18
ANNUAL ItEPOttT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
the asylum throughout the year, and has been reported by the Superintendent to be
ignorant, careless and unfit to look after the patients of an asylum. He has been
transferred.
Nursing staff—vide supra II (7)
There are no special hospital establishments in the Calicut and Vizagapatam
Asylums.
(3) Notes On Visitors' Reports.—The Madras Asylum was visited during
the year once by the Honourable bir J. Woodburn, once by the Sanitary Commis-
sioner, once by the Inspector-General of Prisons, and on several occasions by me.
As the Sanitary Commissioner has made several proposals of an important
nature, they will be treated here in detail.
(i) Considering the defective nature of the buildings and the nature and
number of the attendant staff he proposed to lock the violent suicidal patients in
bare cells in a naked condition.
About this proposal the Superintendent remarks that it is absolutely necessary
that the walls and floors of these cells should be made of non-absorbent material
and that the cells should be capable of being warmed to an equable temperature
during the cold months. The superintendent, however, considers the number of
the attendant staff to be sufficient but the quality defective.
The question of artificially maintaining the heat of these rooms has been dwelt
upon previously—vide I (c), 6.
(ii) A filtered water-supply for the asylum.—The estimate for this was not
sanctioned by Government, as the Government did not consider that the necessity to
erect the proposed filter beds had been sufficiently demonstrated (G.O., No. 1701,
Judicial, dated 28th October 1896).
(iii) Flashing the various blocks under pressure from hydrant.—Government
has disallowed the estimates for the flushing scheme on my reporting to Government
that the Madras Municipality had lately increased its free issue of Red Hills water
to the asylum to 600,000 gallons a month (G.O., No. 1701, Judicial, dated 28th
December 1896).
(iv) The abolition of the Modavakam tank.—The breaching of this tank
and cultivating its bed are under consideration and as already stated, I have asked
the Superintendent to submit his report after consultation with the Municipal
President and the Sanitary Commissioner. His report is awaited.
(v) TJie advisability of the open bathing cisterns.—The Sanitary Commis-
sioner considered these objectionable, as he opined that they were liable to be
contaminated. The Superintendent, however, does not fully concur with the
Sanitary Commissioner in the opinion, but thinks that elevated wrought-iron cisterns
would be decidedly preferable.
During a recent visit of His Excellency the Governor of Madras to the asylum,
His Excellency was pleased to endorse the opinion of the Sanitary Commissioner
about the necessity of a trained staff of attendants for the hospital and to draw
attention to the Sanitary Commissioner's report about the drainage and flushing
scheme.
Calicut Asylum.—There were six meetings of the official visitors. During the
year the Superintendent of Police, the Subordinate Judge, the Principal District
Munsif, and the Treasury Deputy Collector were appointed extra oflicial visitors
of the asylum. Regular monthly meetings are now held in accordance with the
desire expressed by His Excellency the Governor when he visited the asylum on the
30th September. The asylum was also visited during the year by myself, by the
Inspector-General of Prisons, and by the Deputy Sanitary Commissioner.
The Vizagapatam Asylum was visited during the year once by me and once
by the Inspector-General of Prisons. The official visitors met once every month.
With reference to paragraph 2 of G.O., No. 983, Judicial, dated 8th June
1896, reviewing the annual report of Lunatic Asylums for 1895, the Superintendent
of the Vizagapatam Asylum states that so far from admissions into asylums being too
freely ordered, there are lunatics in every town who are a nuisance to the public