No. S.B./90 OF 1883.
FROM
THE SURGEON GENERAL WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF BOMBAY ;
TO
THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
General Department.
Bombay, 13th March 1883.
SIR,
I have the honour to submit, for the information of His Excellency the
Governor in Council, my Administration Report on the Lunatic Asylums of this
Presidency for the year 1882, together with summaries of the reports by the
Superintendents.
2. The asylum buildings are in good order and have required only ordi-
nary repairs, except at Dhárwár, where the entrance porch required to be rebuilt.
Conservancy at all the asylums is efficiently carried out. The water-supply is
ample and of good quality. The gardens at all the asylums have been very
successful during the year, and have afforded useful work for many of the
patients.
3. The general health of the asylum population has been very satisfactory.
At Ahmedabad there was a slight outbreak of cholera in July, but otherwise the
health of the inmates showed a considerable improvement compared with the
previous year.
Government
Resolution
No. 3387, General Depart-
ment, dated 31st August 1882.
4. During the year the want of accommodation has been several times
felt. I was enabled, by the transfer of 7 insanes to
Poona, to temporarily relieve the excess population at
Colába, but the accommodation thus provided was
almost immediately taken up by the admission of crim-
inal lunatics. The daily average number of inmates at Colába has been 8.5 in
excess of the accommodation, and the highest number confined at any one time
was 322, or 22 in excess. There also occurred a difficulty at Colába in receiving
European insanes: this was in part due to the fact that some of the patients of
the season 1881-82 were not sent home then, but were detained in the asylum
until the season 1882-83. The accommodation at Dhárwár was insufficient; it
was necessary to refuse admission to several patients, and for the greater part of
the year the population was 1 in excess of the proper number. At Ahmedabad
there was also some excess in the number of inmates above the number for which
there is accommodation, and patients had on several occasions to be refused
admission. I would, therefore, urge that the new asylums at Ratnágiri and Bel-
gaum may be proceeded with as soon as possible, as the accommodation thus pro-
vided will relieve the pressure on the existing institutions. While on the subject
of asylum accommodation I would suggest for the consideration of Government
that a separate institution should be provided for criminal insanes : there were,
at the end of the year, 73 of this class of patients confined in the asylums at
Ahmedabad, Colába and Dhárwár. The Superintendents have frequently com-
plained of the difficulty in dealing with these patients, many of whom have virtually
recovered, and who are a continual source of anxiety; when they are placed in an
institution specially set apart for criminal insanes they could be more easily
controlled and disciplined.
5. The usual statements are appended, on which I beg to offer the follow-
ing remarks:—
6. Statement No. I shows that the total population was 931 as compared
with 903 in the year 1881; of this number 778 were males and 153 females ; 263
males and 33 Females. total 296, were admitted. Five males and 3 females were
re-admitted. The number discharged was 260; of these 100 were cured, 152
were transferred to the care of friends (121 improved and 31 not improved).
B 1165—1