[1][THE COCHIN LEPERS
RULES, 1107] In virtue of the
powers conferred on him by section I of the Cochin Lepers Act VI of 1084, the
Diwan with the sanction of His Highness the Maharaja is pleased to issue the
following rules for the management, and maintenance of discipline in the Leper
Asylum. The management of the Leper Asylum is placed
under the Medical Department of the Salvation Army. The Senior Medical Officer
of the Salvation Army is responsible to the Government for the management of
the institution. Under him there are a Superintendent and a Medical Officer.
The Superintendent should look after the general administration and the
maintenance of accounts of the Asylum, the Medical Officer should devote his
whole time to the care of the lepers and leper clinics in various parts of the
State, and he shall also hold special lectures and do propaganda work and
leprosy survey of the State. The Medical Officer shall visit daily the
whole institution and inspect all the latrines and take such steps as are
necessary to keep the latrines clean and free from smell. The food issued to the lepers shall be
inspected by the Superintendent or his deputies and he or they should be
present at as many meals served as possible. Meals shall be served three times the day,
the first at 7 a. m. the second at 12 noon, and third at 6 p. m. Extreme kindness and consideration should be
shown to the lepers but discipline is to be maintained and quarrelling and
fighting and introduction of liquor or drug are not to be permitted. The Medical Officer or Superintendent may, as
a punishment, but, if necessary, any patient on half diet for a period of 3
days. Lepers are to be encouraged to remain outside
the wards and have their meals in the verandah or other suitable places. The
preservation of caste distinction is to be strictly attended to in the
patient's meals. All patients who are able to walk about are
to be allowed to bathe, but a peon, warder or other responsible servant is to
be invariably present in case of accidents. Visitors are to be allowed to see the inmates
daily at such hours as will not interfere with the meals or working of the
establishment and relatives, friends and others may give the lepers money or
other presents except liquor or drugs which are strictly prohibited from being
brought into the institution. The prohibition does not extend to snuff, betel
and tobacco. Caste or religion of every inmate is to be
ascertained and wish expressed at any time to see a clergyman of their faith is
to be at once attended to. The dead bodies of lepers or others not
removed by their relatives are to be buried in the place set apart for the
purpose. Grave will be numbered and a wooden or iron mark affixed, a
corresponding number being entered in a register kept for the purpose. The
latter will contain full particulars as to the name, sex or age, caste or
religion and residence as an entry of the date of his or her admission. The sexes are not allowed to mingle at any
time. Husbands or wives may have interviews in the presence of the Medical
Officer or warders. Lepers are to be encouraged in every possible
way to make the Institution a home and such lepers as can do any work should be
helped to make gardens and grow vegetables which they can sell to the Asylum
for the use of the leper patients. No missionary or other person is to be
permitted to Interfere in any way with the religion of the inmates. In the event of the death of any inmate of
the Asylum the body is to be at once removed to the dead house. If the deceased
be a Christian, notice should at once be given to the clergyman of the sect he
belongs to who should read the burial services over the grave. Deceased lepers
other than Christians should be buried by the members of their own caste or
religion in a decent manner. The bodies of the deceased lepers claimed by
their relatives may be made over to them for burial. The Medical Officer will see that the
following rules for the guidance of the inmates are strictly enforced. Admissions to the Asylum are made under two
clauses.-- (1)
Voluntary (2)
(a)
By warrant from the Chief Medical Officer, Magistracy or Police. (b) By warrant from Inspectors of Lepers; (c) By direction of the Court. Every admission, discharge or death should be
reported to the Chief Medical Officer. Persons of all classes and denominations
suffering from leprosy will be admitted into the Asylum on application to the
officer in charge at all times daily. Persons on admission will be supplied with
clean clothing and bedding and given a cot with a box attached. All bedding and
clothing will be changed once a week or oftener, if circumstances require it. Each patient is permitted to keep his
personal effect in a box, but the hospital authorities are not responsible for
the loss of any property which is in a patient's possession. Patients are prohibited from interfering with
the lights and from smoking in the wards. Smoking is restricted to the verandah
of the building and the grounds. Bed-ridden patients may be permitted to smoke
in bed with the special sanction of the Medical Officer. No food or drink other than what is
prescribed for the Asylum is to be used by the patients except with the special
permission of the Medical Officer. No medicines other than those prescribed by
the Medical Officer are to be made use of by the inmates. Patients are forbidden to give away any of
their diet or to remove any articles of food from the Asylum premises. Any Asylum servant found receiving any food
or drink from a patient will be seriously punished or dismissed. Male and female patients are not permitted to
associate in the Asylum. Male inmates are forbidden to go into the female
enclosure without special permission from the Superintendent or Medical
Officer. Husbands and wives may have interviews with the permission of the
Superintendent or Medical Officer; but no male leper is on any account to enter
the female enclosure between 6 p. m. and 6 a. m. Offenders, will be severely
dealt with. Patients are required to bathe daily unless
suffering from illness and to keep themselves clean and neat. Any patient, leaving the Asylum Without
permission from the superintendent or Medical Officer will be discharged or
punished. Patients discharged for misconduct will not
be re-admitted without special order from the Diwan or the Chief Medical
Officer. In emergent cases the applicant may be detained pending a reference to
the Chief Medical Officer. Perfect quietness to be observed in the wards
after 9 P. M. Bad language, gambling and immoral
conversation are strictly prohibited. Complaints are to be made personally to the
Superintendent, the Chief Medical Officer, the Salvation Army Senior Medical
Officer or to the members of the Board and not by letters. Patients who can read are permitted the use
of books for which they are responsible and which should be returned to the
leper servant in charge of the library in whose custody all books, pictures,
etc., are placed. Petitions are not to be sent direct to the
Diwan, the Chief Medical Officer or any other person outside the Asylum. All
such communications to be sent through Superintendent in charge who will
forward them, if necessary. European and Eurasian patients are to be
shaved at least 4 times a month and native patients twice. Razors will be
supplied for the purpose. Every patient's nails should be kept neat and clean
and hair cut at least once a month. Visitors are admitted both in the fore-noon
and afternoon. Clothing, mats and such unclean property of
dead lepers may be destroyed while other articles may be sold by auction to the
inmates and the proceeds sent to Government for disposal. Leave may be granted on application by the
Superintendent; but it is desirable that the patients absent themselves from
the institution as rarely as possible. It will therefore only be granted on
evidence of its actual necessity, A leave pass will be given and those
overstaying the time will receive some punishment as deemed to necessary by the
Superintendent. It is expected that the inmates will obey all
lawful orders and directions received from the Superintendent in charge and
they should remember that everything is done for their own good and benefit. Patients who abscond from the Asylum will be
re-arrested and brought back by the Police if they are under Magistrate's
warrant and all others will admitted at their own wish will not be re admitted.THE COCHIN LEPERS RULES, 1107
PREAMBLE