28
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
Inspection.
23. The Deputy Surgeon-General of the Presidency Circle inspected this asylum on
the 2nd of December 1876. The following extract has been taken from his report, viz.—
“ The results of the inspection of this asylum are satisfactory. It is evidently being carefully
managed; cleanliness and order prevail in every part The inmates appear contented and
well cared for. It has during the past year, as always hitherto, continued overcrowded, and
it is a great pity that the projected new asylum has not yet even been commenced upon,
though estimates were prepared and a site selected long ago.”
MOYDAPORE
ASYLUM.
1. Moydapore,—This asylum was under the charge of Surgeon-Major S. M. Shircore,
Civil Surgeon of Berhampore, during the past year.
Admissions ceased
since October 1874.
2. Admissions into this asylum have ceased since October 1874, in consequence of (as
stated in last year's report) its overcrowded condition, and of the asylum at Berhampore being
ready for the reception of insanes. Accordingly Mr. Shircore states that the present report
“ must necessarily consist of an account only of those who were left in it at the close of 1875,
and the figures exhibited in the different statements for the year will not admit of any useful
statistical comparison with those of former years.”
To be reserved
exclusively for
female patients.
3. Owing to a want of sufficient accommodation for female insanes in the other institu-
tions in Bengal, it has been decided that this asylum should be reserved exclusively for the
reception of such patients, the male population at present belonging to it being transferred to
the Berhampore Asylum. With this view the buildings at Moydapore are now undergoing a
thorough repair, on the completion of which the proposed arrangements will be carried out.
Statistics.
YEARS.
1871 ...
1872 ...
1873 ...
1874 ...
1875 ...
Average ...
1876 ...
Daily
average
strength.
26
44
60
75
65
54
53.58
Admitted.
19
73.1
43
97.7
41
68.4
32
42.6
......
......
27
50
......
......
DISCHARGED.
Cured.
9
34.6
11
25
18
30.1
14
18.6
7
10.7
11.8
21.85
3
5.6
Improved.
......
......
4
9.1
8
13.4
4
5.3
1
1.5
3.4
6.29
2
3.7
Otherwise
......
......
......
......
1
1.6
2
2.7
......
......
.6
1.11
......
......
Deaths.
......
......
3
6.8
4
6.7
5
6.6
6
9.2
3.6
6.66
4
7.4
Total
discharges
and deaths.
9
34.6
18
40.9
31
51.7
25
33.2
14
21.4
19.4
35.92
9
16.7
4. In the annexed
statement the statistics of
the asylum are shown for
the past year, as well as
those of the preceding
five years.
As there were no
admissions since October
1874, these figures are
valueless for sake of
comparison with those
of previous years, but
they afford some in-
formation as regards
the statistics of an un-
changed asylum popu-
lation.
Asylum population.
5. On the 1st January 1876 the asylum population consisted of (males 44, females 15)
59 persons, and as there were no admissions during the year these constituted the total
number of insanes. This strength was less than that shown on the corresponding date of 1875,
by (males 9, females 5) 14 persons.
Average strength.
Capacity of asylum.
6. The mean average strength of the insane patients during the year under review was
(males 40.43, females 13.15) 53.58. The capacity of the asylum, at 50 superficial feet per
patient, is calculated to accommodate (males 58, females 10) 68 persons, so that while the male
patients had plenty of room, the females were overcrowded by three. The greatest number
confined in the asylum on any one night was (males 44, females 15) 59 lunatics.
Cured and
improved.
7. But (male 1, females 2) 3 insane patients were discharged cured during the year, or
at the rate of (males 2.47, females 15.2) 5.6 per cent. of mean strength, and the proportion of
those cured has gradually fallen from (males 27.76, females 38.08) 30.02 in 1873 to the small
proportion just noted for 1876. However, it is not surprising that the number of those cured
becomes less and less each year, when it is considered that 70 per cent. of the asylum popula-
tion were cases of chronic and hopelessly confirmed insanity. Two male patients were made
over to their friends in an improved condition. Four patients (males 3, female 1) died.
Daily average
number of sick.
8. The daily average number of sick was (males 2.76, females .83) 3.59, or at the rate
of (males 6.82, females 6.31) 6.7 per cent. of mean strength, and was higher than it has been in
any of the four preceding years, during which it has gradually risen from 1.70 per cent. in
1872 to 3.19 in 1875.
Statistics of
sickness.
9. During the year (males 93, females 31) 124 of the insane patients were admitted
into hospital for treatment. The admissions were at the exceptionally high rate of (males
230.02, females 235.74) 231.42 per cent of mean strength.
Most prevalent
diseases.
Mortality.
Causes of mortality.
10. The diseases which caused the great majority of admissions into hospital were
ague and diarrhœa; the former gave (males 50.80, females 14.52) 65.32 per cent., and the
latter (males 12.09, females 5.64) 17.73 per cent. of the total number. The mortality was at
the rate of (males 7.4, females 7.6) 7.4 per cent. of mean strength, and, while lower than that
of 1875, was very slightly in excess of what it was in 1874 and 1873. Of the (males 3,
female 1) four deaths, two (males) were caused by dysentery, one (male) from general dropsy,
and one (female) from gastritis. Fevers and diarrhœa appear to have been very prevalent,
but no deaths were caused by them.