ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
Revised estimates will be submitted when ready in accordance with G.O., No.
1701, Judicial, dated 2oth October 1896, as regards day and feeding sheds, covered
passages, bath rooms and latrines for the hospitals, lean-to-shed for attendants
and huts for sweepers and horse-keepers. The question of the necessity for a
quarantine-block of six cells forms still the subject of correspondence between this
office and the Superintendent.
In the Calicut Asylum the drain work for the hospital and th9 female refractory
block which were begun in 1895, were completed and paid for during the year.
The flooring of the latrines in the male and criminal wards and a pucka shed for
storing dry earth in proximity to the latrine in the male ward were also taken up
and completed during the year.
There was no new construction in the asylum at Vizagapatam.
(3) Repairs executed.—In Madras the repairs comprised the taking up of
the cracked asphalte floors of several of the general blocks and single rooms and
replacing the same by Portland cement (sanctioned in G.O., No. 3250 W.,
dated 19th December 1895), petty repairs to the buildings and service pipes and
re-metalling the principal roads in the asylum, (sanctioned in G.O., No. 847,
Judicial, dated 11th May 1896). The usual annual minor repairs such as, white-
washing, tarring, shifting and replacing tiles, &c, were done to the asylums at
Calicut and Vizagapatam.
(4) State of repair.—The buildings in the Madras Asylum may be said to be
in a fair state of repair. The unprecedented heavy rains of November and Decem-
ber of last year caused leakage through the roof in many of the blocks. The kitchen
is old and requires renewal, its plan is unsatisfactory and it is too limited for the
present cooking requirements of the asylum.
The Hospital Assistant's and the attendants' quarters in the Calicut Asylum
need repairs. They will be executed in 1897-98 with the annual allotment.
In the Vizagapatam Asylum the roof of the hospital and female cottage,
female solitary cells, and the roofs of the verandahs of all other cottages require
repair. All buildings are in need of plastering. The walls of the solitary cells
and sleeping blocks should be cemented to a height of five feet. The kitchen has
been condemned and plans for a new one are expected. Nothing has been done
to remedy the existing state of things as the retention or abolition of the asylum
itself has not yet been decided.
(5) Hospital accommodation for males and females.—The hospital accommo-
dation for all classes and sexes in the Madras Asylum is very inadequate. The
dilficulties which the Superintendent experiences in the care and treatment of the
sick owing to this defective accommodation, are indeed very great. I cannot too
strongly urge upon Government the extreme urgency of the improvements sanctioned
in G.O., No. 3467, W., dated 4th December 1896.'
The scheme for the provision of contagious and isolation blocks has been
approved by Government and nothing remains but for the work to be put in hand.
In the Calicut Asylum the hospital has room for 12 males only. No separate
accommodation is available for females who are now located in one of the cells
in the female enclosure which accommodates eight sick.
The hospital accommodation for both sexes is sufficient in the asylum at
Vizagapatam.
(c) Sanitation—
(1) Conservancy.—The work in the Madras Asylum was done as well as
could be effected with the very limited toty staff available and considering the
extremely filthy habits of several of the insanes. The extra reward of one rupee
per mensem for good conduct (sanctioned in G.O., No. 874, Judicial, dated 26th
April 1895) has certainly had a good effect, but the Superintendent considers that
the reduction of the proportion of sweepers to insanes from 1 to 16 to 1 to 20 has
been very detrimental in its effects.
lie states that the present conservancy
arrangements of the asylum are carried on with considerable difficulty, and 1 am
strongly of opiuion that the toty staff' should be strengthend.