27TH MAY 1893, Nos. 1080, 1081, JUDICIAL.               3

These figures must be regarded as far from satisfactory and particularly so in
the case of the Madras Asylum. It is now several years since the attention of Gov-
ernment was specially attracted by the excessive cost of lunatics in Madras and on
many occasions the Surgeon-General has been directed to enquire into the matter and
explain the cause. The Surgeon-General has made various suggestions on the
subject and in every case his explanation has been found to be insufficient or erroneous.
The item in which least economy appears to be exercised in Madras is that of diet.
To some extent the high cost of rationing is due to the presence of European and
East Indian lunatics in this institution, but this fact is by no means a complete expla-
nation, although it is not possible to ascertain the exact degree to which it is
insufficient in the absence of any information in the report as to the number of
European and Eurasian and Native paying patients. This should in future be supplied
as well as the average cost of dieting such patients. It is, however, stated that,
whereas the average cost of feeding a pauper Native patient at Calicut was Rs. 3-15-4
per mensem, at the Madras Asylum the corresponding rate was Rs. 5-13-10; the
exact rate per pauper Native patient at Waltair has not been given, but it was lower
even than at Calicut.

It is true that the daily average number of sick was abnormally large in the
Madras Asylum in 1892 and that prices ruled unusually high, and no doubt both these
causes helped to raise the rate per head, but they do not seem sufficient to account for
the difference between the Madras Asylum and the two mufassal institutions.

The Government, therefore, remains of opinion that sufficient economy is not
exercised at Madras and is disappointed to find that the comments made in previous
orders have had no effect in the way of reducing expenditure. It has already been
decided to revise the diet-scales and to substitute largely dry grains for rice, and the
Government hopes to pass final orders on the subject shortly, so that no further
remarks are now called for. It is, however, observed that patients engaged on labour
have been receiving extra rations, and when submitting the new scales the Surgeon-
General will consider the advisability of making a difference between the dietary of
labouring and non-labouring patients. The extent to which the departmental system
of supply was applied during the year is not apparent from the Report; as the enter-
tainment of Storekeepers in Asylums has only recently been sanctioned it is presumed
that rations continued to be supplied on contract during 1892; the Surgeon-General
will explain.