4
No. 983, JUDICIAL, 8TH JUNE 1896.
reason why it should continue to be considerably more than twice as much as at Viza-
gapatam. At Calicut this excuse cannot be advanced, and yet the expenditure there
averages Rs. 60 per head against Us. 25 at Vizagapatam—a fact which calls lor the
serious consideration of the Surgeon-General.
It is not understood why three suits of clothing per annum are provided for the
inmates at Calicut, while only two are furnished at Vizagapatam. In the absence of
special reasons to the contrary, it is desirable that the rule should be uniform.
The statistics of manufactures are given in paragraph 18 of the Surgeon-
General's report. Out of a daily average strength of 59 inmates in the Vizagapatam
asylum, on an average 25 were employed, and they earned a profit of h's. 46 each.
This is the best result on record and is again highly creditable to the Superintendent.
In Calicut, on the other hand, only 27 out of a strength of 103 were employed and
the profit earned by each fell from lis. 28 to Es. 24, and in Madras, although 30b out
of a total strength of 440 were employed, they only succeeded in earning Rs. 9 per
head. Except that the fall at Calicut in the average profit earned is partly accounted
for, the Surgeon-General's report contains no explanation of these remarkable varia-
tions, although his special attention was called to the matter in the last annual review.
He will now be requested to report why a larger proportion of the inmates at Calicut
were not employed, and the causes which led to the earnings per head of those at
Madras being only abuut one-fifth of the figure realised at Vizagapatam.
The importance of encouraging manufactures consists, not only in the fact that
the cost to the tax-payer of maintaining the asylums is thereby slightly decreased, but
in the consideration that the inmates can in this manner be assisted on the way to the
recovery of their mental powers by being provided with regular employment of a
more or less interesting kind instead of being compelled to spend day after day in
wearisome inaction in their cells or lounging about the grounds.
5. General.—Of the various matters alluded to by the Surgeon-General in the
course of his report, orders have already been passed as to the rules for the care of
lunatics in transit, as to the toty lines at Madras, and as to the appointment of an
assistant steward there. The questions of the abolition of the two smaller asylums,
of the revision of the code of rules, of the scale of establishment in the institutions,
of increasing the pay of the Superintendent at Madras and building him new quarters,
and of providing further forms of amusement for the inmates of the asylums, are
still under the consideration of Government.
Surgeon-Captain Palk appears to have worked with much energy to bring the
Madras Lunatic Asylum into better order. The thanks of His Excellency the
Governor in Council are due to Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel A. H. Leapingwell for his
excellent administration of the asylum at Vizagapatam, the features of which have
already been noticed. His Excellency also observes with pleasure his testimony to
the good work done by the hospital assistant in charge there. The Surgeon-General's
recommendation in his favour should form the subject of a separate communication.
The management of the other two asylums progressed during the year, but. as pointed
out above, there remains considerable scope for further improvement in them.
(True Extract.)
J. F. PRICE,
Chief Secretary.