6
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
Overcrowding.
believe that the proportion of insanes in the population of Bengal has increased, though I
expect that if each district had to provide in whole or part for the maintenance of its lunatics
in the several asylums, these institutions would in time contain those only who would be
legitimate objects for the charity of Government.
16. Calculated at 50 superficial feet per inmate, it appears that the asylums can accom-
modate (males 1,180, females 283) 1,463 lunatics ; so that, by proper distribution, there should
be no overcrowding of either males or females. This is shown in Statement No. 4, as well as
the maximum number confined on any one night, and the average amount of overcrowding
in each asylum during the year.
STATEMENT No. 4.
ASYLUMS.
Dullunda
...
...
...
Dacca
...
...
...
Patna
...
...
...
Cuttack
...
...
...
Moydapore
...
...
...
Berhampore
...
...
...
Hazareebagh ... ... ...
Total ...
CAPACITY OF 50
SUPERFICIAL FEET.
Males.
246
127
190
32
58
175
352
1,180
Females.
47
50
70
11
10
55
40
283
Total.
293
177
260
43
68
230
392
1,463
MAXIMUM NUMBER
CONFINED ON ANY
ONE NIGHT.
Males
265
192
199
59
44
174
241
1,174
Females.
81
44
60
8
15
60
...
268
Total.
346
236
259
67
59
234
241
1,442
AVERAGE STRENGTH
OF—
Males.
218.07
169.34
166.63
53.73
40.43
124.35
204
976.55
Females.
72.5
37.53
60
7
13.15
57.65
...
247.83
Total.
290.57
206.87
226.63
60.73
53.58
182
204
1224.38
EXCESS OF AVERAGE
STRENGTH OVER
CAPACITY.
Males.
...
42.34
...
21.73
...
...
...
...
Females.
25.5
...
...
...
3.15
2.65
...
...
Total.
...
29.87
...
17.73
...
...
...
...
It appears, however, that on the 31st December 1876 the females in the Dullunda
Asylum were overcrowded by 18; in Dacca Asylum the males were overcrowded by 41; in
the Cuttack Asylum there was overcrowding of the males by 9; and in the Moydapore and
Berhampore Asylums the females were overcrowded by 2 and 4 respectively. There was no
overcrowding in the Patna Asylum on that date. It will be seen from the foregoing state-
ment that there need be no overcrowding in any asylum in the Province.
Criminal lunatics.
17. On the 1st January 1876 there was “remaining” in the asylums a total criminal
population of (males 207, females 25) 232, which was in excess of that “ remaining ” on the
same date of 1875 by 19 males. The statistics of the criminal lunatics are clearly shown
in Statement No. 5.
STATEMENT No. 5.
Return of Criminal Lunatics in the Asylums of Bengal for the year 1876.
1
ASYLUMS.
Dullunda ...
Dacca ...
Patna ...
Cuttack ...
Moydapore
Berhampore
Hazareebagh
Total ...
2
Remaining
on 1st
January.
Males.
54
56
40
12
13
32
...
207
Females.
4
12
6
...
2
1
...
25
Total.
58
68
46
12
15
33
...
232
3
Admitted.
Males.
33
23
11
4
...
7
...
78
Females.
2
2
2
...
...
1
...
7
Total.
35
25
13
4
...
8
...
85
4
Re-admitted.
Males.
1
1
1
...
...
3
...
6
Females.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total.
1
1
1
...
...
3
...
6
5
Received by
transfer.
Males.
...
...
...
...
29
11
40
Females.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total.
...
...
...
...
...
29
11
40
6
Total
treated.
Males.
88
80
52
16
13
71
11
291
Females.
6
14
8
...
2
2
...
32
Total.
94
94
60
16
15
73
11
323
7
Discharged,
transferred,
&c.
Males.
22
11
4
...
1
17
11
26
Females.
1
2
...
...
1
1
...
5
Total.
23
13
4
...
2
18
11
31
8
Died.
Males.
4
5
3
3
2
3
...
20
Females.
...
1
2
...
...
...
...
3
Total.
4
6
5
3
2
3
...
23
9
Remaining
on 31st De-
cember 1876.
Males.
62
64
45
13
10
51
...
245
Females.
5
11
6
...
1
1
...
24
Total.
67
75
51
13
11
52
...
269
10
Daily average
strength.
Males.
63.55
57.21
42.74
12.46
11.06
35.29
......
222.31
Females.
4.59
11.57
6.40
...
1.5
1.24
...
25.30
Total.
68.14
68.78
49.14
12.46
12.56
36.53
...
247.61
The total of columns Nos. 6 and 7 do not include the cases received by transfer.
Admissions and
re-admissions.
18. During the year there were (males 78, females 7) 85 admissions and 6 (males)
re-admissions, so that the total population of criminal lunatics was (males 291, females 32) 323.
This number was in excess of that of 1875 by (males 37, females 2) 39, and was (males 92.9,
females 9.4) 102.3 in excess of the average total population of the preceding decennial period.
Discharged, died,
&c.
19. From the total population (males 66, females 5) 71 were discharged, &c., and (males
20, females 3) 23 died, so that on the 31st of December there were “ remaining,” exclusive
of those transferred, (males 245, females 24) 269, or 37 more than there were on the 1st of
January.