OFFICE OF SURGEON-GENERAL,
                                                                NUNGUMBAKAM, 8th April 1892.

                                                 No. 309.

From

          SURGEON MAJOR-GENERAL W. F. DEFABECK, M.D.,
                                   Surgeon-General with the Government of Madras,

To

       THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
                                                        JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to forward, for the Information of the Right Honorable the
Governor in Council, the annual report on the Lunatic Asylums in the Madras
Presidency for the year 1891.

2. ACCOMMODATION.—The following table shows the accommodation in each of
the asylums and the extent to which this was utilised during the year: —

In Madras the accommodation was ample, at Calicut there was slight over-
crowding, and at Waltair the accommodation was fully availed of.

The Superintendent of the Calicut Asylum reports that " application for
admission had to be refused in many instances and a few from the District Jail,
Calicut, had to be sent to Madras Asylum for want of accommodation here."

The Superintendent of the Waltair Asylum writes that, " for want of accom-
modation, 1 criminal male, 6 civil and 2 military lunatics were refused admission.

When the criminal wards are opened at Madras there will be ample accommo-
dation available at both Calicut and Waltair, as the present criminal accommodation
at these asylums is 36 and 11 respectively, and this will then be available for civil
insanes.

3. BUILDINGS.—The existing buildings in all the three asylums are in good
repair.

At Madras the criminal enclosure sanctioned in G.O., No. 1012 W., dated
10th April 1891, is nearly finished. Up to the 31st December 1891, the expendi-
ture on this building was Rs. 40,261-3-11.

In his annual report the Superintendent of the Madras Lunatic Asylum
says that a much needed addition is a wall: " With a complete boundary wall the
patients will have far greater freedom than at presents; and the ' Noisy enclosure'
will then become available for increased gardening as well as the establishment of
weaving or other manufactures. In addition to this the cultivation of vegebables,
&c., in the asylum grounds can be largely increased when the presence of a wall
affords protection from thieves. At present only a limited area of a very large
extent of ground available for cultivation can be made use of."

The Suggestion appears to be sound and after further inquiry as to the cost,
&c, I shall report to Government on the subject.

4. The water-supply to the Madras Asylum has been from the Red Hills tank
solely, there has been a very large expenditure due(1) to the large number of