8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
20. These figures show the variations of the principal diseases in the two
last years. There was total reduction of cases entered as anæmia and debility
from 60 to 47, the chief difference being at Patna, where numbers fell from
40 to 24. There was some little increase at the Presidency and Berhampore.
It is probable that under the regular practice of post mortem examinations, the
vague names of debility and anæmia will appear less frequently in asylum
returns. Of the 65 admissions to the Patna Asylum, no less than 43 were in
bad or indifferent health, the majority in a state of debility. Cholera in 1880
was confined to the Patna and Berhampore Asylums ; in the former there was
less than in 1879, but more in the latter. The disease at Berhampore did not
appear as a single outbreak, but in groups of cases at intervals between the
months of May and September. The course of events in the several jails will
appear below.
Diarrhœa showed increased prevalence in the Patna and Berhampore
Asylums, less at the Presidency and Dacca, and the same quantity at Cuttack.
The reports offer no explanation of the differences. Dysentery also increased
slightly at the Presidency, Dacca, and Berhampore; more at Patna. It
was nominal at Cuttack. Fevers were unusually, but still not very, frequent
at the Presidency in 1880. Elsewhere, and particularly at Berhampore, the
numbers fell considerably.
Pneumonia was less prevalent in 1880. There were more cases at Berham-
pore than in 1879, but none at Dacca, Patna or Cuttack. The small figures
require no comment. Phthisis was much more frequent at Patna in 1880, some-
what less at the Presidency, and almost the same as before at Dacca. I shall
deal fully with this topic in my review of the mortality of 1880.
21. Injuries.—At Dullunda one case of injury was caused by a lunatic—
a small bone of the arm being broken by a fall from a sudden push. In the
Dacca Asylum there were five cases of injury—two were caused by patients,
and three were accidental. One of the former cases ended fatally. The deceased
knocked down his work overseer, and when he was trying to strangle him, a
lunatic who was close to him inflicted a blow on the head with a piece of wood
used in the oil-mill, thereby fracturing the skull. The injured man died shortly
afterwards. The matter was enquired into by the Commissioner, and no blame
was attributed to any one for the man's death. At Berhampore there was one
case of injury caused by a lunatic, resulting in the fracture of the left arm,
besides three cases caused by fall of stones from the boards of oil-mills during
work. There was no case of injury at Patna or Cuttack. No injury was
inflicted by any keeper during the year.
22. From the offices of the Sanitary Commissioner for Bengal and the
Health Officer of Calcutta I have obtained the records of death from some
principal diseases in the several towns, but as they do not show rates of sick-
ness, I reserve them for the present.
23. The following statement shows the variations of the principal affec-
tions in the jails neighbouring the asylums :—
TABLE NO. 11.
DISEASES.
Anæmia and debility ...
Cholera
...
...
...
Diarrhœa and dysentery
Fevers
...
...
...
Pneumonia ... ... ...
Phthisis
...
...
...
Other diseases ... ...
Total ...
Daily average strength ...
Daily average sick
...
PRESIDENCY JAIL.
1879.
Total treated.
125
23
632
857
Died.
4
10
23
5
Not known.
12
1,331
2,980
...
22
64
1,294
79
1880.
Total treated.
28
5
461
995
24
11
1,050
2,574
Died.
3
4
8
2
2
7
14
40
1,262
69
ALIPORE JAIL.
1879.
Total treated.
189
82
940
2,142
Died.
4
31
55
9
Not known.
53
1,479
4,885
10
52
161
2,086
160
1880.
Total treated.
129
2
1,176
1,251
74
26
2,083
4,741
Died.
4
...
66
5
27
12
16
130
1,996
138
DACCA JAIL.
1879.
Total treated.
20
3
252
163
Died.
3
2
11
2
Not known.
5
324
767
3
17
38
599
21
1880.
Total treated.
12
3
197
309
7
5
326
859
Died.
2
1
7
4
2
3
6
25
630
21
PATNA JAIL.
1879.
Total treated.
18
33
231
133
Died.
3
10
13
1
Not
known.
...
55
470
...
2
29
329
13
1880.
Total treated.
5
...
161
75
2
...
42
285
Died.
4
...
14
...
1
...
1
20
242
8
CUTTACK
JAIL.
1879.
Total created.
1
6
76
63
Died.
1
5
3
...
Not
known.
1
32
179
1
3
13
244
5.2
1880.
Total treated.
6
...
31
55
3
3
34
132
Died.
3
...
1
...
1
3
...
8
254
4.2
BERHAMPORE
JAIL.
1879.
Total treated.
13
2
87
109
Died.
2
1
9
...
Not
known.
4
79
294
1
2
15
234
14
1880.
Total treated.
45
...
123
216
...
4
114
502
Died.
1
...
6
4
...
...
2
13
277
22