24
ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
have been turned out of house and home by their relatives and have wandered
about the country in search of food, which is often not forthcoming, and in a
helpless excited state they are brought to the asylum. After a few days in these
cases a change is observed by giving them good and regular diet, cold douche,
chloral and bromide of potassium to ensure good sleep.
Secondly.—No restraints. In this asylum there is none. Out of 131 cases
treated during the year, I have only had occasion to keep one patient locked up
during the day in a large ward. This was necessary as his habit is to bite people
without any apparent cause, and he would wander about and never remain in one
place ; and it kept under special watch outside the wards, he would get much excited
and troublesome. He is quite content to sit quietly in the ward and do nothing.
Thirdly.—Kind words and little offerings of snuff and tobacco appease many
an excited lunatic. Indeed, the resident Medical Subordinate never goes about
without a box of snuff for this very purpose.
1 fear, sometimes, lunatics are excited by unkind words or a little harsh treat-
ment from their attendants. This when proved is always severely noticed by me ;
but it is only natural that sometimes the attendants do lose their temper with
refractory and troublesome patients. The very refractory patients are kept at
night in the refractory rooms, but the cause for so doing is always noted by the
Hospital Assistant in a book kept especially for the purpose, and no inmate can be
locked up separately at night without the Hospital Assistant's order, and his reason
for such an order is recorded and submitted to me for approval the following day.
In the chronic cases little or nothing can be done, except to permit them to
follow their own peculiar fancies, and good diet.
Much would be done for the better treatment of lunatics if the causes of their
lunacy were exactly known. But this, except in very rare cases, is not found out;
for, as said before, the majority of lunatics that come to the asylum have been
wandering about the country and the police who bring them know not their
relatives, and the unfortunate lunatics cannot, of course, give their own history.
For example, an inmate had been in the asylum for five years; his wife suddenly
came to see him, and after a few interviews he got quite well, when it was made
known to me that the cause of his lunacy was a dispute between his wife and himself.
As soon as she came and talked to him and settled the quarrel he recovered and has
been out of the asylum eight months. If I had known this cause, I would have
endeavoured to have got his wife to come and see him sooner.
There are several other similar cases.
Occupation.—Weaving, gardening, and improving the asylum grounds.
The weaving has been done to an extent of Rs. 293-2-0, the cloth manu-
factured being taken for the inmates' use.
The labor of the inmates in improving the grounds has during the past year
been considerable. They have filled up many pits (which the Surgeon-General
noticed last year as being unsightly) and generally improved the grounds, which
are now in a perfect state of order and cleanliness. The work done was valued at
Rs. 483-2-2.
I intend starting some of the inmates to a particular trade this year now that
little remains to be done to the grounds.
The income from the sale of vegetables and fruits was Rs. 165-15-10, out of
which Rs. 46-6-0 was remitted to the treasury, the balance being utilized for
occasional treats on native festival days.
Amusements.—The
inmates amuse themselves by various native games,
swings, &c.
The annual treat was given on the 18th January 1884, to which nearly all the
officials and many of the non-officials, European and native gentry, attended and
helped with subscriptions.
Establishment.—Since
the commencement of the year a change has been made
in the establishment. In place of an Overseer a Matron has been appointed solely
for the female department, while the two experienced Duffadars have sole charge of
the male department, their salary being raised to Rs. 15 and Rs. 12 respectively.
The change has proved a success.