8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
they were 11 and 36 in 1885. There was one death from dementia acute
in 1886, while there was none in 1885. On the other hand melancholia
shows a decrease of 2, dementia chronic 3, and not insane 2. No deaths took
place under the divisions idiotcy and imbecility. Mania is the most fatal of
all forms of insanity, next to it comes dementia chronic, a condition into which
mania often passes. The present return fully illustrates this. It has been
remarked before that the largest number of admissions for maniacal cases falls
on the Presidency Asylum. They gave four-fifths of the total admissions in
1886. At Dacca maniacal admissions fell from 36 in 1885 to 31 in 1886,
forming about two-thirds of the total. At Cuttack, as has been observed before,
the admissions were ascribed almost entirely to mania, and chiefly to the
acute form of the disease. In like manner Berhampore, as usual, holds its own
in the same respect. It is in these two asylums chiefly, which so constantly
exhibit a sameness in the types of insanity that has led to the supposition that
uniformity may be due to a desire to simplify the nomenclature. In Patna
maniacal cases rose from 23 in 1885 to 26 in 1886, and formed four-fifths of
the total admissions.
15. Percentage of recoveries on total treated.—The recoveries from the several
forms of insanity on total numbers are given as rates per cent. for the past
year in the subjoined figures.
TABLE No. 8.
Percentage of recoveries on total treated.
Acute mania
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Chronic mania ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Melancholia
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Acute dementia
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
chronic dementia
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
1883.
16.81
6.22
4.
5.71
1.43
1884.
15.65
5.14
846
2.74
1.56
1885.
16.
6.33
2.98
4.87
.53
1886.
13.41
5.84
5.77
6.41
1.11
Among cases of acute mania we might look for the largest number of
recoveries in this country where ganja and other intoxicants are indulged in so
largely, and are when employed to excess its chief cause. In both acute and
chronic mania the rates of recovery show a decline, while the recoveries among
the sufferers from the three remaining forms of insanity, viz., melancholia, acute
and chronic dementia gave an increase. It has been said that differences of
nomenclature arise from many causes, and that cases on admission, and subse-
quently to admission are variously treated, but to attempt to control a Superin-
tendent's freedom of action would probably lead to a state of confusion worse
confounded. The difficulties in these directions have been fully explained in
previous reports, and the reasons given for not accepting this table as affording
an exact statement of facts.
16. Causes of insanity.— Vide statement VII in the Appendix. The assigned
causes of insanity will be found separately entered for each asylum. Of the
total treated, viz., 1173, 452 were said to have been due to physical causes;
140 to moral; while in 581 or 49.53 per cent. the cause was not ascertained.
As I showed in my last annual report the use of an inoxicant is the most easily
ascertainable cause, but beyond this, the insuperable difficulties surrounding
our investigations in this country to define the fons et origo mali not infre-
quently lead to ludicrous results. With the statement of causes, however, this
year I have nothing to complain. Ganga is said to have been the cause in 256
cases, Bhang and Churas in 5, Spirits in 53, Opium in 7, Fever in 26, Heredity
in 38, Epilepsy in 25, Childbirth in 6. The other causes seem reason-
able.
TABLE No. 9.
Admissions into hospitals
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto
per cent. of mean strength
...
...
...
Daily average sick
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto
in 1885
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto
per cent. of mean strength
...
...
Ditto
ditto
in 1885 ...
Daily average number of out patients
...
...
...
Dullunda.
136
44.77
7.65
10.58
2.82
4.25
11.1
Dacca.
117
53.08
16.67
10.46
7.56
4.67
4.77
Patna.
94
38.91
9.45
8.07
3.91
847
3.66
Cuttack.
28
51.14
4.12
3.49
7.52
5.84
12.31
Berhampore.
41
23.3
8.09
2.78
1.75
1.59
6.92
Total.
415
43.05
40.98
35.38
4.25
3.76
38.76