LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
7
17. The bearing of these figures on asylum health is shown in the above
paragraph.
18. Accidents and injuries.—At Dullunda nothing occurred under this head
worthy of mention. At Dacca there were eight cases of injury; none of them
fatal. A fracture of the jaw resulted from an accidental fall, and a fracture
of the forearm was inflicted by a violent insane neighbour. The rest were
trivial injuries, of which four were caused by lunatics and two by keepers. At
Patna and Cuttack no accident or injury occurred. At Berhampore a man's
arm was broken in a struggle with a keeper, and though the latter seems to
have had some difficulty to contend against, he is reported to have been dis-
missed. A second fracture occurred in the course of a murderous assault by
a lunatic, and no blame was imputed to any one.
A good deal has been said in former years of the frequency with which
injuries occurred in the Dacca Asylum. It seems that the institution has
suffered from the difficulty of obtaining good warders, and a representation has
been made to Government on he subject. I think that special attention to this
point has led to the practice of reporting trifling injuries from Dacca—contu-
sions, abrasions, and the like—which other Superintendents might, justifiably,
think it unnecessary to mention, and thus that the total number of injuries at
Dacca should not lead to an unfavourable comparison. It is not posssible that
industries, such as those of Dullunda and Patna, should be carried on through
the year without a bruise or a scratch, and accordingly I would pronounce
judgment on the record of serious injury only.
TABLE No. 12.
CAUSE OF DEATH.
Anæmia
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ascites
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cancrum oris
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cholera
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cirrhosis of the liver
...
...
...
...
...
...
Debility
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Dementia, chronic
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Dinrrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Enteritis
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Epilepsy... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Erysipelas ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Exhaustion of mania
...
...
...
...
...
...
Gastric ulcer...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
General
dropsy...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Heart diseases...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Hemiplegia
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Intermittent fever
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Leprosy... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Old age ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Peritonitis
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Pleurisy
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Pneumonia
...
...
...
...
...
...
Remittent fever
...
...
...
...
...
...
Sloughing phagedæna
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total ...
Dullunda.
4
......
......
1
1
1
......
......
2
1
......
1
3
......
......
......
......
1
......
......
......
3
1
1
1
......
21
Dacca.
......
......
1
7
......
......
1
3
2
......
1
1
......
1
......
1
......
......
......
......
1
2
......
1
......
......
22
Patna.
......
1
......
4
......
1
......
......
5
......
......
......
......
......
1
......
......
......
......
......
1
9
2
......
......
......
24
Cuttack.
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
1
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
.....
1
......
2
......
......
......
......
4
Berhampore.
2
......
......
......
......
1
......
1
1
......
......
......
3
......
1
......
1
......
1
1
......
1
......
2
......
1
16
TOTAL.
6
1
1
12
1
3
1
4
11
1
1
2
6
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
17
3
4
1
1
87
19. Mortality.—The total number of deaths in 1882 was nearly as small
as in 1881, viz. 87, against 84, notwithstanding the accession of cholera, from
which the proportion of deaths to cases was very high, as it always is in such
limited outbreaks. Fatal diarrhœa was scarce, and, curiously enough, was
confined to Dacca and Berhampore. Death from dysentery was low. Fatal
fever and its consequences (spleen) were almost absent. Phthisis was greatly
reduced, and other pulmonary affections slightly increased. It is scarcely
necessary to extend enquiry. The following table is given for the sake of
uniformity, and because hereafter, if it should be necessary to investigate a less
favourable course of events, the work of comparison will be facilitated.
TABLE No. 13.
Statement of deaths in 1881 and 1882.
NAME OF
LOCALITY.
Calcutta ...
Dacca ...
Patna ...
Cuttack ...
Berhampore ...
Population.
433,219
80,161
160.237
43,239
23,605
Fever.
1881.
3,765
915
2,734
230
602
1882.
3,618
563
2,291
211
447
Bowel
complaint.
1881.
1,491
385
1,118
211
38
1882.
1,454
388
1,242
215
17
Cholera.
1881.
1,693
85
202
87
16
1882.
2,240
527
346
197
56
Total deaths from
all causes.
1881.
13,030
2,156
5,732
938
734
1882.
13,177
2,381
5,573
866
566
Ratio per 1,000 of
population.
1881.
30.07
26.89
35.77
21.69
31.09
1882.
30.41
29.70
34.77
20.02
23.97