LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
33
was appointed to the asylum on a salary of Rs. 100, and he was detained in Calcutta, at
the Dullunda Asylum, to undergo some training. He joined his post on the 19th of March.
Transfer of insanes
delayed by cholera.
4. “ On March 20th cholera appeared in the central jail, and in consequence I
recommended the suspension of the transfer of the insanes, which was just then on the point
of being carried out. On April 28th I again addressed the Deputy Surgeon-General, stating
that cholera had ceased, and in my opinion the transfers might now be effected, but he was of
opinion that a further period of waiting was desirable.
Asylum opened on
the 26th May 1877.
5. “ The asylum was formally opened on the 26th May 1876 by the reception of 95
patients from Berhampore. On the 27th, 60 more arrived from Patna; but 11 of those who
were sent from the former asylum were criminal insanes, and were therefore, on the 7th
June, under orders of the Bengal Government, returned to Berhampore. Such was the
history, in a few words, of the origin and opening of this asylum.”
Admissions.
Re-admissions.
6. In addition to the 95 insanes received on the 26th May from Berhampore, and the
60 from Patna on the 27th of the same month, the following were received from Dullunda,
viz. 20 on the 2nd, 50 on the 7th, and 25 on the 17th August. Nine insanes were admitted from
the surrounding districts, so that the total admissions were 259 males. The 11 re-admissions
represent the return of escaped patients to the asylum, some of whom were absent for a few
hours. The total asylum population was 270 male patients.
Discharged cured.
7. Only four insanes were discharged cured, or at the rate of 1.96 per cent. of daily
average strength. In explanation of this low proportion of recoveries Mr. Birch writes as
follows:—“ It is unnecessary to explain this low rate further than inviting a reference to
Statement No. VI, exhibiting the types of insanity. We have received from the asylums
before named a large majority of patients suffering from chronic mania and chronic
dementia, who have been for long periods under treatment before their appearance here.
I may, however, mention that there are several who are on the road to rapid recovery who
have been sufferers for a long period, and this I attribute mainly to the great difference
in climate from anything they have before experienced. ” One patient was transferred to
his friends, having improved in his mental condition, 13 escaped, 11 criminals were transferred
(vide paragraph 5) to Berhampore, and 18 died.
Statistics.
8. On the 31st December 1876 the residual asylum population was 223 (males).
YEAR.
1876
...
...
Daily average
strength.
204
Admitted.
*270
132.35
DISCHARGED.
Cured.
4
1.96
Improved.
1
.49
Otherwise.
†24
11.76
Deaths.
18
8.82
Total dis-
charges
and
deaths.
47
23.03
Note.—The smaller fIgures are percentages of mean strength.
* Includes 95 from Berhampore, 60 from Patna, and 95 from Dullunda.
† Includes 11 criminal lunatics transferred to Berhampore Asylum.
9. The annexed table is merely entered to form the commencement of those that
will be repeated in each
succeeding annual report
in order to admit of the
comparison of the statis-
tics of each year with
those of the quinquen-
nial period immediately
preceding. The prin-
cipal points of interest
in this table are the low
proportion of recoveries
and the high rate of mortality. An explanation of the former has been offered in
paragraph 7, and the latter will be more fully entered into further on in this summary.
Mean average
strength.
10. The daily average strength of the asylum was 204 male insane patients. Calcu-
lated at 50 superficial feet per patient (males 352, females 40), 392 persons can be accommo-
dated in this institution, and this does not include hospital space, the separate rooms, or
No. 5 ward, which is used for oil-mills and grinding wheat. The maximum number of
lunatics confined on any one night was 241; and as the average strength was some 42 per
cent. below the regulated number of inmates, it is evident that overcrowding was impossible.
Caste and
residence.
Occupation.
Age.
11. Taken according to caste, it appears that Hindoos composed 69.49 per cent., Mussul-
mans 20.08, and “ other castes ” 10.42 per cent. of the total asylum population. According
to residence, the following districts (in order of highest numbers) supplied the greater propor-
tion of insanes, viz. Calcutta 31, Monghyr 22, Patna 21, 24 Pergunnahs 17, Gya 13, Burd-
wan, Hooghly and Jessore 12 each, Bhagulpore 11, Dacca and Purneah 10 each, Nuddea 9,
Tirhoot 7, Shahabad and Midnapore 6 each, &c., &c. Eighty-three of the insanes were of
“unknown” occupations, 45 were cultivators, 22 were beggars, 17 were labourers, 10 were
shopkeepers, 9 were servants, 7 were coolies, 5 were barbers, 5 tailors, &c , &c. It appears
that 75.7 per cent. of those admitted were between the ages of 20 and 40, 21.62 per cent.
between 40 and 60, 2.3 per cent. under 20, and .4 per cent. upwards of 60 years of age.
Types of insanity.
Causes of insanity.
12. Of the total number of insane patients, 45.2 per cent. were suffering from chronic
dementia, 36.7 from chronic mania, 8.9 from acute mania, 4.6 from acute dementia, 4.2 from
melancholia, and .4 per cent. from idiotcy. It will be observed, therefore, that 87 per cent.
of the patients were suffering from insanity in its more chronic forms, and these figures
thoroughly substantiate Mr. Birch's explanation (regarding the low proportion of those dis-
charged cured) offered by him in paragraph 7 of this summary. As to the alleged causes of
insanity, the principal ones were ganja and spirits, but it appears that in 67 per cent. of the
total population no cause was assigned for the mental aberration.
F