2
*1894 ... ... ...
1895
...
...
...
1896
...
...
...
1897
...
...
...
1898 ... ... ...
Average for the past 10 years
14.39
16.80
16.17
11.64
12.57
14.25
too readily discharged except, perhaps, in the case of the woman mentioned
in paragraph 3 of the Inspector-General's report, who was sent out as improved,
but was returned within two months as unmanageable.
4. Thirty-six patients were discharged cured and 13 improved, the
corresponding figures for the year 1897 having been 30 and 9 respectively. The
percentage of cures to daily average strength was 12.57, or 0.93 in excess of the
percentage in the year 1897. A comparison of
this percentage with those of the past four years*
also points to the conclusion that persons are not
now too readily discharged cured as will be seen
from remarks in previous reviews was at one
time thought to be the case. The Inspector-General remarks that in the year
1896 the percentage (16.17) was unusually high. In 1895 it was higher, vis.
16.80.
5. The daily average sick-rate rose from 37.04 in 1897 to 41.30 in 1898.
The percentage of deaths to daily average strength also increased slightly, viz.,
from 8.15 in 1897 to 9.08 in 1898, but was 2.25 per cent. less than the average
(11.33) of the past ten years. Twenty-one cases of pneumonia occurred against
3 in 1897. The connection of this disease with overcrowding has been
discussed in the Review of the Report on Jail Administration, as it was unusually
prevalent in several jails and notably so in the Lahore Central and District
jails. It is sufficient to observe here that though there was no actual overcrowd-
ing among males in the Lahore Asylum in 1898, allowing 50 superficial feet per
patient, the institution has accommodation only for 48 females, whereas the daily
average strength was over 56 in 1897 and over 63 in 1898. Taking the total
population of the Asylum, the percentage of pneumonia cases among males was
4.7, whereas among females it was 9.9, or more than double. It so happens that
the percentage of admissions for malaria on total population was, in 1897, 63 among
males and 50 among females; and in 1898, 45 among males and 23.4 among
females: figures which do not support the view that malaria was the
predisposing cause of subsequent attacks of pneumonia. In the absence of
explanation, then, it would be natural to connect pneumonia in this Asylum
with overcrowding; but the analysis of the figures for jails which has been
attempted elsewhere inclines the Lieutenant-Governor to the view that some other
explanation of more general application must be sought. A good deal of the
pneumonia in the Lahore Asylum appears to have occurred in December, as 7
cases remained under treatment at the close of the year: and unusual cold may
have been the cause.
6. The criminal population of the Lahore Asylum continues to increase.
The number remaining in the Asylum on the 31st December 1898 was 1
less than on the 31st December 1897, viz., 71 against 72 ; the admissions and
re-admissions during the year also numbered 16 only against 27, nevertheless
the average daily strength rose from 68.37 in 1897 to 73.51 in 1898. There
was only one escape of this class of lunatic, which is a great improvement on last
year, during which 8 escapes among the criminal lunatics were recorded.
7. A noticeable feature in the alleged causes of insanity amongst the
admissions to the Lahore Asylum is the 8 patients from alcoholic drinking.
This appears for the first time as a cause of insanity to any very appreciable
extent. In the year 1894 two admissions were ascribed to spirit drinking, but
none since up to the year under report. The Lieutenant-Governor will be
obliged if the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals will cause closer enquiries to
be made into the 8 alcohol cases admitted in 1898, and report the result
8. The Lieutenant-Governor observes with satisfaction that in con-
sequence of a fall in the price of food stuffs, and the possibility of expending less
in bedding and clothing, the cost per head in the Lahore Asylum fell off from
Rs. 138-6-2 to Rs. 106-11-6. The profits on manufactures and labour fell
off by Rs. 70-1-9.
9. Nothing appears to have been done towards providing amusements
for the inmates of this Asylum.