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JOUBNAL, E.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. IX. 



used for their safe custody. In "earnestly pressing for 

 adoption," the draft of " An Ordinance to establish Lunatic 

 Asylums," His Excellency said that " the cases of distress 

 and misery from time to time brought to the notice of 

 Government, prove beyond a doubt that the time has arrived 

 when it has become imperative for the protection of those 

 unfortunate persons, and, in some cases also, for their main- 

 tenance and support." Not long afterwards, under the 

 regime of the same Governor, arrangements were completed 

 "for the purpose of receiving those unhappy lunatics, who," 

 to use Sir Stewart Mackenzie's own words, " are rather 

 numerous, and from various parts of the Island are now 

 boarded, lodged, fed, and taken charge of at a much larger 

 expense than if they were under one superintendent for the 

 males, and another for the females, in buildings contiguous 

 to each other. All this is now done in a most unsatisfactory 

 manner in respect to health, cleanliness, and every requisite 

 for such an establishment." 



The cost of converting the small-pox hospital at Borella into 

 a lunatic asylum was estimated at £2,000, and this alteration 

 was ultimately carried out satisfactorily. Since then this 

 building, which was added to and enlarged from time to 

 time, served the purpose until growing needs and advance 

 in sanitary science, led to the adoption of a fresh site and 

 improved architectural plans for the present new asylum 

 situated at Jawatta. There are now 353 patients in the old 

 and new asylums. On the opening of the Borella Asylum, in 

 1847, the Government placed the institution under the medi- 

 cal care of a specialist, Dr. Davy, who was sent out from 

 England. The appointment, however, on being subsequently 

 vacated by him, passed into the Medical Department, Mr. 

 Ebert being appointed to the post in 1849. Under the care 

 and supervision of successive officers of the Civil Medical 

 Department, everything possible was done that could conduce 

 to the comfort and well-being of the unfortunate inmates. 



The administration of Sir Stewart Mackenzie, and the year 



