8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
Causes of deaths.
The following table gives a comprehensive view of the cause of death in
the various asylums :—
STAEMENT No. 11.
DISEASES.
Abscess ... ... ... ... ...
Ague ... ... ... ... ...
Leprosy ... ... ... ... ...
Anæmia ... ... ... ... ...
Apoplexy ... ... ... ... ...
Cholera ... ... ... ... ...
Diarrhœa ... ... ... ... ...
Dysentery ... ... ... ... ...
Dropsy ... ... ... ... ...
Epilepsy ... ... ... ... ...
Emphysema ... ... ... ... ...
Exhaustion of mania ... ... ... ... ...
Intestinal worms ... ... ... ... ...
Phthisis ... ... ... ... ...
Pneumonia ... ... ... ... ...
Pericarditis ... ... ... ... ...
Peritonitis ... ... ... ... ...
White softening of the brain ...
Remittent fever ... ... ...
Bronchitis ... ... ... ...
Debility ... ... ... ... ...
Total ...
Dullunda.
......
......
1
1
......
......
......
1
...... ......
1
3
......
7
1
......
......
......
......
......
......
15
Dacca.
1
......
......
......
......
3
3
1
...... ......
......
......
......
......
1
......
......
......
......
......
......
9
Patna.
......
......
1
3
4
5
......
1
......
......
......
......
4
......
......
......
1
1
1
......
21
Cuttack.
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
...... ......
......
......
1
1
......
1
......
......
......
......
......
3
Moydapore
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
2
2
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
4
Berhampore.
......
......
......
......
1
1
......
3
2
1
......
2
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
10
Hazareebagh.
......
2
......
1
......
......
3
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
3
......
1
......
......
......
1
11
Total.
1
2
1
3
4
8
11
7
5
1
1
5
1
12
5
1
1
1
1
1
1
73
In the following table is shewn the cause of death in all cases that died in
the asylums within the first six months of confinement. There were 16 deaths
within the first half-year of confinement; diarrhoea was the cause of death in
five, and the exhaustion of mania in four. In the latter set of causes it would
most likely be found that the patients had been managed at home till the
relations could no longer keep them; and it is probable that many such cases,
if put under proper treatment from the very first, would have got well. The
second half of the statement exhibits the duration of the diseases in 34 fatal
cases which occurred up to six months :—
STATEMENT No. 12.
DISEASES CAUSING DEATH.
Exhaustion of mania
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
...
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
Abscess
...
...
...
...
Cholera
...
...
...
...
Apoplexy
...
...
...
...
Epilepsy
...
...
...
...
Anæmia and debility
...
...
Pneumonia
...
...
...
...
Emphysema
...
...
...
...
Pericarditis
...
...
...
...
Dropsy
...
...
...
...
Remittent fever ... ... ...
Peritonitis
...
...
...
...
Intestinal worms ... ... ...
Bed softening of the brain ... ...
Ague and pneumonia ... ...
Total ...
DURATION OF CONFINEMENT.
Number of cases.
4
2
1
5
1
1
1
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
16
Under one month.
2
...
...
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
3
Under two months.
...
...
1
1
...
...
...
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
3
Under three months.
1
...
...
...
...
...
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
2
Under four months.
...
...
...
...
1
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
2
Under five months.
...
1
...
2
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
3
Under six months.
1
1
...
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
3
DURATION OF DISEASE.
Under one month.
2
4
2
2
...
8
3
...
1
4
...
1
2
1
1
2
...
1
34
Under two months.
...
1
2
1
...
...
...
1
...
...
...
...
1
...
...
...
1
7
Under three months.
1
1
...
2
1
...
...
...
1
1
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
8
Under four months.
...
...
6
...
...
...
...
...
2
...
...
...
1
...
...
...
1
...
9
Under five months.
...
1
1
3
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
5
Under six months.
...
...
1
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
1
...
...
3
Intestinal worms.
This year there was only one death reported as due to intestinal worms.
Last year there were three. The prevalence of worms in the intestines of the
insane in this country is not a little remarkable. They are probably due to
their drinking filthy water. Another remarkable phenomenon connected with
the presence of intestinal worms is that they often give rise to symptoms
resembling those of cholera. Mr. Birch of Hazareebagh alluded to this fact in
his report of the Lunatic Asylum for 1876. He found that one such case had
actually been returned as a case of cholera during his absence. The same
thing was observed by Mr. Purves, Civil Surgeon of Darjeeling, who noticed