8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
16. The health of the lunatics at the other asylums is reported to have been
good, and it is gratifying to be able to record the absence of any epidemic
visitation of cholera, although the disease was more or less prevalent in the
localities in which the asylums are placed. Only two cases occurred at Dul-
lunda, one at Dacca, and one at Berhampore.
17. Mortality.—The general death-rate for the year stands at 9.11 per
cent., which is not high in a country like Bengal, where fevers and bowel-
complaints are common; and considering that it only in a very slight degree
exceeds that of the asylums in England, it does not seem capable of much further
reduction.
18. Looking at the asylums individually, in none of them has the mortality
been very high, while in Patna it was only 4.69 per cent. At Berhampore,
where the average death-rate for the ten years previous to 1887 has been lower
than at any of the other asylums, it rose from 6.25 in 1886 to 11.83 in 1887.
In Dullunda there were 30 deaths, or ...
Dacca
„ 19
„ ...
Patna
„ 11
„ ...
Cuttack
„ 6
„ ...
Berhampore
„ 20
„ ...
11.3 per cent.
8.57
„
4.69
„
11.45
„
11.83
„
19. Injuries, accidents, &c.—The catalogue of these is larger than it ought to
be. In the Dullunda Asylum a criminal insane killed a fellow lunatic by striking
him with an iron chopper when engaged in the kitchen. Another was severely
injured by a warder. At Dacca three injuries of a trivial character are recorded.
At Cuttack there was one death by suicide: at Berhampore two. At Patna
there was one escape. All these occurrences received careful investigation.
Table showing the Receipts and Expenditure of each Asylum for the year 1887.
1
ASYLUMS.
Dullunda
... ...
Dacca
...
...
Patna
...
...
Cuttack
...
...
Berhampore ... ...
Total ...
2
Daily average strength.
265.39
221.56
234.73
52.38
169.05
943.11
3
Total expenditure.
Rs.
27,237
16,761
16,297
5,235
13,464
78,996
A.
4
11
15
11
1
11
P.
1
6
0
9
0
4
4
Realised from friends
of patients.
Rs.
988
114 215
A.
4
13
13
P.
8
6
0
......
......
1,318 15 2
5
Actual profit from
Manufacture Depart-
ment.
Rs.
1,713
1,417
1,559
158
724
5,573
A.
3
9
4
13
12
11
P.
8
0
2
10
9
5
6
Average cost of each
patient
as
per
column 3.
Rs.
102
75
69
99
79
83
A.
10
10
6
15
10
12
P.
1
5
11
3
3
2
7
Average cost of each
patient deducting
columns 4 and 5.
Rs.
92
67
61
96
75
76
A.
7
8
13
14
5
7
P.
2
11
11
5
8
3
8
9
10
11
12
13
AVERAGE COST OF EACH PATIENT IN RELATION TO—
Establishment.
Rs.
40
36
36
63
46
41
A.
12
15
6
3
7
0
P.
5
3
0
6
2
9
Diet.
Rs.
39
31
26
27
27
31
A.
9
3
12
0
13
10
P.
9
1
4
0
10
1
Bazar medicines.
Rs.
0
0
0
0
0
0
A.
1
0
0
1
1
0
P.
5
8
3
5
0
11
Clothing.
Rs.
2
2
2
1
1
2
A.
7
14
6
15
11
6
P.
7
1
3
8
10
3
Contingencies.
Rs.
11
3
3
1
2
5
A.
5
15
13
13
9
10
P.
3
7
2
3
5
2
Other charges.
Rs.
8
0
0
5
0
3
A.
5
9
0
13
15
0
P.
8
9
11
5
0
0
20. Expenditure.—The total sum expended during 1887, in maintaining
the five asylums of the province, was Rs. 78,996-11-4 against Rs. 88,109-11-7 in
the previous year, the difference, viz., Rs. 9,113-0-3, being chiefly due to a
diminution in the public works' charges which in 1887 amounted to
Rs. 2,127-5-9 and in 1886 to Rs. 7,661-7-4. A saving of Rs. 3,389-9-6 was also
effected in the cost of diet owing to the smaller number of lunatics who had to
be fed, and also to the cheaper price of food-supplies.
Table showing cost of Superintendence and Establishment.
Dullunda ... ... ... ... ... ...
Dacca
...
...
...
...
...
...
Patna
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cuttack
...
...
...
...
...
...
Berhampore
...
...
...
...
...
Total ...
1887.
Superinten-
dence.
Rs.
3, 664
4,239
4,500
2,100
4,200
18,703
A.
1
7
0
0
0
8
P.
0
5
0
0
0
5
Establish-
ment.
Rs.
7,157
3,947
4,038
1,211
3,652
20,008
A.
15
15
9
7
3
4
P.
9
10
3
4
11
1
Total.
Rs.
10,822
8,187
8,538
3,311
7,852
38,711
A.
0
7
9
7
3
12
P.
9
3
3
4
11
6
1886.
Superinten-
dence.
Rs.
3,920
3,680
4,500
2,100
4,200
18,400
A.
8
0
0
0
0
8
P.
4
0
0
0
0
4
Establish-
ment.
Rs.
7,387
3,734
3,947
1,161
3,829
20,060
A.
2
13
3
12
15
14
P.
9
3
0
0
3
3
Total.
Rs.
11,307
7,414
8,447
3,261
8,029
38,461
A.
11
13
3
12
15
6
P.
1
3
0
0
3
7