2
STATISTICAL RETURNS OF THE LUNATIC ASYLUMS
6. Religions, races and castes.—The admissions under Europeans and Eura-
sians were 86, Indian Christians 84, Hindus 628, Muhammadans 165 and other castes
40 and the proportions in percentages were Europeans 8.57, Indian Christians
8.38, Hindus 62.55, Muhammadans 16.45 and other castes 3.98. The correspond-
ing proportions for the previous triennium were 6.65, 11.00, 60.10, 15.84 and
6.41, respectively. Hindus as usual form the majority, Muhammadans come
next, Indian Christians and Europeans have almost the same percentage and then
come the other castes.
7. Previous occupations.—" No occupation " accounts for the largest number
of admissions, next comes the class of " cultivating tenants " and then " general
labourers."
8. Previous residence.—Statement No. III shows the previous residence of
the patients treated. Madras, of course, contributes the highest number as many
as 103 out of 339 treated in the three asylums in 1920. Of these 101 were
compulsory inmates and 2 voluntary boarders. In the Calicut Asylum 18 out of
95 about one-fifth the number came from South Kanara. In Vizagapatam 7 out
of 16 nearly half the number were from Vizagapatam.
9. Types of insanity (shown in a tabular form in statement VI).—The princi-
pal types in their order of frequency are as follows :—
Mania noted in ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Dementia noted in ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Melancholia noted in ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Delusional insanity noted in ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Insanity caused by Cannabis Indica ... ... ... ... ... ...
Idiocy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Circular insanity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Post febrile insanity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Mental stupor ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Moral Imbecility ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Alcoholic insanity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Confessional insanity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Declared to have recovered or not yet diagnosed ... ... ... ...
Impulsive or Obsessive insanity ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Total ...
Cases.
508
229
177
108
99
31
27
16
13
12
4
2
2
1
1,229
10. Causes of insanity.—In order of frequency as the causes of insanity are
" stress and strain mental and physical,'' mental in the shape of worries and
troubles domestic and financial, and physical in the shape of starvation and
insufficient food as an accompaniment of general wretchedness and poverty.
Next comes "heredity" aggravated by unhealthy environment and following
these come previous attacks, puberty and adolescence and drug habits.
11. Criminal population.—The total number of criminals treated were in
1920, 195; 1919, 224; and in 1918, 220, i.e., there was an average criminal
population of 213 for the present triennium as against 230 for the previous
triennium showing a decrease of 17 in the average. The daily average strength
was in 1920, 160.84; 1919, 179.73 and in 1918, 182.19.
12. Escapes.—There were altogether 9 escapes during the triennium under
report, against 19 during previous triennium. They were all recaptured within
short periods—of the 9 escapes, 6 were from Calicut, 2 from Madras and 1 from
Vizagapatam.
13. New constructions.—In the Madras Lunatic Asylum the erection of two
new blocks of 8 single rooms each, one in the female enclosure and the other in
the Indian Civil Male section were started early in 1920, and the work is fast
reaching completion. Two old blocks of 16 single rooms each situated one in
each of the abovenamed enclosures were reconstructed into two blocks of 8 single
rooms. The loss of single room accommodation thus sustained was compensated
for by the addition of the two new blocks under construction. The old shed
for milking cows in the Madras Asylum was enclosed by walls and converted into