I?EPORT ON THE LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
20. Miscellaneous—B'ood and weighments.—The food supplies have been good
throughout. Rice is the staple grain, and is supplemented by ragi at Madras;
cholum was in use at Vizagapatara up to July 1908, and was discontinued as offering
no advantage in price or sustaining power. Fortnightly weighments have been
regularly made and the results were satisfactory.
21. The supply of clothing continues as heretofore and i3 varied according
to climatic needs and the health state of the inmates.
22. Industries and employments.—The insanes are employed in grass-farming
and gardening generally, sheep-breeding at Vizagapatam, and the upkeep of a
dairy at Calicut. Men who show some knowledge of the crafts are persuaded to
assist the artisans employed in asylum work and repairs ; while others are regularly
engaged in spinning and weaving cotton goods, sewing and knitting, tape and rope
making, grinding food-grains, and light house-hold work. No compulsion is used
in this connection; but work is rewarded by gifts of fruit, tobacco, etc.
23. Amusements.—These have been well attended to. In-door and out-door
games are regularly arranged. The library at Madras is contributed to by the
Superintendent and staff, supported bj r Government, and helped by certain news-
paper proprietors. On festival occasions treats have been provided for the insanes ,
to these have contributed at Madras, His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore and
the Central Christian Charity Fund ; at Vizagapatam, Sri Maharani Lady Gajapathi
Row Garu ; and at Calicut, the Eralpad Raja of Calicut. Music has been provided
at Madras in the gift of a gramophone by Mrs. Frost of the Castle Hotel, Mount
Road ; and at Vizagapatam in the purchase of a similar instrument; as well as in
the engagement of local bands when occasion offered.
24. Statistics of health and treatment of the sick—Sickness and its causes.—The
average daily sick in the three asylums together was 41-66, 56*69 and 60*83 in the
three years respectively. The mean for the triennium was 5306 and contrasts
favourably with the last record of 56*91. The principal diseases treated were, in
order of frequency—bowel affections, including dysentery and diarrhoea; nerve
ailments, including acute mania; conditions of anaemia and general debility,
tubercular and other general diseases.
25. Forcible feeding and methods in use.—This is rarely necessary at Vizaga-
patam and Calicut. At Madras it is a recognised necessity and is resorted to on
an average in the case of 17 inmates in each year. The method in use is nasal
feeding by means of a Jacques catheter and syphon tubing.
26. Mortality and its causes.—The deaths numbered 72, 103 and 58 in the
three years, yielding an average of 77'67 as contrasted with 61 in the previous
triennium. Excluding the deaths that resulted from cholera at Madras in 1907, and
among the weak and debilitated arrivals from Colombo, the chief causes of mortality
were:—(a) tubercle, the percentage contributed by this having fallen to 17 iu
190S in lieu of the 31 and 28 of the preceding years; (b) diseases of the nervous
system, including acute mania; (c) dysentery and catarrhal inflammation of the
bowels ; and ((/) pneumonia and diseases of the lungs.
27. Epidemics and how they were dealt with.—In 1907 an epidemic of cholera
occurred in the Madras Asylum. There were 17 attacks and 14 deaths. An
European male was first attacked on the 11th September; 4 cases occurred
sporadically up to the 3rd October, on which day there were 5 attacks, and 7 more
cases occurred in the course of the next four days. All these attacks, after the
first, were among the civil native males, living in various blocks, and having in
common the one item of rice food. Those on ragi diet were not affected. Major R.
Bryson, I.M.S., then in charge, attributes the conveyance of infection to flies which
swarmed considerably at the time. All cases of diarrhoea were segregated, and
those developing symptoms of cholera were removed to the contagious sheds; a special
staff of attendants was engaged, the cooked food was kept carefully covered until
the time of distribution, and water for drinking purposes was boiled and clarified
with permanganate of potash, in the previous triennium (August 1905) there had
been 19 attacks with 12 deaths, solely attributable to contamination of water-supply.