8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
4 were self-inflicted, 4 were caused by accident, and regarding 5 the cause could
not be discovered.
“ Of these last,” says Dr. Wood, “ some were doubtless caused by other
lunatics, possibly by keepers, though this I would fain believe to be rare. Since
the close of the year, however, a female keeper has been convicted before the
Magistrate of maltreating a female lunatic, and been punished by fine and a fort-
night's imprisonment.”
24. Cause of death.—The number of admissions into hospital in a lunatic
asylum does not in reality give much information as to the actual number of
cases of sickness among the inmates, seeing that Superintendents have
different ideas as to the cases which should be taken into hospital, and some
admit cases which others allow to be at large and not on the hospital books.
The deaths, however, must be shown in the same manner in all asylums. The
cause of death in the various asylums is exhibited in the following table :—
STATEMENT No. 11.
CAUSE OF DEATH.
Anæmia
...
...
...
...
...
...
Aortic disease ...
...
...
...
...
...
Acute pneumonic phthisis...
...
...
...
Ascaris lumbricoides ... ... ... ...
Apoplexy
...
...
...
...
...
...
Bronchitis
...
...
...
...
...
...
Chronic pnuemonic phthisis
...
...
...
Cholera
...
...
...
...
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
...
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
...
Debility
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ecthema
...
...
...
...
...
...
Erysipelas
...
...
...
...
...
...
Fever
...
...
...
...
...
...
Lumbago
...
...
...
...
...
...
Injury
...
...
...
...
...
...
Meningitis
...
...
...
...
...
...
Paralysis
...
...
...
...
...
...
Pneumonia
...
...
...
...
...
...
Pulmonary apoplexy ... ... ... ...
Old age
...
...
...
...
...
...
Spleen diseases ... ... ... ... ... ...
Ulcer
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total ...
Dullunda.
2
1
1
1
......
......
4
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
2
1
1
1
1
......
......
15
Dacca.
......
......
......
......
......
......
1
1
1
2
......
......
1
1
......
1
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
8
Patna.
......
......
......
......
......
1
1
......
1
2
......
......
......
4
......
......
......
1
......
......
......
3
......
13
Cuttack.
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
1
1
1
1
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
1
......
......
......
......
5
Berhampore.
......
......
......
......
......
......
1
2
7
3
......
......
......
1
......
......
......
......
1
......
1
......
......
16
Hazaribagh.
3
......
......
......
1
......
......
6
7
12
1
1
......
2
1
......
......
......
7
......
......
......
2
43
Total.
5
1
1
1
1
1
7
10
17
20
2
1
1
8
1
1
2
2
10
1
2
3
2
100
25. There were 100 deaths out of a daily average strength of 1051.3 in
1878, against 73 deaths out of a daily average strength of 1,117 in 1877. The
highest mortality has been in Hazaribagh, where there were 43 deaths against
11 the previous year. The daily average strength in 1877 was 222, and in
1878, 207. The diseases which proved fatal seem to indicate the low condition
of the health of the inmates of this asylum. Thus we find anæmia 3, dysen-
tery 7, diarrhœa 12, debility 1, pneumonia 7, ulcer 2. There were also 6 fatal
cases of cholera. In Berhampore and Moydapore the average daily strength
was 211 in 1877 against 193.1 in 1878, and the mortality was 14 in the former
year against 16 in 1878. Last year there were 7 fatal cases of dysentery
and 3 of diarrhœa, as well as 2 of cholera. In Patna, out of an average daily
strength of 216 in 1877, there were 21 deaths, and last year the daily average
strength was 202.2 and the deaths 13, there having been only one fatal case
of dysentery and two of diarrhœa. In Dacca the mortality was 9 in 1877
and 8 in 1878, there having been one death from dysentery and two from
diarrhœa.
In the Dullunda Asylum there was an average daily strength of 213 and
a mortality of 15 in 1877, while last year the average daily strength was 204.3
and the deaths 15. Among the fatal diseases were two cases of anæmia.
There was also a case of worms which proved fatal.
26. I cannot help connecting the mortality at Hazaribagh with the
defective arrangements for the supply of pure drinking water, or rather the
breaking down of those arrangements which had been planned and executed
by the Public Works Department. On the plan which I had arranged with
Dr. Birch the use of foul water would have been impossible, as all waste water
would have been carried away by a drain covered by an iron immoveable