( 3 )
per cent., against 12.06 in 1900. Two of the admissions during the year
were brought straight into hospital and died after a few days. Bowel-
complaints (dysentery and diarrhœa) showed a decided falling off, the
admissions being 102 against 287. Fevers furnished 139 cases against 232;
cases of tubercular phthisis were fewer—24, against 31. Anæmia and debility
gave 23 admissions, against 41 in 1900. There was one solitary case of
cholera, against 12 in 1900. The case occurred in the Dullunda Asylum and
ended fatally. Measures were taken to prevent the spread of the disease and
were successful. Plague raged in the neighbourhood of the Patna Asylum,
but only one case (fatal) occurred in it. The patient was segregated, and
happily no other case occurred. The general population of the towns in which
the asylums are situated and the prisoners in the neighbouring jails (except
Patna) enjoyed better health during 1901.
12. Injuries and accidents.—It is impossible to prevent a certain proportion
of the lunatics from injuring themselves, but the number of these was compara-
tively fewer than in 1900, viz., 24 against 33. Of the 24, 8 occurred at Dullunda,
9 at Dacca, 3 at Patna, and 4 at Berhampore. Most of the injuries were of a
trivial nature. Eight were cases of assaults by lunatics on lunatics. There were
also four serious cases. A lunatic attempted to commit suicide at Berhampore by
cutting his throat with a piece of tin. The wound was not fatal, and the lunatic
came round under treatment. The asylum staff were not to blame for this occur-
rence. At Patna a lunatic suddenly died from rupture of the intestines.
This matter was enquired into by the District Magistrate, who remarked that
it was a pure accident. A lunatic at Dacca, while awaiting medical examin-
ation, was permitted by his keeper to go to the latrine. He at once climbed
up a tree standing close by and threw himself down and died instantly. The
enquiring Magistrate could not determine whether the warder was guilty of any
negligence. The latter was departmentally warned and fined. At Dullunda
a lunatic Chinaman committed suicide in his cell by strangling himself with
his pig tail. The lunatic was a paying patient. The Superintendent on
being asked as to whether there were any rules prohibiting the cutting of
hair of lunatics in the asylum said that there are no rules for or against it,
and in this case the friends of the lunatic were very particular about their
national customs, and would have resented any disfigurement of the patient.
There were no escapes from the asylums during 1901.
13. European lunatics.—In previous reports a separate chapter was devoted
to this class of lunatics, but this is unnecessary in these notes beyond a reference
to one or two special matters concerning them. Admissions and readmissions
taken together were fewer by 5, as 11 against 16. Of the 11, 3 were Europeans
and 8 East Indians. Seven were discharged from the asylum, against 12 in 1900.
The percentage of recoveries on daily average strength was a little more than
double of what it was in 1900; it being 10.58, against 5.16. There were 5
admissions to the hospital, against 6 in 1900, and the death-rate per cent. on
average strength was 10.58 against 10.32 in the previous year.
The total expenditure was less by Rs. 1,383 than in the previous year.
The saving chiefly occurred in the public works charges. The average cost
per head showed a reduction, viz., Rs. 759, against Rs. 776 in 1900. The
amount realised from paying patients was Rs. 10,526, against Rs. 14,817 in
1900. Excluding these payments, the cost per lunatic was Rs. 481, against
Rs. 394 in 1900.
Statement VIII.
14. Finance.—The total expenditure of all asylums was Rs. 1,39,516-4-9,
against Rs. 1,30,774-8-10 in 1900, and the cost per
lunatic was Rs. 141-7-2, against Rs. 139-9-4 in
1900. Excluding the cost of the Bhowanipur Asylum, the expenditure of the
five asylums for natives was Rs. 1,10,819-4-9, or Rs. 10,124-11-11 more than in
the previous year. There was a rise in the price of food-stuffs in 1901, which
chiefly accounts for the increase of Rs. 4,758-6-3 in the cost of diet. Public
works charges were responsible for an increase of Rs. 2,937, which was due to
quadrennial repairs at Berhampore and Dacca, where, besides other improve-
ments, four new cells for females were constructed during the year. There
was also an increase of Rs. 1,171-0-6 in rates and taxes, due to the levying of
water-rate at Berhampore. The amount spent on contingencies also rose from
Rs. 8,066-12-2 to Rs. 9.231-7-7 in 1901. Dullunda showed the largest increase,