No. 4486.
FROM
COLONEL F. J. DRURY, M.B., I.M.S.,
INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF CIVIL HOSPITALS,
BIHAR AND ORISSA,
To
THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF
BIHAR AND ORISSA, MUNICIPAL (MEDICAL) DEPARTMENT.
Dated Ranchi, the 8th May 1915.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to submit herewith the first Triennial Report on
the working of the Patna Lunatic Asylum for the period from 1912 to 1914
written by Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. Sunder, M.D., I.M.S., Superintendent of
that institution, together with the usual statistical returns.
2. The Superintendent's report is self-contained, full and complete, but
the following general remarks are made thereon :—
3. The gradual expansion of the Patna Lunatic Asylum since the forma-
tion of this Province is mainly due to the fact that it is the only asylum in the
Province for the reception of lunatics. The yearly increase in the number of
lunatics confined in it necessitated the increase in the capacity of the asylum
during the triennium under review from 262 to 306. This was still not quite
sufficient; the criminal division was from time to time overcrowded, but no
untoward result happened. New wards are being built both in the male and
female departments, which will further increase the capacity of the asylum.
The asylum building which is antiquated and unsuitable had to be added
to and altered to meet necessary and pressing requirements at a cost of
Rs. 25,150-5-5 during the triennium under review—this in spite of the fact
that the building of a new asylum for Indian insanes at Ranchi has been
decided upon. Besides these works which were done by the Public Works
Department under administrative sanction, petty improvements costing
Rs. 2,394-7-6 were carried out by the Superintendent from the asylum
contingencies.
4. Another important reason for the increase in the number of lunatics
is the growing reliance of the people on the asylum treatment which is evi-
denced by the fact that the number of readmissions of discharged lunatics
showed a decline. This latter fact supports the view that some of the recovered
lunatics discharged from the asylum have again become useful members of
Society. It is noticeable that there was a decrease in recoveries as compared
with the previous triennium. This is explained to have been mainly due to
the accumulation of chronic and incurable cases. The Standing Committee
for the disposal of criminal lunatics met at Bankipore once in each year in
accordance with the order of Government. Three lunatics—two males and one
female—were discharged under the rules for the disposal of recovered criminal
lunatics.
5. The average death-rate per cent. calculated on daily average strength,
viz., 13.21, was higher than that in the last triennium, when it was 7.40. This
is accounted for by the admission of a large number of lunatics in bad health
and advanced in age in 1913 and 1914. Mention should be made of two
causes which contributed to increased sickness among the lunatics, viz., the
floods of 1913 during which most of the asylum grounds including the floors
of some of the barracks were under water for some days, and the other was
the delay in fixing a pump in the asylum well which necessitated the supply
of drinking water being taken from an inferior source. The pump has now
been fixed. It is noteworthy that no disease of the zymotic group broke out
in the
asylum during the three years under notice.
The number of patient