LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
5
51, against 36.8 for the previous 10 years; and during these years there was
an average of 17.5 deaths annually, against 15 in 1877.
Confinement of
criminal with
non-criminal
lunatics.
It is to be regretted that it should be necessary to have criminal confined
with non-criminal lunatics in the same asylum. All the best authorities in
England and, it may be added, in every other country, are opposed to this
practice, to which there are many obvious objections. It will, however, be
observed that in every asylum in Bengal last year there were criminals, except
at Hazareebagh; and even there, too, since the beginning of the present year,
there is one criminal. The modern ideas in reference to the treatment of
insanity require that an asylum should be as little prison-like in appearance
as possible. But an asylum for criminals ought to be constructed more with
reference to the safe custody of the inmates than one for non-criminals. Many
criminal lunatics have committed murder when labouring under homicidal
mania, and though they get well for a time they are liable to a recurrence of
the disease. It is also found that some criminal lunatics are unusually danger-
ous and destructive, so that in the British asylums for their detention
restraint and seclusion appear to be resorted to in order to tame them down
in proportion and manner which would hardly be required for ordinary insane
patients.
Plans for the
custody of
criminal lunatics.
There are two plans which might be suggested for the custody of the
criminal lunatics of Bengal—first, an asylum for such persons might be built in
connection with one of the large central jails, either at Buxar, where there are
old Government stables available for the purpose of conversion into an asylum,
or at Bhagulpore, where accommodation would have to be provided. The
criminal lunatics of Scotland are confined in an asylum attached to the
general prison at Perth. In England and Ireland they are kept in special
asylums at Broadmoor and Dundrum. If an asylum were to be constructed
in connection with the central jails at Buxar or Bhagulpore, the medical
charge would devolve on the Superintendent of either prison selected. The
position of the place selected ought for obvious reasons to be on the line of
railway. Second, another and a better plan, and also a more economical one,
would be to set aside one of the existing asylums for this special purpose,
transferring the non-criminal inmates of the asylum that might be pitched
upon to one of the other institutions; and as the place selected should be on
the line of railway, Patna would probably be the best site, else Berhampore.
As an official visitor of the Patna Lunatic Asylum, I used to observe that there
was generally an unwillingness on the part of the visitors to recommend the
release of criminal lunatics ; but in England certain non-criminal lunatics are
" discharged on probation," being made over to relatives who become respon-
sible for their safety to themselves and others. Just before I left Dinapore,
one or two criminal lunatics were set at liberty by order of Government. But
seeing, as I have done, the reluctance which visitors appear to have of
recommending for discharge criminal lunatics, it has struck me that it might be
well if some rules or orders on the subject were issued by Government.
Caste and sex of
those admitted.
An abstract of Table III of the Appendix will be found below in reference
to the caste and sex of those admitted and re-admitted. This table seems to
call for no remarks. As might be expected, the majority of those admitted
were Hindoos:—
STATEMENT No. 7.
ASYLUMS.
Dullunda ...
Dacca ... ...
Patna ... ...
Cuttack ...
Berhampore ...
Hazareebagh
HINDOOS.
Males.
56
35
53
9
10
15
Females.
20
4
9
1
1
...
Total.
76
39
62
10
11
15
MUSSULMANS.
Males.
10
14
9
1
5
...
Females.
1
1
6
...
1
...
Total.
11
15
15
1
6
...
CHRISTIANS.
Males.
1
1
...
1
...
...
Females.
2
1
...
...
...
...
Total.
3
2
...
1
...
...
OTHER CASTES.
Males.
...
1
3
2
3
7
Females.
...
...
1
...
1
...
Total.
...
1
4
2
4
7
TOTAL.
Males.
67
51
65
13
18
22
Females.
23
6
16
1
3
...
Total.
90
57
81
14
21
22
RATIO PER CENT. OF
EACH SEX TO THE
TOTAL ADMISSIONS
AND
RE-ADMIS-
SIONS.
Males.
74.44
89.47
80.25
92.86
85.71
100.
Females.
25.56
10.53
19.75
7.14
14.29
...
Total.
100
100
100
100
100
100