LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
27
the means of the relatives of such persons previous to their being sent to
an asylum.
Admissions.
4. Six of the 21 admissions were criminal lunatics—five males and one
female. In 1876 there had been eight. There were no re-admissions or
transfers from other asylums. The total population during the year was
193, or 131 males and 62 females, giving a daily average strength of 166.27
(viz. 108.4 males and 57.8 females).
Districts from
which lunatics
were received.
Discharged cured,
&c.
The districts from which 21 lunatics were received were Bogra, 1;
Dinagepore, 3 ; Moorshedabad, 11, Nuddea, 1; Pubna, 2 ; and Rungpore, 3.
5. Discharges.—There were 27 (20 males and 7 females). Of these,
16 were cured and 11 were made over to relatives improved. Thence the
percentage of cures to daily strength were 9.62, and to admissions 76.19—
a marked improvement in the number for the previous year, which were 6.6
and 34.3 respectively. There was also less sickness than in 1876, the
daily average sick being 3.21, against 4.19. The deaths in 1876 and 1877
amounted to 10 each year; but as the strength of 1876 was below that of 1877,
the rate of mortality was higher, being 6.01, against 5.5.
Deaths.
6. The causes of death were dysentery, 3; general dropsy, 2; exhaustion
of mania, 2; cholera, 1 ; apoplexy, 1; epilepsy, 1.
Criminal lunatics.
7. Criminal lunatics.—On the 1st January 1877 there remained 52 crim-
inal lunatics (51 men and 1 woman), while five males and one female were
admitted: total 58. Of these, four men were discharged and three died
during the year, and there were 49 males and 2 females in the asylum at
the close of the year. The crimes of these persons were murder, 2—a man
and a woman: arson, 4—men; and theft, 2—men.
Religion,
occupation, &c.,
of those admitted.
8. Of the 21 admissions, 11 were Hindoos, 6 Mahomedans, and 4 of
other castes. In the same way 9 were agriculturists and 2 fishermen:
there were 4 whose occupation could not be ascertained, and 1 each of the
following callings—zemindar, kuberaj, milkman, barber, beggars, dome.
Taking age into account there were 12 males and two females between 20 and
40 ; five males between 40 and 60, and one male and one female under 20. Of
those admitted, 11 males and 1 female were cases of acute mania, and 7
males and 2 females are returned as chronic mania. The recoveries were chiefly,
as is always the case, among the acute cases. Among the alleged causes of
the mental disease in the 21 cases admitted, ganja was the chief. In 11 of
the cases, however, the cause is returned as unknown.
Sickness.
9. Taking into account the sickness of the insanes, it is found that fever
was the prevailing disease, then dysentery, next diarrhoea. There were three
cases of cholera with one death.
Finances.
10. The following passage from Mr. S. M. Shircore's report relates to the
finances of the asylum: " Table No. IX is the cash account of the asylum
for the year under report.
"The total expenditure of the year amounted to Rs. 14,138-3-1, against
Rs. 14,720-3 in 1876, which amount was received from the Government Treasury.
" The annual cost per patient was Rs. 85-0-1, against Rs. 80-13-11 in the
previous year. The following table shows the different items of expenditure
for the last two years :—
Items.
Establishment ... ... ... ...
Diet
...
...
...
...
Clothing ... ... ... ...
Bazar medicines ... ... ... ...
Contingencies ... ... ... ...
Petty constructions and repairs ... ... ...
Diet and passage-money paid to released lunatics
Total ...
Cost per head.
1876.
Rs.
39
32
4
0
3
1
A.
4
7
8
1
8
0
P.
4
1
2
8
1
7
......
80 13 11
1877.
Rs.
43
36
2
0
1
0
0
85
A.
5
11
10
0
8
7
4
0
P.
4
6
8
5
8
0
9
6
"It is thus seen that while the amount of the table expenditure was less
by Rs. 581-15-11, the average cost per head was more by Rs. 4-2-5 in 1877
than in 1876. It will also be seen that in most of the above items the amount
of cost was less than in the previous year, and that the only two items in
which there appears an increased cost were establishment and diet."
d2