No. 1363.
FROM
COLONEL J. McCONAGHEY, M. D., I. M. S.,
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Punjab,
TO
C. J. HALLIFAX, ESQUIRE,
Judicial and General Secretary to Government, Punjab.
Dated LAHORE, the 11th April 1903.
SIR,
I have the honor to forward the Report of the Superintendent of the
Punjab Lunatic Asylum for the year 1902.
2. The Report, which is full and interesting deals with the circum-
stances connected with the years 1900, 1901 and 1902, in accordance with the
instructions contained in the letter of the Government of India, Home Depart-
ment, No. 1296, dated 5th September 1901 (Punjab Government endorse-
ment No. 1263, dated 12th September 1901, Home—General).
Population,
Statement No. I.
3. The total population under treatment in 1902 was 627 ; in the year
preceding it was 610; and in 1900 it was 608. These
figures represent a steady increase. One year earlier was
the last before the amalgamation of the two asylums ; the total population was
then 607. Going back ten years from that under review it is noted that the
population was 463 in 1893. It is somewhat difficult to say whether a new and
more attractive asylum has had anything to do with the increase of population.
Perhaps it has, and with the extension of the institution, now in progress, it
may be expected that demands for admission will increase.
4. The number remaining under treatment on 31st December 1902 was
503, and the daily average strength was 491.02, consisting of 390.39 men
and 100.63 women. There was thus considerable overcrowding, seeing that
provision was originally made for only 468 patients.
Criminal lunatics.
Statement No. II.
5. A remarkable feature of the asylum statistics is the manner in
which the number of criminal lunatics is increasing, as will
be seen from the following figures :—
1900 ... ... ... ... ...
1901 ... ... ... ... ...
1902 ... ... ... ... ...
Total population.
128
129
135
Remaining on 31st
December.
101
104
110
Daily average
strength.
97.53
108.99
104.22
Types of insanity.
Statement No. VI.
A decade ago, that is in 1893, the daily average strength was 71.31.
6. Mania was the principal cause of admissions, as usual, accounting
for 79 (67 men and 12 women) in 1902 ; 49 were admitted
for melancholia (41 men and 8 women); dementia and
idiocy caused 5 admissions each ; 2 were suffering from delusional insanity ; the
remaining 8 admissions were declared to have recovered or were not diag-
nosed.
Alloged causes of in-
sanity.
Statement No. VII.
7. The principal physical cause of admissions in 1902 was charas
smoking (16). Opium, charas and bhang caused 8 ad-
missions, epilepsy 7; injury to the brain, opium-eating and
congenital 4 each ; spirit-drinking, over-study and mastur-
bation 3 each. Four men and one woman were admitted under the moral cause
grief.
8. Most of the recoveries were in the cases of those admitted as suffer-
ing from the effects of charas, bhang, opium and spirit-drinking.
9. But the whole question of the determination of causes is, as pointed
out by the Superintendent, not satisfactory, and at present it is difficult to see
what can be done to facilitate the acquisition of reliable information either
from the police or from the friends and relations of the person afflicted.