8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
order of frequency, from Calcutta, the 24-Pergunnahs, Serampore, Midnapore, Burdwan,
Howrah, &c.; into the Dacca Asylum, from Dacca, Sylhet, Chittagong, Tipperah, Mymensingh,
&c.; into the Patna Asylum, from Shahabad, Patna, Monghyr, Gya, Sonthal Pergunnahs,
Tirhoot, &c.; into the Cuttack Asylum, from Cuttack, Balasore, Pooree, “ unknown,” &c.;
into the Berhampore Asylum, from Moorshedabad, Dinagepore, Rajshahye, Rungpore, &c.;
and into the Hazareebagh Asylum, from Lohardugga, Tirhoot, Gya, Singbhoom, Purneah, &c.
Insane patients from Assam (Sylhet 11, Sibsagar 3, Shillong 1, Dibrugarh 1, and Cachar 1)
formed 26.15 per cent. of the total admissions and re-admissions into the Dacca Asylum
during 1876, against 21.42 in 1875 ; so that the opening of the new asylum at Tezpore
cannot have influenced the fewer admissions into the Dacca Asylum, as I have already in
paragraph 6, on the authority of the Superintendent, stated that it did to a certain extent.
Occupation.
25. From a review of Table IV of the Appendix, it appears that of the total admis-
sions and re-admissions (males 22.18, females 9.58) 19.67 per cent. were cultivators ; those of
“unknown” occupation formed (males 19.11, females 38.35) 22.95 per cent.; and of “other
occupations ” (males 9.89, females 4.10) 8.74 per cent.; servants (males 7.84, females 9.58) 8.19
per cent.; coolies (males 7.16, females 8.21) 7.37 per cent.; beggars (males 6.14, females 5.47)
6.01 per cent.; and shop-keepers (males 5.11, females 1.37) 4.37 per cent. The foregoing
occupations account for (males 77.47, females 76.71) 77.32 per cent. of the total admissions
and re-admissions, and the remaining portion of the percentage was made up of barbers,
boatmen, constables, confectioners, cowherds, fishermen, goldsmiths, housewives, &c. The
insane patients appear to have come generally from the more impoverished classes of the
community, or else from those who are dependent on a precarious livelihood.
Age.
26. With reference to the ages of the lunatics who were admitted or re-admitted, it
has been ascertained from Table No. V in the Appendix that (males 78.83, females 67.12)
76.50 per cent. were between the ages of 20 and 40 ; those between 40 and 60 years formed
(males 12.28, females 21.91) 14.20 per cent.; (males 7.50, females 8.21) 7.65 per cent. were
under 20 years of age; and (males 1.36, females 2.73) 1.63 per cent. were upwards of
60 years. The occupations and ages of the lunatics on admission agree generally with
what has been observed in former years, and do not seem to call for any special remarks.
Types of insanity.
Acute mania.
Chronic mania.
Melancholia.
27. Of the total asylum population, it appears from Table No. VI that 20.42 per cent.
were suffering from acute mania, and of them 21.03 per cent. recovered and 7.11 per cent.
died. Chronic mania formed 38.86 per cent. of the total population, and under it 7.31
per cent. recovered and 6.80 per cent. died. Cases of melancholia formed 9.05 per cent.,
and from it there were only 1.45 per cent. of recoveries, with a death-rate of 9.48 per cent.
Acute dementia.
Chronic dementia.
Acute dementia formed 4.36 per cent. of the total cases, and from it 15.15 per cent.
recovered and 7.57 per cent. died. Of the total number of cases treated, 24.25 per cent.
were suffering from chronic dementia. Of these only 1.08 per cent. were cured, and the
mortality was at the rate of 10.35 per cent.
Idiotcy.
Only .79 per cent. of the total number treated were idiots. From this class there
were no recoveries, and the death-rate was 8.33 per cent.
Imbecility and
amentia.
Imbecility and amentia contributed but .39 per cent., and no recoveries or deaths were
registered under either type.
Greatest numbers
of recoveries were
from acute mania
and dementia.
Greatest number
of deaths.
It will thus be seen that the highest numbers of recoveries occurred in acute mania and
dementia, and in chronic mania; but the highest death-rates were registered, in order of fre-
quency, under chronic dementia, melancholia, idiotcy, acute dementia, acute mania, and chronic
mania respectively. It will also be noticed that 73.36 per cent. of the total asylum population
suffered from insanity in its more chronic and least curable forms. This fact may be accepted
as explanatory of the small proportion of recoveries, to which I have already drawn attention,
in paragraph 10, and corroborates the remarks which I have quoted in the same paragraph.
Causes of insanity.
Moral causes.
28. The following were the physical causes, in order of frequency, of insanity as
registered during the year. Ganja, as usual, stands pre-eminent, and was accountable for
no fewer than 30.66 per cent. of the total cases treated. Next in order come;—spirit, 4.16 per
cent.; hereditary disposition, 2.90 per cent.; epilepsy, 2.31 per cent.; fevers, 1.65 per cent.;
and other causes, which have not been calculated, as they formed such a small fraction of the
percentage of the total treated. Of the moral causes, grief (particularly amongst the females)
was the principal one, and was considered accountable for 5.55 per cent. of the total insanity.
Next in order came fear, anger, religion, poverty, love, &c. Of the total numbers treated,
45.73 per cent. were suffering from insanity caused by physical causes, 7.93 per cent.
from moral causes, and 46.33 per cent from unknown causes.
Sickness.
29. During the year there were (males 990, females 162) 1,152 admissions into hospital
on account of disease, or at the rate of (males 101.37, females 65.36) 94.08 per cent. of the
average daily strength, against (males 944, females 210) 1,154 in 1875, with a proportion
of (males 107.81, females 83.71) 102.44 per cent.
Daily average sick.
30. The daily average number of sick was (males 84.41, females 13.90) 98.31, (con-
siderably higher than was registered in any year of the preceding decennial period), or at
the rate of (males 8.64, females 5.60) 8.02 per cent. of mean strength, against a daily
average number of sick, in 1875, of (males 67.90, females 16.55) 84.45, or males 7.75,
females 6.59) 7.48 per cent. of mean strength.