LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
9
it during an outbreak of the disease at that station; and he mentions that
the Reverend Mr. McFarlane, a Missionary, used to go about the hill
villages administering santonine to all cases reported as cases of cholera,
and with excellent effect. Dr. N. Jackson made a similar observation
at Balasore in 1866, and this year at Buxar. It seems most probable
that these worms are caused by the drinking of foul water, in which the ova of
the parasite are contained, and the experience of Surgeon-Major Payne in the
Dullunda Asylum, and of Surgeon-Major Birch at Hazareebagh, tend to
confirm this opinion, for they find that when they make it impossible for the
lunatics to obtain dirty water to drink intestinal worms do not affect them.
Dr. Payne has further found that forcing his patients to drink pure water
by taking away from them the possibility of using any other has also
had a marvellous effect in reducing the number of cases of dysentery and
diarrhœa, which used to be very prevalent in the Dullunda Asylum. I refer
to his report for his very interesting and instructive remarks on this subject.
Mr. Birch alludes to the total absence of a form of insanity very common
and invariably fatal, examples of which are to be found in every asylum in
Great Britain, and which is known as the " general paralysis of the insane."
Many other observers have made the same remarks ; but, so far as I know, no
one has explained why it should be so. The disease is very easily recognized
by a variety of striking symptoms, so that it is hardly possible that it exists, but
is not diagnosed in India. The cause of general paralysis according to one
authority (Guitain) is the " united action of drink and study or chagrin," and
according to others (Bucknill and Tuke) the causes are (1) abuse of alcoholic
drinks; (2) reverse of fortune; (3) domestic trouble; (4) libertinism. The
narcotics which are most used in this country would seem to be much less likely
to cause madness than strong drink in Europe. Ganja, no doubt, often gives
rise to insanity, but not so frequently, it would seem, as drink in Britain,
and the attacks of insanity produced by it as a rule soon pass off. Opium,
both in China and India, claims very few victims among the insane when we
consider the numbers who use it. It is also probably true that insanity is
a very much less common disease in India than in Britain, on account of being,
as a general rule, most common in civilized countries.
Cash accounts of
the asylums.
In order to exhibit the cost to Government of each patient the following
table has been constructed:—
STATEMENT No. 13.
Showing the Receipt and Expenditure of each Asylum for the year 1877.
ASYLUMS.
Dullunda ...
Dacca ...
Patna ...
Cuttack ...
Moydapore ...
Berhampore
Hazareebagh
Total ...
1
Daily
average
strength.
213.04
204.96
216.17
49.83
44.70
166.27
222.06
1,117.03
2
Total expenditure.
Rs.
28,789
21,391
21,717
5,736
3,844
14,138
17,842
1,13,458
A.
6
7
0
0
7
3
2
10
P.
2
2
1
1
6
1
5
6
3
Realized from the
friends of patients.
Rs.
984
27
230
169
A.
8
12
10
14
P.
11
3
0
3
......
85
206
1,704
0
13
11
0
10
3
4
Actual profit from
manufacture de-
partment.
Rs.
4,012
3,568
2,180
224
1
1,583
666
12,237
A.
3
9
9
9
4
3
14
5
P.
6
2
2
8
0
5
2
1
5
Average cost of
each patient, as
per column 2.
Rs.
135
104
100
115
86
85
80
101
A.
2
5
7
1
0
0
5
9
P.
2
10
4
9
1
6
6
1
6
Average cost of
each patient de-
ducting columns
3 and 4.
Rs.
111
86
89
107
85
74
76
89
A.
10
13
4
3
15
15
6
1
P.
10
1
11
1
7
11
7
5
7
8
9
10
11
AVERAGE COST OF EACH PATIENT IN RELATION TO
Establish-
ment.
Rs.
59
43
40
71
44
43
37
46
A.
13
2
4
4
9
5
9
0
P.
10
11
5
3
6
4
1
3
Diet.
Rs.
57
56
45
37
37
36
35
45
A.
13
10
14
6
11
11
0
14
P.
9
9
8
9
8
6
8
11
Bazar medi-
cines.
Rs.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
A.
1
1
4
2
0
0
6
2
P.
8
11
4
8
2
5
2
11
Contingen-
cies.
Rs.
14
2
6
3
1
2
3
5
A.
5
15
1
8
12
4
4
10
P.
11
7
1
5
4
6
11
11
Clothing.
Rs.
2
1
7
2
1
2
4
3
A.
15
6
14
11
14
10
0
12
P.
0
8
10
8
5
8
8
1
Thus the average cost of each patient was Rs. 101-9-1, against Rs. 97-0-3
in 1876 and Rs. 102-15-9 in 1875. The cost varied from Rs. 80-5-6 at
Hazareebagh to Rs. 135-2-2 at Dullunda.
Contingencies.
Contingencies amounted to Rs. 5-10-11 in 1877, against Rs. 6-12-4 in 1876.
Bazar medicines formed a very trifling charge, and clothing was Rs. 3-12-1
in 1877 and Rs. 4-12-9 in 1876.
In the reports of the Superintendents which follow, there will be found
various allusions to the average cost of each patient, to which attention
is invited. The fact is there are too many asylums for the number of patients
b