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No. 2589.
FROM COLONEL T. H. HENDLEY, C.I.E., I.M.S.,
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Bengal,
To THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL,
FINANCIAL AND MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS.
Dated Calcutta, the 19th February 1902.
SIR,
THE report of the lunatic asylums in Bengal has hitherto been
prepared annually, but in Government of India, Home Department, letter
No. 2741, dated the 26th March 1901, it was ordered that in future this report
should be submitted triennially, the first report being for the three years
1900—1902. In Government of Bengal order No. 2315, dated 12th August
1901, it was further directed that annual returns should be submitted for
the intervening years with any necessary notes, and that the statistics of the
Bhowanipur Lunatic Asylum, instead of being shown separately, should be
included in the general statements. I have the honour, in accordance with
these orders, to submit the accompanying statistical returns of the lunatic
asylums in Bengal for 1901, with brief notes as under.
Statement I.
2. On the 1st January 1901 there were under confinement in the asylums
of this Province 943 lunatics, including the inmates
of the Bhowanipur Asylum, and on the 31st
December there remained a total of 1,009, or an addition of 66, of whom 45
were criminals and 21 non-criminals. The total number of criminal lunatics
at the end of the year constituted 52.92 per cent. of the total population,
against 51.85 in 1900.
3. Admissions—Were greater by 9, the figures having been 229, against 220
in 1900. Dacca and Berhampore showed an increase of 11 and 23, respectively.
To the former the district of Sylhet (Assam) sent as many as 27 lunatics,
against 14 in 1900. Cachar also furnished 9 cases—all non-criminals, against 6
in the previous year. At Berhampore the increase was chiefly confined to
criminal lunatics. The rest of the ayslums for natives had between them a
decrease of 18, and the Bhowanipur Asylum for Europeans, 7.
4. Readmissions—-Numbered 20, or 10 less than in the previous year. Of
the 20, 13 were criminals and 7 non-criminals. The criminals were in the
majority of cases sent back to the asylums after trial. One was a case of
relapse received back at Dacca from the jail after four months. Of the non-
criminals, 6 represent cases of relapse after long intervals. In one instance only
the insanity recurred within nearly six months of his discharge from the
asylum. The lunatic had been made over to his friends " on security," but was
returned to the asylum, as he became unmanageable.
5. Discharges.—The total number discharged was 122, against 133 in 1900.
All the asylums except Dacca showed a falling off. At Berhampore the decrease
of 9 was due to fewer recoveries, the percentage of the latter on total strength
being 9.25, against 14.07 in 1900. At Dacca, on the other hand, recoveries were
more numerous than in the previous year, accounting for the increased number
of discharges in 1901. In the former asylum a larger number of bad cases were
admitted during the year under report, and in these the chances of recovery
are generally remote.
6. Accommodation.-— At Dacca want of room for females was felt from time
to time; and as this asylum will not be abolished, four new cells were added