BRIEF NOTES TO ACCOMPANY THE ANNUAL STATEMENTS
OF THE LUNATIC ASYLUM OF NAGPUR
FOR THE YEAR 1919.
Lieutenant-Colonel A. Buchanan, I.M.S., was in charge of the Asylum
throughout the year except for a period from 15th May 1919 to 29th June
1919, when he was deputed to Pachmarhi as Civil Surgeon, and Assistant
Surgeon N. P. Shrivastava, L.M.&S., officiated for him.
STATEMENT I.
Admissions.
2. At the beginning of the year there were 385 lunatics (305 males and
80 females) under confinement including 2 males under
observation. Although the number of males was greater
by 13 than the number for whom there is accommodation,
overcrowding was avoided, as 15 recovered lunatics were not locked up in the
wards but were allowed to sleep in verandahs. The number of inmates at the
end of the year was 307 males and 85 females.
Admissions (including 6 re—admissions and 30 cases under observation) were
131 (98 males and 33 females) against 104 last year. Of the 131 admissions, 27
were criminals (24 males and 3 females). As usual the Nagpur District furnished
the largest number (19) of admissions. Raipur contributed 14, Jubbulpore 10
and 8 were received from Overseas (Military duty).
At the beginning of the year there were 10 military insanes. During the
year 8 (1 clerk,1 sepoy and 6 from Labour Corps) were admitted making a total
of 18. Of these 6 were discharged as cured, 1 died and 11 remained at the close
of the year. The number remaining at the close of the year was 392 including
109 criminal lunatics against 385 and 104 last year and there were 3 lunatics
(2 males and 1 female) under observation at the close of the year.
Cases under observation.
In accordance with the orders issued by the Government of India, Home
Department (Medical), letter No. 333, dated the 24th April
1915, cases " under observation" are also included among
the admissions during the year, but there is one point that is not clear in
the Government of India's order, and a brief reference may be made to it here.
The cases under observation " fall into two groups, viz. .—
A. Those who were "under observation" and who afterwards were
declared to be insane, and were admitted into the Asylum to be
detained as lunatics, and
B.— Those who were admitted " under observation " but who were released
by a Magistrate, or who died, or who remained " under observation "
at the close of the year.
Now if the former are shown as " under observation " and as " admitted'' as
lunatics, it follows that there will be double entries of the same cases, and this
has to be rectified by a most elaborate system of footnote explanations that are
only intelligible after hours of study. So if a separate statement were prepared
for " under observation" cases, the actual transactions would be much more
clear and easy to understand ; for example, in the Nagpur Asylum the following
figures represent the transactions during the year:—
Statement regarding cases under observation.
Sex.
Males ...
Females ...
Total
Remaining
on 31st
January
1919.
2
...
2
Admitted
under
observa-
tion.
22
8
30
Committed
to Asylum
for deten-
tion as
lunatics.
11
4
15
Released
by order of
a Court
or
otherwise.
10
3
13
Died.
1
...
1
Remaining
at the end
of the year.
2
1
3