2
RESOLUTION ON THE REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1893.
percentage of 16.9. Although considerable attention has been devoted to this
mortality, its causes remain obscure. The clothing of the inmates should be
carefully looked to during the coming wet season. It is noteworthy that only
seven of the deceased lunatics had been over five years in the Asylum, and there
is no reason to believe that any defect in the sanitary condition of the Asylum
caused the high mortality.
4. Owing to insufficient accommodation in the Asylum, a daily average
number of 63 criminal lunatics was, during the year under review, detained in
the Rangoon Central Jail. When the present extension is completed there will
be sufficient accommodation for all lunatics, both civil and criminal, including
those now detained in the Rangoon Central Jail, and they will be placed under
the care of the same medical officer.
5. The expenditure is shown as Rs. 31,408, including Rs. 31,189 drawn
from the treasury and Rs. 218 spent on English stores and medicines. The cost
of buildings and repairs and of forms and stationery is not given. It is evident that
a return which excludes all Public Works Department expenditure gives a very
inadequate idea of the burden imposed on the State by the care of lunatics. If
the figures for the calendar year are difficult to obtain, the inclusion of those for
the preceding financial year would be less misleading than leaving the columns
blank. In the preceding year the expenditure out of the treasury was Rs. 30,640
for a daily average strength of 265, while in 1893 the daily average strength was
255. There was a decrease in cost of food from Rs. 17,584 to Rs. 15,911, but
the cost of establishment shows an increase, which, after considering page 22 of
the report, is hard to understand. The greatest increase was in contingencies and
miscellaneous items, which rose from Rs. 1,362 to Rs. 2,602. This may have
been due to extra issues of clothing, but the growth of this miscellaneous expendi-
ture must be carefully watched and checked. The principle according to which
column 4 of Statement IX has been left blank is not understood, and the figure
of Rs. 742 entered in column 4 of Statement XI does not tally with the figures
regarding vegetables and milk given at pages 8 and 9 of the report. The matter
is further complicated by the fact that the Asylum had to buy both milk and
vegetables from outside and by a change in the system of accounts. The pro-
duce of the Asylum industries, including both what was consumed in the institu-
tion and what was sold to the public, realised Rs. 4,776 against Rs. 4,254 in the
preceding year. The improvement is small. Floriculture, than which no better
employment for lunatics can be desired, should be at once resumed, and the culti-
vation of vegetables should be extended.
6. The Chief Commissioner does not consider that Municipalities in Upper
Burma, except that of Mandalay, can yet afford to pay for pauper civil lunatics.
The Rangoon Municipality receives a contribution from the Port Fund which may
perhaps be supposed to cover, among other things, the maintenance of lunatic ex-
sailors. Enquiry will be made as to the practice in other Indian ports and orders
will then be passed regarding the particular case mentioned by the Superintend-
ent. It would have been more convenient if the Superintendent had referred the
question separately.
7. The visitors have recorded some practical remarks on the report. The
Chief Commissioner will bring to the notice of Magistrates the desirability of col-