4
8. Statement II—shows admissions, discharges, etc., of criminal lunatics.
Admissions numbered 42 in 1915, 36 in 1916 and 34 in 1917 or an average
of 37 against 39 in the previous triennium. No definite reasons can be
assigned for the decrease of this class of lunatics. The daily average number,
however, showed an increase, the figures being 144.99 against 106.69 in the
previous triennium. The total number re-admitted was 4 in 1915, 6 in 1916
and 5 in 1917. The total number discharged was 16 in 1915, 20 in 1916 and
23 in 1917 or an average of 20 against 8 in the previous three years. The
increase is due to more recoveries amongst the criminals during the period
of three years under review. The system of discharging criminal lunatics after
recovery, convicted of trivial offences, was strictly observed. There was no
undue detention and the number of this class was reduced as far as possible.
In cases where friends could be found, harmless insanes, whose offences were
of trivial nature, were made over to them with the sanction of Govern-
ment. In the year 1915, one harmless criminal lunatic convicted of trivial
offence was transferred to Dacca Lunatic Asylum under Government orders
for making him over to his friends. In 1917 one leper criminal lunatic was
transferred to Albert Victor Asylum for Lepers at Gobra.
There were 14 deaths in 1915, 17 in 1916 and 13 in 1917. No satisfactory
explanation is apparent for the increased number of deaths among this class of
insanes. The daily average strength was 145.26 in 1915, 145.28 in 1916 and
144.43 in 1917.
9. Statement III—gives
religion, sex and residence of lunatics. No
remarks are called for.
10. Statement IV—shows the previous occupation of lunatics before
admission. No commentation is necessary as regards to this.
11. Statement V—deals with ages of lunatics. As usual the largest number
of lunatics admitted belonged to the age period of 20 to 40 years, viz., 70.97
per cent in 1915, 68.12 per cent in 1916 and 80.52 in 1917. After 60 years of
age mental derangement was noticed in an average of only .84 per cent of
admissions.
12. Statement VI—shows types of Insanity. Amongst the number
admitted, Mania with its various sub-heads was the chief form of lunacy,
accounting for the largest number of receptions, viz., 25 in 1915, 24 in 1916 and
25 in 1917 or 25.25, 27.27 and 28.90 per cent respectively of the total number
admitted. Unlike Melancholia, patients suffering from Mania are more
amenable to treatment than others, 16 having recovered in 1915, 10 in 1916,
and 13 in 1917.
Dementia comes next in numerical importance with 23 admissions in 1915,
10 in 1916 and 7 in 1917 or 23.23, 11.36 and 7.86 percent to total admissions
respectively. There was no recovery under this type in 1915, 5 recovered in
1916 and 5 in 1917. Dementia is really present in all types of insanity.
It is insanity, in fact, and the only excuse for retaining it in any classification
is to cover certain cases that do not readily come under other heads—types
without distinctive symptoms or obvious causes. Our whole classification is in
fact unlogical.
Insanity of Indian Hemp gave 10 admissions in 1915, 8 in 1916 and
5 in 1917 or 10.10 per cent in 1915, 9.09 in 1916 and 5.62 in 1917. The
number recovered under this head were 7 in 1915, 2 in 1916 and 1 in
1917.
Delusional insanity was responsible for 8 admissions in 1915, 4 in
1916 and 6 in 1917 or 8.08, 4.55 and 6.74 per cent of admissions, respectively,
with only one recovery in 1915.
The number admitted under head Melancholia was 6 in 1915, 2 in
1916 and 5 in 1917 or 6.06, 2.27 and 5.62 per cent, respectively. The
recoveries under this type being 3 in 1915, 3 in 1916 and 3 in 1917.