ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
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drinking—though it may be drunk surreptitiously by insanes and they have been
occasionally found doing so.
(e) Food and weighments.—The diet scale sanctioned in G.O., No. 1292,
dated 26th June 1893 was in use in all the asylums. In Vizagapatam cumbu was
the grain in use being the cheapest; some of the patients who have been for years
accustomed to rice refused the cumbu. The Superintendent reports "that since
the substitution of gingelly oil for ghee from the 1st October (G.O., No. 1963,
dated 15th August 1894), there has been a falling off in the weights of the males
but it has not been decided whether it is in consequence of that fact. From the
same date, a new supply of cumbu has been in use which appears to be perfectly
good but is said to be very old and innutritious. Though there has been this loss
of weight amongst the men, their health is satisfactory, and they are all in regular
work." A careful watch is kept over them and he is now giving cholum for the
evening meal instead of two meals of cumbu. The fortnightly weighment state-
ments submitted to me are now satisfactory. All vegetables were grown in the
asylum. Fresh fish was occasionally substituted for mutton. All grains and other
articles were, as far as possible, purchased in bulk and no contracts were made.
In Calicut rice was substituted for the dry grains and extras were given to the
sick and to those losing weight. Out of the total number 124, 73 gained and 47
lost weight, 4 remaining stationary. In the Madras Asylum the Superintendent
reports that the food was sufficient and varied; the ordinary diet for natives con-
sisting of raggi mainly, but cholum was used for the first half of the year. He
considers that raggi is not a suitable grain for the general use of insane patients
who often are out of health on admission, fanciful in appetite and weak in diges-
tion and are often unable to express their feelings as to their food except by
refusing it. They appear commonly to dislike raggi, refusing to eat it and in some
instances passing it undigested with diarrhœa. This, I considered, was probably
due to bad cooking and specially called his attention to the subject. The Superin-
tendent also thinks that it should only be given in case of good health and that
it would be safer to place patients on rice on admission to the asylum, reversing
the general rule of placing them on rice after trying them on raggi.
Regarding this grain diet scale sanctioned in G.O., No. 1292, Judicial, dated
26th June 1893, orders were issued in June last to adhere to it except in the
case of those actually on the sick list and that copies of the diet scales should be
hung up in the wards and kitchen and of the sick dietary in the hospital; also that
all medical subordinates should make themselves acquainted with all the diet scales
for lunatics and with the ingredients of each diet. Fortnightly weighments of all
insanes not in hospitals were ordered and a quarterly comparative statement of the
results was to be submitted to me. This was continued until the receipt of G.O.,
No. 2472, Judicial, dated the 11th October 1894 when orders were issued to sub-
mit monthly copies of the abstracts of fortnightly weighments and general rules
regarding weighment similar to those in force in the jails were issued with the
view of bringing specially before the medical officer any insane who was losing
weight. From both Vizagapatam and Calicut the reports have been satisfactory
but in Madras there has been a great deal of difficulty and the experiment ended
by a large number of the patients losing weight. It was impossible to say how
much of this was due to their dislike of and distaste for raggi, how much due to
indifferent cleaning and cooking of the same, and how much to an indifferent selec-
tion of the grain used. The Superintendent considered a good deal of diarrhoea
during the epidemic of cholera in December 1894 and January 1895 was due to
undigested raggi and he was permitted by me to place for the time being all the
insanes on rice. The former Acting Superintendent Surgeon-Major Evans had
proposed the use of raggi in June 1894 for all those who were fit for it and I sanc-
tioned its use instead of cholum on condition that it should be cautiously introduced
and its effects carefully watched. From the date of its introduction about July 1894
up to the end of December 1894 no report was received regarding any injurious
effect on those partaking of it though the special weighment returns of this class
were unsatisfactory.
(f) Clothing.—The Superintendent of the Vizagapatam Asylum suggests
that langoties ought to be provided for the males for use during the day so that
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