LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
17
The restoration of the large labour shed was undertaken. The largest was finished, and
good progress had been made with the second before the close of the year. The apparatus
for a shower-bath, which should serve for the ablution of the entire number of women, was also
completed, and has been found to work in a very satisfactory manner. It will be my
endeavour shortly to introduce a similar contrivance for the male population.”
General
management.
18. No special remarks are called for on the general management of the institution.
Out of a mean daily average of 290.62 lunatics, 247.21 were engaged in some form of
industry.
Cost per patient.
19. The annual cost per patient was as follows:—
Establishment ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Diet ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Clothing ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Bazar medicines ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Contingencies ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Expended from maintenance fund on account of paying patients ... ...
Total ...
Rs.
70
55
4
0
9
2
142
A.
3
3
0
2
9
15
2
P.
0
10
8
7
6
2
9
Profits from the
industry of the
patients.
The cost per patient exceeded that of 1875 by Rs. 4-2-1, but was due to the reduced
numbers of daily inmates. The diet charge also shows a small increase; but Dr. Payne
remarks that as there was a good deal of heavy out-door labour during the year, strengthening
extras have been used freely for the labourers. The receipts on account of paying patients
were less than in 1875 by Rs. 650. Regarding the profits from the industry of the lunatics,
Dr. Payne writes as follows:—“ The industrial net profits appear small though the industry
has prospered. It has been necessary entirely to rebuild the large labour sheds, a work that
has been impending for some time. This cost Rs. 5,073, which would otherwise have made
our profit look well. Throughout the year the industry supported a total outlay of
Rs. 8,800 for building alone.”
Subordinate officers.
Remarks by the
Deputy Surgeon-
General.
20. Dr. Payne again reports in the highest terms on the value of the deputy superin-
tendent's services, and of the efficiency of the matron and of the hospital assistant.
21. The Deputy Surgeon-General, in forwarding this report, makes the following
remarks:—“ As an official visitor, the undersigned has had ample opportunities of observing
the management of the institution, and can bear testimony to its excellence in every detail.
The inmates are kindly and judiciously treated; diet, sufficient in quantity and variety, of good
quality and well cooked. Clothing, sufficient and suited to the season, and conservancy very
carefully attended to. The population of the female ward has, as in former years, been greatly
in excess of the accommodation; the capacity at 50 superficial feet being for 47, while the
average strength was 72.55, and the mortality among women was higher than among the men
in the proportion of 13.78 to 10.54 per cent.—probably in great measure due to this over-
crowding.”
DACCA.
ASYLUM.
Superintendence.
1. Dacca.—This asylum was under the superintendence of Surgeon-Major D. B. Smith,
M.D., from the 1st of January to the 14th of March, and for the remainder of the year
under that of Surgeon J. C. Fullerton, M.B., by whom the report and the returns for 1876
have been submitted.
Statistics.
YEARS.
1871
...
...
1872
...
...
1873
...
...
1874
...
...
1875
...
...
Average ...
1876
...
...
Daily average
strength.
213
218
244
255
250
236
206.87
Admitted.
80
37.5
125
57.3
127
51.9
133
52.03
84
33.6
109.8
46.52
65
31.42
DISCHARGED.
Cured.
29
13.6
38
17.4
46
18.8
38
14.8
14
5.6
33
13.98
6
2.90
Improved.
11
5.1
14
6.4
12
4.9
9
3.5
5
2
10.2
4.32
24
11.60
Otherwise.
4
1.9
4
1.8
13
5.3
14
5.5
*58
23.2
18.6
7.88
†43
20.78
Deaths.
42
19.7
40
l8.4
47
19.2
45
17.6
39
15.6
42.6
18.05
27
13.04
Total dis-
charges
and
deaths.
86
40.3
96
44
118
48.3
106
41.4
116
46.4
104.4
44.23
100
48.33
NOTE.-The smaller figures are percentages of mean strength.
* 50 transferred to Berhampore Asylum, 4 escaped, 4 boarding out.
† 21 transferred to Tezpore Asylum, 15 to Berhampore, 1 to Patna, 4 escaped, 2 boarding out.
2. The annexed table shows the principal statistical events of the year 1876, and for
the sake of comparison
those of the preceding
quinquennial period are
also given. The statis-
tics of the year under
review may be consider-
ed to be very satisfactory
when compared with
those of the preceding
years; as it will be
noticed that there has
been a marked decrease
in the number of admis-
sions and the death-rate,
both of which were
below the average, as
well as lower than in any
other year of the quin-
quennial period. The proportion of cured is very small, but is in a measure counterbalanced
by the marked increase in the number discharged “ improved.” An explanation offered by
the Superintendent on this point will be found further on in paragraph 6 of this summary.
Population on the
1st of January
1876.
3. The asylum population on the 1st of January 1876 was (males 193, females 44) 237,
and was less than that on the corresponding date of 1875 by (males 25, females 7) 32. This
decrease was in a great measure due to a transfer of 50 insanes to Berhampore Asylum in
1875.
D