General health.
( 2 )
The health of the lunatics has, on the whole, been good, and although cholera pro-
vailed in the city and neighborhood of the asylum from the begin-
ning of May to the end of November, no case occurred in it.
5. The number of criminal lunatics, which had increased to 7 on 1st January 1875 and
was augmented by 2 more admissions during the year, has been
Criminal luuatic3.
_
.° „ . ,,
, ,.
. n . .
.
,
J
reduced to 6 by the death of 3 of them in the course of the year*
One of these criminal lunatics, by name Ashraff Khan,* who has been confined in this asylum
for several years, and who was reported as " apparently sane " in the report for 1873, made a
sudden and murderous assault with a stick on several of the keepers in July last, and was with
difficulty overpowered. He broke the jemadar's finger, besides severely bruising him in other
parts, and he also injured a keeper. This man had several times threatened to take the life
of some one if he was not released, and since this outbreak I have been obliged to keep him
locked up for security. He does not appear insane, but is a man of ungovernable temper.
6. Of the 42 lunatics admitted during the year, 20 were
Muhammadans, 15 Hindus, 1 Christian, and 6 other castes.
Caste of lunatics.
Sex of lunatics;
Thirty-four were males and 8 females.
7. The types of insanity were as follows :—37 acute mania, 28 chronic mania,
3 melancholia, 10 acute dementia, 21 chronic dementia, 1 idiotcy,
and 4 epilepsy.
Types of insanity.
8. The alleged causes of insanity were 46 physical, 27 moral, and 31 unknown. Of the
former 24 were stated to be due to indulgence in intoxicating spirits
or drugs, and 22 to fever or heat; while of the latter, grief was by far the
most common cause. But little trust is to be attached to these distinctions, for in the majority
of instances the information regarding lunatics is filled up in a very perfunctory manner.
9. The cost per head of the lunatics for the year amounts to Ks. 101-9-7; last year it
amounted to Rs. 100-10-0 ; but there was an error in the calculation
for that year and the cost ought really to have been Rs. 109-3-5, so
that there is actually a decrease of Rs. 7-9-10 in the cost per head this year.
Cost per head.
Asylum buildings.
10. Few changes have taken place in the asylum buildings. The cells used for the con-
finement of violent lunatics were found totally inadequate for the
purpose. One man twice wrenched the iron bars out of the doors
and effected his escape into the courtyard, another managed to scramble to the ventilator in
the roof and forced his way through and so got out. An application was at once made to
Government to have five cells made of sufficient strength to secure the most violent lunatics,
and these are now in course of erection on the ruins of some which fell down during the
extraordinary heavy rainfall of 8th and 9th September
Several of the latrines which had no ventilation but by the door have had large openings
made in them so as to allow of free perflation of air.
11. Little treatment of a medical kind has been attempted except in cases of groat
Treatment and manage- excitement, when the warm bath with cold douche to the head has
*n°nt.
b e on found useful, or occasionally a dose of chloral hydrat, or a
blister to tho back of the head. No mechanical restraint has boon found necessary; but
when lunatics known to be dangerous show symptoms of excitement they are locked up for
safety for a few hours or days according to necessity.
Every inducement is given to tho lunatics to amuse themselves in any way they can, and
for this purpose kitos, toys, tom-toms, sittars, &c, are provided for those who caro for them.
Tho women have pet pigoous, rabbits, and lambs : swings are also erected for their amusement.
* 1 have soon this man several timos. Ho is a dangerous eharaotor, aud rouuiroa
lie should not bo readily discharged.— T. W. 8M vm, OjJ'j. Dy, Oomnir.
to bo strictly watched.