12
LUNATIC ASYLUM OF BENGAL.
Seven of the 28 deaths were due to phthisis, 5 to exhaustion of mania, 3 to
tubercle, 2 to old age, in one of which there was also heart-disease, 2 each
to cholera, dysentery, cirrhosis of the liver; and 1 each to Bright's disease,
anæmia, apoplexy, diarrhœa and hypertrophy of the spleen.
Patna had 20 deaths, or 11 fewer than in the previous year. Seven resulted
from phthisis, 3 from cholera, 3 from pneumonia and 1 each from choleraic
diarrhœa, dysentery, leprosy, anæmia, old age, pleurisy and Bright's disease.
The lunatic who died from the last-named disease was a resident of the asylum
for three days only.
Cuttack had 2 deaths due to dysentery. One of the patients who died was
admitted in indifferent health.
Berhampore returns 20 deaths, including the one death outside the hospital
from drowning, against 19 in the previous year. Seven of the 20 deaths result-
ed from diarrhœa, 4 from phthisis, 3 from anæmia, 2 from erysipelas and 1
each from dysentery, oldage and secondary syphilis. The lunatic Who died
from the last-named disease was in indifferent health at the time of admission
and was filthy in habits. Two of the lunatics who died were confined in the
asylum for upwards of 30 years, and two were inmates for more than 14 years
but less than 30 years.
18. Injuries and accidents—Numbered 33 against 24 in the previous year.
Nineteen occurred in the Dullunda Asylum. One lunatic fractured his collar
bone, and another his left ulna in fits of excitement. There were 3 cases of
assaults by lunatics on lunatics. The remaining cases were trivial injuries.
At Dacca, there were 4 cases of wound of the scalp and 1 of slight burn.
At Patna, one old lunatic sprained his knee while turning cart-wheels.
There was also a case of slight contused wound of forehead.
Cuttack—Had no cases of injury or accident.
Berhampore—Returns 8 cases. A lunatic died of drowning while fishing in
the tank belonging to the asylum. In this case some of the warders were
found guilty of disobedience of orders and were adequately punished. The
overseer was also reprimanded. There was 1 case of fracture of left tibia
and 1 of right ulna. In both instances the injuries were inflicted by one
lunatic on another. There were 2 more cases of fracture, one of left ulna and
the other of right external condyle of humerus. The lunatics received the
injuries in a fit of excitement. The remaining cases were unimportant. Some
of these accidents and injuries might have been prevented if the warders had
been more watchful.
19. Escapes.—A lunatic escaped from the Dullunda Asylum. The warders
through whose negligence the escape occurred were punished. Another lunatic
managed to effect his escape from the Dacca Asylum by picking open the lock
of his cell. The lock was an ordinary one. The warder on duty was dismiss-
ed. New locks, such as those in use in the jail, have now been provided. No
escapes took place from the Patna, Cuttack and Berhampore Asylums.
20. Statement IX— Finance.—The details of income and expenditure are
shown in the following table :—
TABLE XI.
Income.
(1)
(2)
Received from treasury ...
Ditto from paying patients, &c. ...
Total ...
(3)
(4)
Received from Manufacturing Depart-
ment, less cost of raw materials ...
Received from the Public Works
Department, Medical Store Depôt
and Stationery Office ...
GRAND TOTAL ...
1899.
Rs.
79,855
2,530
82,386
5,428
5,521
93,336
A.
12
8
4
11
4
4
P.
2
9
11
3
3
5
1900.
Rs.
83,114
3,199
86,314
6,005
8,374
1,00,694
A.
13
10
7
13
3
8
P.
3
8
11
11
0
10