( 3 )
the Superintendent of the Benares Asylum. In 63 cases, or rather less
than 20 per cent. of the total number admitted, insanity was attributed
to the use of intoxicants.
8. The expenditure on construction and repairs amounted to
Rs. 6,886, compared with Rs. 7,498 in the preceding year; the only
special works undertaken being the re-construction of the flooring
and sleeping platform in a barrack of the Benares Asylum, and the
re-roofing of a godown at Bareilly. The necessity of connecting the
asylum at Benares with the municipal water works is again urged by
the Superintendent. The work has been temporarily postponed for want
of funds, but will shortly be put in hand in connection with the scheme
for supplying the Reserve Police Lines. Rupees 69,888 were spent in the
maintenance of lunatics, as compared with Rs. 74,486 in 1898, the reduc-
tion being mainly effected under the head of diet. The friends of
lunatics contributed Rs. 2,182 towards their support, and Rs. 6,017 were
realized by asylum industries. The latter figure was much smaller than
that (lis. 9,516) of the previous year, and is mainly explained by the
falling off in the receipts of the Dairy Farm at Bareilly. The net
cost per head to Government amounted to Rs. 58-15-8, or about Rs. 2
less than in 1898. Out of the sum of Rs. 300 per annum sanctioned by
Government for each asylum for the purpose of providing amusements
for the lunatics, a sum of Rs. 623 was expended during the year, and
the results are reported to have been beneficial ; but at Agra compar-
atively little use was made of this indulgence.
9. Appendix A contains the usual annual report upon the Dairy
Farm attached to the Bareilly Asylum. The net profit was Rs. 1,097
only, as compared with Rs. 5,283 in 1898. The decrease is partly due
to the discontinuance, which has already been approved by Government,
of the practice of purchasing milk from outside sources and selling
again either this milk or the butter produced from it. Considerable
losses also were caused by a serious outbreak of cattle disease which
occurred at the end of the year, and was diagnosed as rinderpest by
Veterinary-Lieutenant Walker, of the Bacteriological Laboratory, who
visited the dairy and inoculated the healthy stock. Forty-two head of
stock were also inoculated with tuberculin in August last by Dr. Rogers,
Officiating Imperial Bacteriologist, with results showing that the stock
is free from any taint of tubercular disease. The Lieutenant-Governor
has pleasure in acknowledging the services rendered by both these
gentlemen to the department.
10. The project for establishing a central asylum at Agra, to
which administrative sanction was accorded last year, remained for a
while in abeyance pending the decision of the question whether the
site of the asylum would be wanted for a combined railway station.
That question has been decided in the negative, and work will now
be resumed. The plan of the new asylum has been revised in view
of the less repressive mode of treatment of insanes which Western
experience has approved.
11. The Lieutenant-Governor is glad to learn from the Inspector-
General's report that all four asylums are carefully and efficiently