LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
31
The diseases shown in the foregoing table caused 86 per cent. of the sickness amongst
the males and 79 per cent. amongst the females. It will be remarked that the most fatal
diseases amongst the male insanes were apoplexy, anæmia, cholera, dropsy, dysentery, and
diarrhœa, but that dropsy, cholera, and dysentery formed 70 per cent. of the total mortality.
There were no deaths amongst the female insanes, but ague caused 63 per cent. of the total
sickness amongst them. It has already been stated that the death-rate of 1876 was less
than that of 1875 by 2.4 per cent., and the superintendent considers that it would probably
have been still lower “ had not a large number of those inmates in the best state of health
been transferred to Hazareebagh in the month of May last.”
Residence, sex,
and religion of
those admitted.
12. Reviewing the table which shows the residence, sex, and religion of the insane
patients who were admitted during the year, it appears that of the total number (38), 58 per
cent. came from the Moorshedabad district, 13 per cent. came from Dinagepore, 11 per cent.
from Rajshahye, 5 per cent. from Rungpore, and 3 per cent. respectively from Maldah,
Pubna, Rajmehal, and Bhagulpore. Taken according to sex, 79 per cent. of the total
admissions were males and 21 per cent. were females ; and according to caste, 60 per cent.
were Hindoos, 37 per cent. were Mahomedans, and 3 per cent. were of “ other castes.”
Occupations of
those admitted.
13. One-half of the number admitted belonged to the class of cultivators, 20 per cent.
were servants, 10 per cent. were of unknown occupation, 8 per cent. were beggars, and 3 per
cent. respectively were boatmen, labourers, priests, and of the gheristi caste. According to
age, the majority were admitted between the ages of 20 and 40, next in frequency between
40 and 60, and then under 20 years of age.
Types of insanity.
14. The proportion of the various types of insanity, as observed amongst the total
number treated, was as follows: acute mania (males 22.40, females 4.83) 18.81 per cent., chronic
mania (males 46.47, females 74.19) 52.14, melancholia (males 7.88, females 1.61) 6.60; acute
dementia (male .41, female .00) .33; chronic dementia (males 19.91, females 17.74) 19.47;
idiotcy (males 1.65, females 1.61) 1.65 ; and “ not insane” (male 1.24, female .00) .99. It thus
appears that (males 75.93, females 95.15) 79.86 per cent. of the total treated were suffering
from insanity in its more chronic and least curable types, and this fact will fully account for
the small proportion of patients discharged from this asylum as cured.
Causes of insanity.
Greater proportion
of recoveries from
acute mania.
15. The physical causes of insanity, as observed amongst the total treated, were con-
sidered to be caused by, in order of frequency, ganja, spirits, opium, and fever. Of the
moral causes, grief was the most marked one. No cause of insanity was assigned in (males
189, females 54) 243, or (males 78.42, females 87.09) 80.19 per cent. of the total number
treated. The recoveries from acute mania were actually and proportionately more in number
than those of any other type.
Receipts and
expenditure.
16. The total expenditure of the year was Rs. 14,720-3, which (with the exception of
Rs. 12 received from paying patients) came entirely from the Government treasury. The
annual cost per patient was Rs. 80-13-11, against Rs. 74-2-9 in 1875, and was composed of
the following items :—
Establishment ... ... ... ... ...
Diet ... ... ... ... ...
Clothing ... ... ... ... ...
Bazar medicines ... ... ... ... ...
Contingencies ... ... ... ... ...
Total ...
Rs.
7,148
5,904
820
19
826
14,720
A.
3
11
14
13
8
3
P.
0
9
6
6
3
0
Per Patient.
Rs.
39
32
4
0
4
80
A.
4
7
8
1
8
13
P.
4
1
2
8
8
11
Explanation of
increased
expenditure under
certain heads.
Mr. Shircore gives the following explanation of the increase of some of the items shown
in the foregoing table:—“ The increase of charges under the head of establishment has arisen
from the entertainment of a matron during the course of the year on a salary of Rs. 25 per
mensem, and the raising of the number of jemadars to the full sanctioned staff of three, it
having been found that two were not enough to perform the labour required of them. Another
cause helped, in a measure, to increase the average cost of establishment. The same letter which
conveyed the orders of Government for the transfer of lunatics to the Hazareebagh Asylum
contained also an order for the transfer of an equal number of lunatics from the Dacca to this
asylum. Consequently, on the return of the men who had escorted the insanes to Hazaree-
bagh, their services were not dispensed with, as the insanes from Dacca were then daily expected,
and it was not until some time after that information was received that instead of 84 only 15
were coming. The daily average strength of the year was, moreover, less by very nearly
six than in 1875, which likewise helped in increasing the average cost under this head. The
other items in which there has been increased expenditure are those under the head of
clothing and contingencies. In the former there has been an increase of about a rupee
per head. In 1875 a large number of lunatics were transferred from other asylums, who
brought with them sufficient clothing to last them that year. During the year under report,
however, it became necessary to provide new clothing for these insanes as well as the others,
and the 84 who were transferred to Hazareebagh were all provided with new suits of clothing.
These circumstances naturally tended to increase the expenditure under the head of clothing.
With regard to contingencies, the figures show an increase of Rs. 3-6-3 per head. The items