8
ANNUAL REPOET ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
(b) General hygiene of the insane.—This has been well attended to in all
the asylums. In the Madras Asylum the Superintendent remarks that many
patients, were admitted in a terrible condition of emaciation and starvation, and
they have all been attended to as well as possible. He has been directed to report
what steps seem desirable to ensure their being taken care of en route to the asylums.
Clothing is changed once a week. In special cases a woollen jersey is provided in
cold months and baths, open-air exercise, &c, are well attended to. The cooked
food has regularly been inspected by the superintendent and found to be satis-
factory.
(c) Drainage.—The Vizagapatam Asylum has naturally a good drainage
system being situated on a high and sloping ground. The drainage of Madras
Asylum has been dealt within G.O., No. 351, Judicial, of the 21st February 1896,
and the further information called for in it is now being prepared.
All the buildings in the Calicut Asylum are provided with V-shaped masonry
drains with the exception of the refractory shed for males.
(d) Water-supply.—In the Vizagapatam Asylum a sufficient supply of good
water is obtained from a well in the asylum compound. In the Madras Asylum
the water for drinking, cooking and washing purposes is obtained from the Red
Hill supply, but for gardening, bathing, &c, well water is used. The free supply
of 390*000 gallons of water by the Municipality was found to be quite insufficient
for asylum purposes, and on a strong recommendation having been made the
quantity was raised to 600,000 gallons, which is ample. This gives thirty
gallons per head of the asylum population. In the Calicut Asylum the wells were
repaired and the water-supply was fairly adequate, in summer, however, water for
gardening purposes has to be taken from an adjacent tank.
(e) Food and weighments.—The diet of the insanes has been that sanctioned
in CO., No. 1292, Judicial, dated 26th June 1893, in all the asylums. In the
Vizagapatam Asylum cumbu and cholum were in use. Some of the patients long
accustomed to rice refused this diet and had to be dieted on rice; the weak and
feeble receive rice diet. In the Madras Asylum raggi has been the staple grain
in use except in the cases of the insanes in feeble health and with poor digestive
powers where rice has been substituted. The Superintendent reports that he has
noticed some insanes in good health after being dieted on raggi for some time,
grow thin and weakly, and that these men require careful observation. On the
whole the use of the raggi diet has been more satisfactory last year in the Madras
Lunatic Asylum than in the year previous ; this the Superintendent attributes to the
greater care bestowed upon the cleaning and cooking of the grain. The husk was
more thoroughly separated, which the iSuperintendent considers has greatly dimi-
nished the number of cases of diarrhoea and irritability of the bowels though he
gives no figures to support this statement. The Superintendent thinks that the
scale of diet laid down for Europeans is insufficient for an able-bodied European,
but as it is equal to a full diet as allowed in the Presidency State Hospitals it
appears sufficient. In Calicut rice was substituted for dry grains, and cocoanut
oil for ghee in certain cases.
Weighments.—The results of weighments have been satisfactory in all the
asylums. Fortnightly weighments have been carried out and the results sent to me.
The following is the results of weighments in the Madras Asylum during the
year:—
(1) (a) average number weighed
420
(6) average number who gained weight ...
...
...
171
(c)
Do.
who lost weight
...
,
167
(d)
Do.
who remained stationary
82
(2) Aggregate weight of those discharged during the year—
(a) weight on admission ...
...
...
...
... 10,384 lb.
(b) weight on discharge ...
«.
10,872 lb.
(c) number gained weight
...
...
...
...
70
(d) number lost woight
20
(e) number remained the same ...
...
...
...
4
(/") greatest gain
...
29 1b.
(</) greatest loss
...
..♦
...
...
...
...
29 1b.