( 2 )
4. In connection with the foregoing point, the question of amending the
Lunatic Asylums Act in various orther respects was also considered, and sugges-
tions have been submitted to the Government of India. The revision of the
rules under the Act, which were framed so long ago as 1878, is being dealt
with by Government.
5. The total asylum population at the close of each of the three years
under review was 836 in 1906, 852 in 1907, and 865 in 1908. Since the
asylums have accommodation for 963 patients, and the maximum number
confined on any one night was 893, there was no general difficulty from over-
crowding, but at Bhawanipur more space was required at times.
6. The health of the inmates of the asylums during the triennium
under review was on the whole good. The total number of admissions to
hospital were 850 in 1906, 555 in 1907, and 746 in 1908. The increase in
1908, as compared with the previous year, is ascribed to the fact that cases of
indifferent health and trifling ailments received regular treatment in hospital
instead of in the quarters of the lunatics, as was the previous practice. Cases
of fever decreased from 267 in 1906 to 185 in 1907, and 149 in 1908, and there
were no deaths from this cause. These good results are attributed
to the regular administration of prophylactics to the inmates during the
unhealthy season of the year. There was also a noticeable decrease in the
number of cases of bowel-complaints (dysentery and diarrhoea), the figures
being 123 in 1906, 81 in 1907, and 48 in 1908. The deaths under this head
for the three years numbered 20, 7 and 5, respectively. The most noticeable
decrease in this respect occurred at Patna, and is said to have been due to
improvements effected in the water-supply. Phthisis was unfortunately large-
ly prevalent in the Berhampore Asylum, but special arrangements have been
made for the separate treatment and segregation of tubercular patients. Seven
cases of leprosy were under treatment at Berhampore, of which two ended
fatally. A proposal to construct a separate ward for leper lunatics is now
under consideration.
7. The total death-rate calculated upon the daily average strength was
10.27 in 1906, 8.94 in 1907, and 7.63 in 1908, an average of 8.94 against
10.29 in the previous triennium. It is gratifying to notice that, as shown by
the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, the rate of mortality in 1908 was
less than that in other provinces in India, as also than that recorded in
County and Borough Asylums in England in 1907.
8. Complaints are still made by the Asylum authorities of the incomplete-
ness of the medical history sheets of the lunatics committed to the asylums,
and this, unfortunately, is not a new matter. It was noticed in the course of
the review of the reports for the years 1903—1905, and special orders calling
attention to these defects were issued in May 1908. It is now stated that out
of 122 admissions to the Berhampore Asylum, the medical history sheets in no
less than 40 cases contained no useful information. There are, no doubt,
obstacles in the way of eliciting the true facts, and, it is understood, that
similar difficulties are experienced in the United Kingdom and elsewhere;
but there is evidence that enquiries are not infrequently slurred over by the
committing Magistrates and the Police, and the results would have been
worse but for the special efforts of the Superintendent of the Berhampore
Asylum, who entered upon protracted correspondence in the hopes of clearing
up points of doubt. The exact knowledge of the antecedents in cases of lunacy
is of such great importance to the effective treatment of the disease, that the
Lieutenant-Governor must insist upon greater attention being paid to the
subject, and the Superintendents of Asylums should bring to the notice of
Commissioners of Divisions any instances in which serious negligence is apparent.
Should satisfactory explanations be not forthcoming, Commissioners are requested
to report to Government the names of the officers at fault. District Magistrates
should also arrange that these cases are only dealt with by experienced
subordinates, and should check the tendency to report, without due inquiry,
some stereotyped reason for insanity, such as the smoking of ganja.
9. The thanks of the Lieutenant-Governor are due to Colonel Macrae
for his report, and to Major Robertson-Milne and the other officers who acted
as Superintendents of the several Asylums during the period under review, for