LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
5
12. Forms of insanity.—As before indicated, there was in 1882 a consider-
able fall in the number of acute maniacs. With the adoption of a simple classi-
fication such as this, it is natural that assignments to the classes should not follow
the same rules in the hands of different officers. The Patna figures support the
remarks made on this point in the report for 1881, and seem to be justified by
the number of recoveries in 1882 (statement VI). At Berhampore, however,
there would seem to have been a change of policy in nomenclature, for other
reasons. The number of admissions was nearly quartered and that of
recoveries were unaltered, so that the difference is more nominal than real.
This is the more probable since the number of ganja-smokers (statement VII)
did not increase in so large a proportion.
TABLE No. 8.
Percentage of recoveries on total treated.
Acute mania
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Chronic mania ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Melancholia
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Acute dementia
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Chronic dementia ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
1879.
18.82
5.22
3.96
1.75
1.43
1880.
15.42
3.33
2.46
6.34
3.06
1881.
17.37
8.66
1.28
5.12
1.18
1882.
17.5
4.08
5.06
8.33
5.35
13. This table, for reasons already given, and in part for that which is
mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, cannot be regarded as an exact state-
ment of results.
14. Causes of insanity.—Among admissions to the Presidency Asylum the
cause of insanity was definitely stated in 36 cases, and unknown in 24 (state-
ment VII). Of the 36 cases no less than 28 were ascribed to ganja and other
forms of hemp, and four to spirit drinking. At Dacca causes were stated in
17 instances, and unknown in 18. There were 5 cases only ascribed to ganja,
&c., and one to liquor. At Patna there were 27 cases of alleged causation, and
26 in which it was unknown. There were 16 ascribed to ganja, &c., and four to
spirit. At Cuttack 12 cases had assigned causes, and five had none. There were
eight of ganja-smoking. At Berhampore 15 cases had causes stated, and five had
none. Nine cases attributed to ganja. It appears from these figures that
wherever there is most information as to causes, the preponderance of ganja,
&c., is the most marked, and it is undoubtedly true that, striking as the record
of this fact has been for many years, it has fallen short of the truth. Never-
theless, as often as this story is repeated, it should be repeated also that this
kind of intoxication is sometimes stated to have caused an insanity of which
it is no more than a first manifestation, and which had previous existence. Of
the moral causes entered in the 7th statement, I can say nothing. Their
names allow too much scope for fancy to admit of their being brought under
criticism as a statistical exposition.
There were in all 66 admissions from ganja, &c., and 42 recoveries—a pro-
portion rather better than that of the previous year, but still small enough
to show that there can have been no serious lapse into the former practice of
committing to asylum men, who were suffering merely from passing intoxi-
cation. The number excludes, as in former years, some criminals who recovered
during the year, but remained in custody at the end of it.
TABLE No. 9.
Admissions into hospital
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto per cent. of mean strength
...
...
...
...
Daily average sick
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto
in 1881
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto
per cent. of mean strength ... ...
Ditto
ditto
ditto
in 1881 ...
Daily average number of out-patients
...
...
...
...
Dullunda.
35
18.64
3.14
5.15
1.67
2.49
13.69
Dacca.
94
42.73
8.65
9.14
3.93
4.36
3.82
Patna.
148
66.49
11.51
9.94
6.17
4.51
10.12
Cuttack.
11
21.65
2.3
2.74
4.52
5.32
10.6
Berhampore.
106
56.98
5.48
7.96
2.94
4.36
9.10
Total.
394
45.43
31.08
34.93
3.58
4.01
47.33
15. Sickness.—The health of the asylums was generally good in 1882. A
detailed account of the sickness will be found in statement VIII of the appendix.
From table 9 it will be seen that the entire quantity of sickness which required
admission into hospital was about the same as in 1881, and the average number
of in-door patients did not differ materially. The mean daily number of out.