( 2 )
number admitted in any year. The drop to 195 in 1905 is chiefly due to the
transfer of certain districts to the new Province of Eastern Bengal and Assam.
4. The number of daily average sick in the asylums rose from 36.76
in 1902 to 70.01 in 1905. the daily average for the intervening years being
41.92 and 54.53. The marked increase in 1905 is reported to have been
chiefly confined to the Berhampore Asylum, where fevers and phthisis were
common; but many of the admissions were apparently due to trivial
complaints, and the increase does not demand special attention. The average
death-rate in the asylums dealt with in this review during the triennium was
103 per mille against 86 in the previous triennium, but it is satisfactory to find
that the death-rate of 116 per mille in 1903 fell to 100 in 1904 and declined
still further to 91 in 1905: the chief causes were tuberculosis, dysentery and
diarrhœa. As the Inspector-General points out, the mortality rate for the
Bengal asylums in 1905 compares favourably with that recorded for the county
and borough asylums in England, where the average of the ten years 1895—
1904 was 101 per mille. The average death-rate of the Bengal asylums
during the 10 years ending in 1903 was only 93 per mille.
5. The percentage of cases admitted into the lunatic asylums in which
the causes of insanity were not ascertained is still very high, being 61.47
in 1903, 50.19 in 1904 and 55.25 in 1905, or an average of 55.63 against
59.28 in the last triennium. This subject was discussed by the Lieutenant-
Governor in the Resolution on the last Triennial Report, and the hope was
expressed that a careful compliance with the standing orders of Government
regarding the preparation of the medical history sheets of lunatics committed
to asylums would produce better results. This expectation has not been
realised, and Colonel Macrae reports that it was found, while inspecting
the Patna Asylum last year, that a considerable proportion of the medical
history sheets gave very little information regarding the previous history
of the lunatics. The successful treatment of lunacy depends to a very
great extent upon a thorough and exact knowledge of the history and circum-
stances of each case, and the Lieutenant-Governor must again insist that due
attention should be paid both by the committing Magistrate and the observing
medical officer to this important duty.
6. The expenditure on all the asylums averaged Rs. 1,09,742 a year, and
the average annual income from paying patients was Rs. 14,191, while the net
receipts from manufactures averaged Rs. 3,728. The mean cost for European
lunatics was Rs. 376 and for native lunatics Rs. 106. The average cost per
lunatic on account of diet fell from Rs. 49-7-5 in 1903 to Rs. 47-10-9 in 1905.
7. The thanks of Government are due to Colonel Macrae for his report,
and His Honour accepts with satisfaction his opinion that the asylums were
well managed during the three years covered by the Report.
By order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal,
H. J. McINTOSH,
Offg. Secy. to the Govt. of Bengal.
No. 595T.— M.
COPY forwarded to the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Bengal, for
information, with reference to his letter No. 3442, dated the 20th April 1906.
No. 596T.—M.
COPY of the above forwarded to the Commissioner of Police, Calcutta,
for information.
Circular No. 6T.—M.
COPY forwarded to all Commissioners of Divisions, for information.
By order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal,
J. C. K. PETERSON,
Under-Secy. to the Govt. of Bengal.
DARJEELING,
The 18th May 1906.
B. S. Press—3628-250-5-7-1906—E. G.