No. D/1194-A. OF 1917.

                                                             OFFICE OF THE SURGEON-GENERAL
                                                             WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF BOMBAY :

                                                                                Poona, 9th May 1917.

From

        THE HONOURABLE SURGEON GENERAL R. W. S. LYONS, M.D., K.H.P., I.M.S.,

                                                    SURGEON GENERAL with the

                                                                    GOVERNMENT OF BOMBAY;

To

        THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,

                                                                    General Department, Bombay.

Sir,

I have the honour to submit, for the information of Government, the
Annual Report on the Asylums for the treatment of Insanes in the Bombay
Presidency for the year 1916.

                                    Buildings and Repairs.

2.    The buildings are in good order. No additions were made during the
year, as the works which have received the administrative approval of
Government have been held over owing to the present financial situation.
Additional accommodation for insanes is urgently required at all the Asylums
as owing to the numbers admitted increasing every year, the existing accom-
modation is overcrowded.

                                        Water Supply.

3.    The supply of drinking water has been good and sufficient at all the
Asylums except the Naupada Asylum where the well is liable to contamination
and partially fails during the hot season so that long waits become necessary
for the collection of water to enable the engine to work. The well is per-
manganated twice a week regularly throughout the year. The proposal to
supply water from the Tansa Main has received the approval of Government,
but it has been postponed for want of funds. The supply of water for gardening
at Yeravda Asylum is insufficient as arrangements have not yet been made
owing to the war for pumping up river water.

                                    STATEMENT No. I.

                                    Total Population.

4.    During the. year under review 644 insanes were admitted into the
Asylums against 481 in 1915, an increase of 163 or nearly 34 per cent. The
re-admissions numbered 24 against 18 in the previous year. The total number
of inmates rose from 1,652 in 1915 to 1,900 in 1916. The increase of 248 in
the total population was due to larger admissions at all the Asylums but
especially at Naupada where the number admitted was 258 as compared with
129 in 1915. The increase was partly caused by the large number of military
patients admitted at Naupada and Yeravda Asylums numbering 144 against 43
last year. There was also an increase of 62 among the civil patients admitted
who numbered 500 against 438 last year. The Asylums were overcrowded
throughout the year although arrangements were made so as to utilize all
available space.

                                Daily Average Strength.

5.    The daily average strength was 1,294.6 (males 1,014.8 and females
279.8) as compared with 1,194.0 (males 936.9 and females 257.1) in 1915.

    L 23—1