Ref. No. 660-1 Hospitals,
OFFICE OF THE SURGEON-GENERAL WITH THE
GOVERNMENT OF MADRAS,
MADRAS, 15th April 1933.
From
MAJOR-GENERAL C. A. SPRAWSON, C.I.E., I.M.S.,
SURGEON-GENERAL WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF MADRAS,
MADRAS,
To
THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT (PUBLIC HEALTH) DEPARTMENT,
MADRAS.
SIR,
I have the honour to forward the annual
report on the working of the Mental Hospi-
tals in this Presidency for the year ending
31st December 1932.
2. Population.—The total population of
the three mental hospitals during the year
under report was 2,147 (1,646 males and 501
females) as against 2,077 in the previous year.
The number of patients remaining at the
beginning of the year was 1,516. The figure
for the previous year was 1,435. The num-
ber of patients admitted and re-admitted
during the year was 631 against 642 in
the previous year. Of the total treated, 213
were "cured," 124 " improved," 71 "dis-
charged not improved," 39 "discharged
otherwise," 103 " died " and 1,597 remained
at the end of the year. The daily average
strength of inmates in the three mental
hospitals was 1,559.80 as compared with
1,499.9 in the previous year, and the daily
average sick was 242.81 as against 233.7 in
1931. Of the total number of patients
admitted during the year, 31 were Europeans
and Anglo-Indians, 54 Indian Christians, 422
Hindus and 114 Muhammadans. The total
population may be classified as follows:—
Civil patients ... ... ...
Voluntary boarders ... ...
Criminal patients
...
...
1,854
49
244
2,147
There were two escapes during the year, one
from the Mental Hospital, Madras, and the
other from Mental Hospital, Calicut. The
patient who escaped from Madras Mental
Hospital is still at large, while the one from
Calicut was brought back to the hospital by
the police and later discharged " cured."
3. Treatment and its Results.—The results
of treatment on the whole appear to be satis-
factory. The percentage of cured on the
daily average strength was 13.66 as against
17.00 in 1931 and that on admissions was
18.73, the corresponding figure for 1931 being
21.17. The comparative decrease in the
percentage of recoveries is due to the fact
that for lack of accommodation in the Mental
Hospital at Madras in view of the increase in
the population and consequent overcrowding
of patients, many of the cases had to be dis-
charged " improved " without waiting for
complete recovery.
4. Age and previous Occupation of the In-
mates.— Of the patients admitted and re-
admitted during the year, 40 were under 20
years of age, 414 between 20 to 40 years,
156 between 40 to 60 years, and 11 up-
wards of 60 years. As usual the incidence
of insanity was heavy between the years 20
to 40, i.e., on the active period of life.
Among the patients admitted during the
year, the number of persons of no occu-
pation or whose previous occupations were
not known was the largest, i.e., 180 ; next
came general labourers, and cultivating
tenants numbering 69 and 45, respectively.
5. Types of Insanity.—The principal types
of insanity in their order of frequency were
dementia praecox, mania, insanity due to
cannabis indica, secondary or terminal
dementia, circular insanity and imbecility.
6. Causes of Insanity.—Mental stress, previ-
ous attack, heredity, insanity due to cannabis
indica, epilepsy, alcoholism, privation and
starvation accounted for the largest number
of admissions at the Madras and Calicut
Mental Hospitals. In the Waltair Hospital
amongst the predisposing causes, the admis-
sions during the year were from puberty and
adolescence, neurotic, previous
attack,
syphilis, epilepsy and mental stress.
7. Criminal Insanes.—At the beginning of
the year, there are 192 criminal insanes
in the Mental Hospital, Madras. Fifty-two
were newly admitted during the year; thus
the total number was 244 (224 males and
20 females), of these 32 were discharged,
transferred, etc., 6 died and 206 remained at
the end of the year.
8. Deaths.—The total number of deaths
during the year was 103 (71 males and 32
females) as against 87 during 1931. The
percentage of total deaths to daily average
strength was 6.60 as against 5.80 in the
previous year.