6
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
Occupations of
those admitted.
Taking into account the occupations of the cases admitted during the
year, cultivators were most numerously represented, these having been 62;
next, coolies, 42; beggars, 20; no occupation, 18; servants, 17; and shop-
keepers, 11.
The table of age indicates that there were 14 cases admitted under 20 ;
209 from 20 to 40; 57 from 40 to 60 ; and five upwards of 60.
Types of insanity.
An abstract of Table No. VI of the Appendix gives the type of insanity
and the results of treatment for the asylums of the whole of Bengal during
1877:—
STATEMENT No. 8.
Remained ...
Admitted ...
Total ...
Discharged
cured ...
Improved ...
Died ...
Remaining ...
Total ...
MANIA,
ACUTE.
Males.
134
94
228
46
20
12
150
228
Females.
27
19
46
14
1
1
30
46
Total.
161
113
274
60
21
13
180
274
MANIA,
CHRONIC.
Males.
346
57
403
31
37
12
323
403
Females.
125
20
145
7
10
7
121
145
Total.
471
77
548
38
47
19
444
548
MELAN-
------.
Males.
81
14
95
5
6
4
80
95
Females.
18
3
21
2
1
1
17
21
Total.
99
17
116
7
7
6
97
116
DEMENTIA,
ACUTE.
Males.
39
40
79
17
14
5
43
79
Females.
10
4
14
2
...
1
11
14
Total.
49
44
93
19
14
6
54
93
DEMENTIA,
CHRONIC.
Males.
259
18
277
10
4
23
240
277
Females.
53
1
54
2
1
4
47
54
Total.
312
19
331
12
5
27
287
331
IDIOTCY.
Males.
10
1
11
...
1
1
9
11
Females.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total.
10
1
11
...
1
1
9
11
IMBE-
------.
Males.
4
1
5
...
...
...
5
5
Females.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total.
4
1
5
...
...
...
5
5
AMEN-
---.
Males.
1
...
1
...
...
1
...
1
Females.
1
...
1
...
...
...
1
1
Total.
2
...
2
...
...
1
1
2
NOT
INSANE.
Males.
22
11
33
8
1
1
23
33
Females.
1
2
3
3
...
...
...
3
Total.
23
13
36
11
1
1
23
36
TOTAL.
Males.
896
236
1,132
117
83
59
873
1,132
Females.
235
49
284
30
13
14
227
284
Total.
1,131
285
1,416
147
96 73
1,100
1,416
As usually happens, the largest proportion of recoveries was among cases
of acute mania, of which there were 274 cases treated with 60 recoveries, and
21 discharged improved.
Causes of
insanity.
Very little confidence can be placed in the statement as to the alleged
causes of insanity, seeing that the papers relative to the cases which are
forwarded by the Magistrates of districts and Civil Surgeons are, as a general
rule, so carelessly prepared. Among physical reasons ganja is credited with
causing insanity in 101 of the cases admitted. Hereditary predisposition is
assigned as a cause in 10 of the admissions; fever, in 14, the abuse of spirits
in 13, and epilepsy is given as a cause in six cases. Among moral causes we
have grief, fear, jealousy, anger, love, and religion assigned.
Statistics of
sickness.
In the following table will be found an abstract of sickness among the
insane patients during the year in the various asylums:—
STATEMENT No. 9.
Admissions into hospital ... ...
Ditto per cent. of mean strength ...
Daily average sick ... ...
Ditto per cent. of mean strength ...
Dullunda.
43
20.18
5.21
2.44
Dacca.
247
120.51
18.66
9.10
Patna.
81
37.47
15.1
6.98
Cuttack.
32
64.21
2.14
4.29
Moydapore.
80
178.97
2.9
6.48
Berhampore.
113
67.96
3.21
1.93
Hazaree-
bagh.
222
99.97
21.77
9.8
TOTAL.
818
73.22
68.99
6.17
It will be observed that the percentage of patients taken into hospital
in Hazareebagh is very high indeed. In fact, every man on the strength
was admitted once. Mr. Birch explains in his report that it is his custom to
take into hospital at once any patient whom he thinks not quite well. In Dacca
the admissions were 120 per cent. on the mean strength, and in Moydapore
178.9. The daily average number of sick in Hazareebagh, Dacca, and Patna
was higher than in the other asylums.
Detailed figures
of sickness.
In accordance with the prescribed form, in Table No. VIII of the
Appendix will be found returns of the sickness in all the asylums of Bengal.
Last year a general return for the whole of the asylums was prepared, but it
has been deemed preferable to show the sickness in each separately, as a
general return does not give the information which is evidently required. At
the same time I would remark that I consider such elaborate returns quite
unnecessary. All that is wanted would be obtained if a few of the commonest
diseases, such as fever, dysentery, diarrhœa, cholera, &c, were selected as in