RESOLUTION

                                                    ON THE

                    REPORT ON THE LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BURMA

                            FOR THE TRIENNIUM 1906—1908.

Extract from the proceedings of the Government of Burma, No. 9K.-13, dated the 7th April 1909.

READ—

The Report on the Lunatic Asylums in Burma for the triennium 1906—08.

RESOLUTION.—In the Resolution on the Report on the Rangoon Lunatic
Asylum for the triennium 1903—05 it was stated that the degree of overcrowding
was acute, and that it was hoped to begin as soon as possible the construction
of a new asylum on a site which had been selected in the neighbourhood of
Mandalay. It is a matter of great regret to the Leiutenant-Governor that the
prospect of the construction of the new asylum being undertaken is now, if anything,
further off than it was three years ago. The plans and estimates have been pre-
pared, and, although the site near Mandalay has been abandoned on sanitary
grounds, a new site has been selected at Meiktila ; but in the present state of the
provincial finances it will not be possible for some time to come to find the large
sum of money which the construction of a new and suitable asylum will require.
Temporary relief has been afforded by the conversion of the old jail at Minbu into
a lunatic asylum for the accommodation of criminal lunatics for whom special
treatment is not essential. In consequence, however, of the rapid increase in the
lunatic population this measure has not sufficed to reduce the overcrowding. The
two asylums furnish accommodation for an aggregate of 555 patients only, whereas
on the last day of 1908, the lunatic population of the two asylums amounted to
587. The Lieutenant-Governor will consider whether, in view of the difficulty of
forecasting when the new asylum will be built, additional accommodation should
not be provided in the existing asylums.

2.   It is all the more satisfactory, in view of the inadequate accommodation,
to find that the death-rate in the two asylums in 1908 was lower than the rate in
the asylums in any other Province in India. It is possible that the careful atten-
tion which has been paid to the water-supply of both asylums has helped to
contribute to this result. Special attention has been given during the period under
review to the improvement of the supervision exercised over the inmates. Of the
reforms introduced the most noteworthy was that of the card system of surveil-
lance which precludes the possibility of a keeper not knowing that a particular
patient is specially dangerous or has suicidal tendencies. The result was seen in
the decrease in the number of injuries inflicted by the inmates from 30 in 1905 to
13 in 1906, 15 in 1907 and 12 in 1908.

3.   The administration of the asylums during the past three years has been
zealous and efficient, and the thanks of the Local Government are due to the
officers who have had charge of the two asylums during the period. His Honour
desires also to acknowledge the close attention paid by Colonel King to the
administration of the lunatic asylums of the Province.

                By order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Burma,

                                                                            F. LEWISOHN,

                                                    Offg. Secretary to the Government of Burma.

G. B. P.,Maymyo—No.51,Secy.,—10.4.l903—312-J.G.W.