8
ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
In the Calicut Asylum, cloth and coir mat weaving, coir-twisting and gardening
formed the chief industries. Many of the insanes were also employed in drawino-
and carrying water, cleaning the asylum compound, tailoring and kitchen work.
The females were employed in pounding rice, threshing and twisting coir, grinding
currystuff and sweeping the compound. Owing to the contemplated abolition of
the asylum, little progress was made in the industries noted.
Garden and farm work, cleaning and pounding grains, &c, cloth-weaving, tape
making and tin-work continued to be the employments in the Asylum at Vizaga-
patam.
(8) Amusements.—In the Madras Asylum there was a lantern exhibition
and a vocal and instrumental concert during the year, besides the usual monthly
out-door treats. Cards, draughts, books, writing and drawing have amused the
Europeans, while the game of puchees (a native game with cowries) has helped to
relieve the monotony of the day among the natives. Rupees 25 a month have been
sanctioned (G.O., No. 1701, Judicial, dated 28th October 1896) towards the hiring
of conveyances to give the quieter and better behaved insanes an occasional outing
to the beach and country. The Superintendent considers lawn-tennis and bad-
minton unsuited to the inmates of an asylum, but considers it very desirable to
have a cheap large hall erected, which could be used as a library and reading-
room besides serving for the holding of concerts, magic lantern exhibitions, penny
readings, &o.
The insanes in the Calicut Asylum amused themselves daily between 10 A.M.
and 2 p. M. with k kolatam' or chess. Treats were given on cei'tain festival days.
The monthly expenditure of Rs. 4 for amusements and Rs. 6 for hiring convey-
ances for driving the insanes, allowed by Government, will be utilized in future.
In the Vizagapatam Asylum the Christmas treat was given by the Superintend-
ent. Singing, playing, tom-tom and cymbals, chess and cards formed the chief
amusements.
II.-STATISTICS OF HEALTH AND TEEATMENT OF THE SICK.
(1) Sickness and Us causes.—In the Madras Asylum there were 390 admis-
sions into hospital during the year against 718 in the previous year, and the daily
average sick for the year was 57*27 against 89*00 in 1895. The greatly diminished
number of admissions during the year was due to the good health which the iusanes
generally enjoyed. The largest number of admissions was, in the order of their
frequency, for itch, mania, simple continued fever, epilepsy, bronchitis, catarrhal
inflammation of the intestines, abscess, tubercle oflung, and general paralysis of
the insane.
In the Calicut Asylum 141 patients were treated, with a daily average sick of
24*82, against 112 treated in the year previous, with a daily average sick of 22"57.
Patients who lost 4 or 5 lb. since the last weighment, and those who steadily lost
weight were admitted into hospital. Idiopathic anaemia and disorders of the ali-
mentary tract contributed the largest number of admissions.
In the Vizagapatam Asylum the total number treated was 60 against 116 in
1895. The daily average sick was 4*68 against 11*49 in the previous year. The
greatest number of admissions was for simple continued fever and disorders of
the digestive system.
(2) Forcible feeding and methods in use,—In the Madras Asylum forcible
feeding was resorted to in eight cases—in six by the nasal tube, in two per rectum.
One Eurasian female insane, who obstinately refused food of any description, was
kept alive from January to October by artificial feeding through the nasal tube.
She has since then taken to eating of her own accord.
Two insanes were forcibly fed in the Calicut Asylum—one regularly by the
nasal tube and the other by the hand during periods of excitement.
Five patients in the Vizagapatam Asylum had more or less continually to be
fed by the hand.
(3) Mortality and, its causes.—38 deaths occurred in the Madras Asylum
against 94 (which included 37 cases of cholera) in the previous year. Death was
due to the following causes :—tubercle of lung 10, mania 6, other mental states 3,
bowel complaints 3, abscess 2, epilepsy 2, general paralysis of the insane 2, disease