10
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
Sickness in the
Dullunda Asylum.
It can readily be ascertained from the preceding table, and from the separate asylum
reports, that the following diseases, in order of frequency, formed the greatest proportion of the
total admissions into hospital, viz. in the Dullunda Asylum these were among the male patients
dysentery, fevers, diseases of the nervous system, phthisis, and cholera, and they formed
68.38 per cent. of the total admissions. Among the females, brain diseases, cholera, dysen-
tery, fevers, and phthisis, were the most prevalent diseases, and they formed 63.86 per cent. of
the total admissions of the sex.
Dacca Asylum.
In the Dacca Asylum, taken in order of frequency, fevers, diarrhœa, dysentery, debility,
brain diseases, bronchitis, scurvy, pneumonia, phthisis, and cholera, caused 61.64 per cent. of
the total admissions of the male patients; as did fevers, debility, diarrhœa, cholera, brain
diseases, pneumonia, phthisis, and dysentery, 82.05 per cent. of the total admissions of the
female patients.
Patna Asylum.
In the Patna Asylum diarrhœa, fevers, phthisis, dysentery, brain diseases, and bronchitis,
gave 75.34 per cent. of the total admissions of male patients; while amongst the females
phthisis, fevers, bronchitis, brain diseases, dysentery, and diarrhœa, gave 85.69 per cent.
Cuttack Asylum.
In the Cuttack Asylum diarrhœa, fevers, dysentery, and brain diseases, formed 85 per
cent. of the total admissions of the male patients, as did dysentery and diarrhœa 75 per cent.
of the females.
Moydapore
Asylum.
In the Moydapore Aslyum fevers, diarrhoea, dysentery, bronchitis, and cholera, formed
91.35 per cent. of the total admissions of the male patients, as did fevers and diarrhœa 83.87
per cent. of the females.
Berhampore
Asylum.
At Berhampore 75.33 per cent. of the total admissions of male patients were caused
by fevers, dysentery, diarrhoea, cholera, and brain diseases; while fevers, dysentry, cholera,
and pneumonia, caused 76.30 per cent. of the total female admissions.
Hazareebagh
Asylum.
In the Hazareebagh Asylum fevers, diarrhœa, bronchitis, dysentery, brain diseases, and
pneumonia, caused 57.41 per cent. of the total admissions.
Intestinal worms in
the Dullunda
Asylum.
33. In paragraph 13 of the report of the Dullunda Asylum there are some very
interesting remarks made by Dr. Payne regarding the prevalence of intestinal worms amongst
the insane patients. It seems that the lunatics were in the habit of drinking the water placed
outside the latrines for the ablution of the person, and Dr. Payne, not unnaturally concluding
that the ova of the parasites were swallowed in this water, thus accounted for the frequency
of the round worm in his asylum patients. He also considers that dysentery and diarrhœa
may have been caused by the use of this filthy water. It will be interesting to notice how
far the observations of succeeding years will support these opinions, but in any case Dr. Payne
may be congratulated on his discovery of this disgusting practice, as well as on the measures
he adopted for its future prevention.
Phthisis in the
Patna Asylum.
34. The cases of phthisis in the Patna Asylum are not easily accounted for, in the
absence of overcrowding; and failing this cause, it might be worthy of consideration whether
the ventilation has been either defective or excessive. Mr. Birch, in paragraph 13 of his
report, offers an explanation regarding the high rate of sickness in the Hazareebagh Asylum,
and also makes some remarks, confirmatory of Dr. Payne's theories, as to the cause and
prevalence of intestinal worms among the insane patients. Mr. Birch, however, goes further,
and reports that these parasites, according to his experience, cause a disease that resembles
cholera in its symptoms, but which is easily curable on the expulsion of the worms by the
administration of santonine or other vermifuge medicines. It is, however, well known that
the prevalence of intestinal worms is not at all confined to any asylum population, and my
Officiating Secretary has been informed by a medical officer who has unrivalled opportunities
for making post mortem examinations that the round worms are found in a large proportion
of the bodies opened by him. No doubt, patients frequently recover from cholera after
having got rid of round worms, either by vomiting, or passing them per anum; but there is
not, I believe, any proof that the parasites were the efficient causes of this specific disease, or
that recovery was the necessary result of their expulsion.
Mortality.
35. The asylum mortality during the year amounted to (males 93, females 26) 119, or
at the rate of (males 9.5, females 10.5) 9.7 per cent. of mean strength. It is very pleasing
to observe that this is the lowest death-rate which has been registered in any year of the
preceding decennium, and is 5 per cent. below the average mortality of the same period.
Another satisfactory feature in the mortuary table is, that as compared with 1875 the death-
rate of the female insanes has been reduced by 5.4 per cent. Statistics such as these, which
admit of comparison with those of former years, clearly prove that all matters relating to
the health of the lunatics have been better understood and better attended to of late years.
But believing that some of the deaths may possibly be due to preventible causes, it is not
unreasonable to hope that the report of each succeeding year may show a still decreasing
death-rate.
Statistics of
mortality.
36. In the following table is shown the death-rate per cent. of average strength in the
several asylums, as well as the proportion of deaths from some of the more common diseases