8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
to persons discharged on recovery. The form of insanity ascribed to spirit
drinking is more persistent. With 13 admissions there were only three
recoveries in 1881.
19. Sickness.—The general health of the asylums was good in 1881.
A detailed return of sick in the several asylum-hospitals is given in statement
No. 8 of the appendix. The following table shows the quantity of sickness
collectively:—
TABLE No 9.
Admissions into hospital
... ... ... ... ...
Ditto
per cent. of mean strength
... ... ...
Daily average sick
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto
in 1880
... ... ... ... ...
Ditto
per cent. of mean strength
... ...
Ditto
ditto
ditto
in 1880 ...
Daily average number of out-patients
... ... ...
Dullunda.
43
20.79
5.15
8.48
2.49
3.93
14.02
Dacca.
105
50.08
9.14
8.94
4.36
4.5
9.95
Patna.
145
65.92
9.94
15.92
4.51
6.92
12.6
Cuttack.
15
29.12
2.74
1.88
5.32
3.66
10.78
Berhampore.
77
42.21
7.96
5.38
4.36
2.88
13.71
Total.
385
44.24
34.93
40.6
4.01
4.6
61.06
The total number of in-patients was less than in either of the three preced-
ing years in all the asylums except that of Dacca, and here it only slightly
exceeded the number of 1880. The daily average number showed no material
variation. The daily number of out-patients was 61 in 1881 against 79 in 1880.
The composition of this class and its independence of general health were fully
explained in paragraph 18 of my report for 1880.
TABLE No. 10.
Showing the prevalence of principal diseases in 1880 and 1881.
Anæmia and debility
... ...
Cholera
... ... ... ...
Diarrhœa
... ... ... ...
Dropsy ... ... ... ...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
Fevers
...
...
...
...
Pneumonia
...
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
...
Dullunda.
1880.
11
......
1
......
13
14
2
14
1881.
7
......
1
......
11
3
2
7
Dacca.
1880.
7
......
11
3
11
30
......
6
1881.
4
......
10
1
10
49
6
5
Patna.
1880.
24
3
36
......
49
37
......
12
1881.
9
......
13
......
31
66
1
21
Cuttack.
1880.
2
......
3
......
1
11
......
2
1881.
1
......
......
......
4
3
......
3
Berhampore.
1880.
3
9
20
2
33
31
3
......
1881.
4
......
5
3
26
15
......
1
Total.
1880.
47
12
71
5
107
123
5
34
1881.
25
......
29
4
82
136
9
37
20. The first point for notice here is the marked reduction of anaemia
and debility. There is a fall everywhere, except at Berhampore, but the fall at
Patna is the most remarkable, as the number of cases in 1880 had been much
below that of the previous year. These names apply to a very definite class of
cases in Indian institutions, a class which is too well known in the daily experi-
ence of medical officers. It is equally certain that in asylums where organic
disease is often difficult of detection during life, and examination post mortem
has not been made, these names have been used in cases of unascertained cause.
This was fully explained in my last report (paragraph 20 et seq.) and a
fall in the number of deaths ascribed to this condition was anticipated as a result
of regular examination post mortem. The bearing of this on events in the
Patna Asylum will appear in the inverse course of phthisis there. Cholera
was absent from the asylums in 1881. Diarrhoea was greatly reduced at Patna
and Berhampore, where it had prevailed with some severity in 1880,
and had brought suspicion on the water supplied for drinking, as shewn in the
last report. The water was examined in 1881 and emphatically condemned
by the analyst, for both places. It was ordered therefore that filters of the
kind used in jails should be constructed and the necessary outlay was sanc-
tioned. The filter at Patna was completed after the year had expired, but that
for Berhampore has not yet been taken in hand by the Department of Public
Works.
It now appears that the water of the asylum wells at Patna was long
ago condemned and disused by Dr. Simpson, but that on his departure