A treatise on the public health, climate, hygeine [sic], and prevailing diseases, of Bengal and the North-West Provinces / By Kenneth Mackinnon.
- MacKinnon, Kenneth
- Date:
- 1848
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A treatise on the public health, climate, hygeine [sic], and prevailing diseases, of Bengal and the North-West Provinces / By Kenneth Mackinnon. Source: Wellcome Collection.
49/438 page 11
![Smireon, that the late changfcs have decidedly had an irijuilous effect upon tlie liealtli of the prisoners. That prison discipline has been im]>roved there can he no doubt of; whether this will prevent crime has yet to be proved. B e cannot, I think, ex- pect tliat mere prison discii)line will prevent much crime in a coinimmity so callous and iffiiorant,—at any rate, while other Ignorance of the parts of the system for punishing'crime are so im|)erfect; such ns the form of trial wanting in all imposing solemnity, and the mi- reasons in the serable system of police, owing to which crime goes so often opini )u ‘ why prison disei- nnpunished. Added to the introduction of the messing system jiline will not pre- in some jails, all the links in the chain of prison discipline have been strengthened : labor is more regularly exacted ; the prisoners are more strictly and closely conlined in wards,* and they are less taken in gangs over the country. In some vent crime to any extent. Prison dis- cipline stricter than formerlv. respects, such as clothing, apportioning labor, more care as to cleanliness, there has been improvement; but let returns be called for, and they will shew' w’hether my opinions be correct. I have taken the trouble to calculate the mortality of the jails, LlLct on hcatlh. under Mr. B'^oodcock, in reference to messing ; and I offer the result, stating in fairness, how'ever, that there ought to be a comparison with the former mortality in each jail. Jaii.s in which the messing system is whoi.i.v enkorceo. Delhi, deaths per cent per annum, 1847), 2(5.13 Panec])ut, • • • • 13. (iff (ioorgaon. • • • • 1-2.14 Allygurh, • • • • 7.80 Muttra, • • • • 4.80 Agra, • • • • 10.8(3 Boolundshuhur, • • • • 4.78 Kytul, .. 21.14 Average, 12.3(3 * And this point of ventilation, on which the report of Mr. Woodcock gives such practical and distressing details, is perhaps of all others the most important: 600 cubic feet of air has been considered necessary even in a cold country—not half that is avail- able in any jail, and in some instances 70 cubic feet is the misera- ble quantity.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2870874x_0049.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
