Triennial Report of the Punjab Mental Hospital for the
                    years 1927,1928 and 1929.

THE triennium under review is of particular interest since it
reflects a new and very much more enlightened point of view in
regard to the treatment of the insane in the Punjab. In the last
triennial report, a note was recorded to the effect that the cost of
maintenance was too high and that considerable economies should
be effected in the future. But after due consideration of the re-
ports of two deputations carried out by the Medical Superin-
tendent in 1926 and 1927, the Government has come to the con-
clusion that the local institution is not altogether a credit to the
province, and that a considerable increase of expenditure will have
to be faced if the Hospital is to be modernised and run on up-to-
date lines (vide Annual Report, 1927).

2. With this object in view, and on the representation of
Major-General Megaw, the late Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals,
Punjab, certain additions were made to the inadequate subordinate
staff with effect from 1st April, 1929. Further, a Committee has
been appointed with the object of making recommendations for
reorganising and reconstructing the Hospital. Some reference
will be made in the succeeding paragraphs to certain of the matters
which have been considered by this highly qualified and competent
Committee.

3. As one more indication of the progressive attitude of the
Government, it is veryg ratifying to note that the Deputy Medical
Superintendent, Dr. R. S. Sharma, has been sent to the United
Kingdom to gain experience of the working and administration
of British Mental Hospitals. Up to the present, the Medical Super-
intendent has been the only individual with any knowledge and
experience of what is done in more civilised countries. And his
whole time is so much occupied with administrative work and
office routine that he has literally no time to devote to the clinical
treatment of a thousand patients. A second skilled and properly-
trained alienist has been a crying need for many years past.

4. A reference to the tables showing " Establishment " in
former years will indicate many inadequacies, e.g., one cook for a
hospital containing over a thousand patients, one gatekeeper, etc. 
It has, of course, been utterly impossible to manage with such
shortages of miscellaneous staff, and the only solution of the diffi-
culty has been the employment of attendants on certain special
occupations. This reduced the supervision of an already insufficient
nursing staff, and the welfare of the patients suffered. A few more
posts still need to be created. But already, since the increase sanc-
tioned on 1st April, 1929, a great stride forwards has been made in