ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
7
(4) State of repair.—The Madras Asylum buildings are in good condition.
Jn Vizagapatam repairs were estimated for, but had not been taken in hand at the
close of the year. In Calicut the buildings have repeatedly been declared to be in
unsatisfactory condition, and Government in Proceedings R. No. 51, dated 9th
January 1899, called for an estimate for the repairs required. The Public Works
Department was addressed on the subject.
(5) Hospital accommodation.—The hospital accomodation in the Madras
Asylum is being improved under G.O., No. 3467 W., dated 4th December 1896. The
male hospital enclosure has had the south and east compound walls lowered to 9 feet,,
and has been extended by the demolition of the wall which separated it from the
noisy enclosure. A ward to accommodate 12 European males is also being added,
and will soon be finished. In Vizagapatam and Calicut female patients are treated
in the ordinary single rooms as occasion requires; but separate accommodation
exists for 13 and 12 male patients, respectively.
(c) Sanitation—
(1) Conservancy.—In Madras the conservancy arrangements have been some-
what modified. Kerosine-oil tins fitted with handles have been found cheap, con-
venient and efficient substitues for the old filth buckets. Some portable pumps have
been introduced to supplant the old and tedious practice of baling out the sewage
cisterns. The sweepers still prefer employment anywhere rather than at the
asylum, and especially try to get on in Municipal service where husband and wife
are almost always jointly employed. The huts for sweepers, sanctioned in G.O.,
No. 1701, Judicial, dated 28th October 1896, had not been begun in 1898.
In Vizagapatam the * dry-earth' system is carried out, the night-soil being
converted into poudrette in the dry season and buried in trenches in the rains.
In Calicut dry-earth is used in the detached latrines, and the flushing system
is adopted for the night latrines attached to the cells; the night-soil is utilized as
at Vizagapatam.
(2) General hygiene of the insanes.—Particular attention has, as usual, been
paid to the bathing, clothing, exercise, and food of the insanes. The Superintend^
ent of the Madras Asylum recommends for consideration—(a) the artificial heating
of certain rooms for such cases as need special protection from cold and exposure,
and (b) the adoption of means to distribute food warm, from the kitchen to the
various sections. The former item is held in abeyance for want of a well-defined
scheme to put before Government; and the latter will be made the subject of
special representation after the new kitchen (sanctioned in G.O., No. 923, Public,
dated 16th July 1898) is completed and in working order.
(3) Drainage.—In Madras the plan and estimates for improving the drain-
age have been sanctioned in G.O., No. 1485, Public, dated 8th December 1898. In
Vizagapatam the drainage is natural and satisfactory. In Calicut the work sanc^
tioned in G.O., No. 1311, Public, dated 2nd October 1897, has not as yet been
begun. In Madras and Calicut therefore the drainage is bad.
(4) Water-supply.—The Madras Asylum has an ample supply of Red Hills
water, and also six wells, the water from which is used for agricultural purposes. In
Vizagapatam for the first half of the year the water was carted and carried by the
insanes from temporary wells in the bed of a tank outside the premises; subse-
quently the asylum well furnished all requirements. At Calicut also the supply
from January to June was obtained from a tank outside the asylum ; and for the
re3t of the year the wells in the compound yielded an abundant supply.
(d) Miscellaneous—
(1) Food and iveighments.—Itagi was, as heretofore, the staple grain in use
in the Madras Asylum; but the Superintendent reports that to improve the general
health of some insanes and to induce certain others to work rice diets were more
frequently ordered during 1898 than in previous years.
In the Vizagapatam Asylum cumboo and cholam are the grains in use ; and
the Superintendent considers them to be satisfactory, liice is the staple food-grain
ia Culicut.