STATISTICAL RETURNS OF THE LUNATIC
ASYLUMS
3
adolescence (40). Of the " exciting causes " the most prominent were prolonged
mental stress (190) ; privation and starvation (156) ; ganja, charas or bhang (84) ;
alcohol (41) ; epilepsy (37) ; and sexual excess (11).
11. Criminal population.—The total number of criminals were in 1915, 218 ;
in 1916, 239; and in 1917, 233, i.e., there was an average criminal population of
230 for the present triennium as against 229 for the previous triennium, showing
a slight increase of a single patient on the average. The daily average strength
was 193.57 in 1917, 193.06 in 1916, and 174.92 in 1915. The admissions during
the year 1917 numbered only 39 or a falling off of 16 in comparison with 1916
and of 3 in 1915. There has been no re-admission during the triennium. The
admissions in the Madras Asylum were classified according to legal subdivisions
as follows : tried and acquitted 23, incapable of making defence 55, became
insane during imprisonment 57 ; making a total of 135. Of the 135 criminal
lunatics, 85 were discharged during the triennium, of which 3 have been trans-
ferred to the Penitentiary for further observation, 39 to the civil section being
insane on the expiry of sentence, 26 were standing trial, 4 were handed over
to friends and relatives on bond as the patients had improved and the remaining
13 were discharged on complete recovery. There were 33 discharges during
the year 1917 as compared with 28 in 1916 and 25 in 1915.
12. Deaths.— There were 16 deaths in 1917, 17 in 1916 and 9 in 1915 or a
death-rate of 8.2, 8.7 and 5.1, respectively, on the daily average strength.
13. Escapes.—In Madras Asylum there were 7 escapes during the triennium,
of whom 2 were criminal lunatics. In Calicut during the same period there were
10 escapes, of whom 8 have been recaptured and the remaining 2 could not be
traced. In Vizagapatam there was an escape subsequently recaptured during
1917 and one of the same kind in 1916 and nil in 1915. The Superintendent of
Vizagapatam Asylum writes : " It is surprising that there are not more escapes,
seeing that there is no compound wall ".
14. Accommodation.—In the Madras Asylum the population reached the highest
figure on record, on 12th November 1917, when it rose to 644. Accommodation
had to be provided for the Indian Civil male lunatics in the hospital wards
since all the available accommodation intended for this class of lunatics was fully
occupied. In the Vizagapatam Asylum there was a slight overcrowding for a few
days in the months of May, June and July 1917, the greatest number confined in
this asylum being 96 on 17th May 1917, on 16th July 1916 and on 8th October
1915. In Calicut there was no overcrowding during the triennium there being
accommodation for 186 patients and the maximum number of insanes on any one
night being only 46.
15. New constructions.—In the Madras Asylum, the nine single rooms in the
isolation camp, an additional day room for civil Indian male patients and two
quarters for nurses in the female enclosures were completed during 1917. In the
Vizagapatam Asylum improvements to kitchen and the construction of bathing
platforms are still going on. In Calicut a recreation shed, a compound wall
between the main building and the hospital, and a verandah on the eastern side of
kitchen were completed during the year 1917. Owing to lack of funds several
works which are not imperatively urgent such as the construction of the workshops,
sanitary latrines, etc., have had to be postponed. The office building is approaching
completion and detailed plans are being prepared by the Public Works Department
for a new female hospital and isolation cells. In 1916 the new male hospital
building and in 1915 a block of four observation cells were completed.
16. The usual annual repairs have been carried out in all the three asylums
and the various buildings are maintained in an efficient state of repair except the
provision store room and the Superintendent's quarters in the Calicut asylum. The
stores will be shifted to the present office rooms when the new office building which is
approaching completion is occupied. Repairs to the Superintendent's quarters have
already been sanctioned.
17. Hospital accommodation.—In Madras the removal of infectious cases to
the Isolation Camp has considerably relieved the congestion of the male hospital