was added.
108. The exertions of the warders were joined with those of the lunatics in
carrying out a thorough disinfection of the premises under the supervision of the
Overseer and the Hospital Assistant. All other work was for the time set aside,
and the united efforts of the lunatics and the entire asylum establishment were
utilized in the work of purifying the whole of the buildings occupied by the insane
population of the asylum.
The virulence of the epidemic may have been to some extent checked by
the radical measures adopted.
109. Statement IX, showing the cash account, &c.—It will be seen the total
expenditure for the year, excluding book charges, amounted to Rs. 48,416-2-0
as against Rs. 46,473-8-5* for the preceding year, or an increase of Rs. 1,942-9-7.
110. The diet charges were heavier for the following reasons :—
(a) The scale of extra diet issued to convalescents and patients in
hospital was extended to include milk and jaggery.
(b) Paddy could not be procured and rice had to be purchased, whereby
increased expenditure was incurred.
(c) The daily average population was slightly in excess of that of the
preceding year.
111.The increase in the outlay on bazaar medicines was due partly to the
increased consumption of hypnotic drugs, the greater portion of which it was
necessary to purchase locally, for they were not obtainable from the Medical
Store Department, and partly to the cost of disinfectants required for the puri-
fication of the asylum buildings rendered desirable by the outbreak of beriberi.
112. Contingencies proper rose in consequence of the purchase of locks,
without which the new buildings could not be occupied, and of larger purchases
of raw material for the Manufacture Department.
113. Statement X, showing the sanctioned establishment, &c.—No changes
were made during the year in the asylum establishment until the 14th April, when
two sweepers were entertained for duty in the hospital.
114. The Assistant Surgeon was transferred on the 7th August, and, as he
was not at once replaced, an allowance, taking effect from the date of his trans-
fer, of Rs. 50 per mensem was granted to the Overseer as compensation for the
extra work that fell to his lot to perform.
115. When the asylum took over the 62 criminal insanes from the Ran-
goon jail, it was necessary to engage from that date six additional warders to
look after them.
* In the preceding year's statement the charges were set down at Rs. 42,438-14-1 only, but the figures
were wrong, for, owing to misconception, the miscellaneous receipts which should have been accounted for in
columns 6 and 16 were omitted.