3
and 1.10 per cent. among females, and that in the Dacca Lunatic Asylum was
7.35 and 2.00 per cent., respectively, during 1914. The number of recoveries
usually varies with the types from which the lunatics are sufiering, and there-
fore fluctuates from year to year and between one asylum and another.
Amongst Europeans the cures numbered 3 in 1914 against 4 in 1912 and an
equal number in 1913; the proportion to daily average strength being 8.43,
9.14 and 6.31 per cent., respectively, in 1912, 1913 and 1914.
Lunatics discharged in an improved condition numbered 32, 19 and 21,
respectively, in 1912. 1913 and 1914 and those discharged otherwise, 9, 6
and 4. Out of the number discharged otherwise in 1913 and 1914, four
were leper lunatics who were transferred from the Berhampore Lunatic
Asylum to the Gobra Leper Asylum where there is a special ward for the
accommodation of leper insanes.
7. Escapes.—The only escape during the triennium, occurred in the
Bhowanipur Lunatic Asylum in 1913, but the lunatic was recaptured shortly
after his escape.
8. Sickness.—The health of lunatics has been much better during the
triennium under report than in the previous one. It was specially good in
1914, when only 355 lunatics were admitted to hospital as compared with
487 and 514 in 1912 and 1913 and 830 in 1911. In the Dacca Lunatic
Asylum admissions into hospital numbered only 74 against 146 in 1912 and
108 in 1913, and in the Bhowanipur Asylum, 30 against 41 and 28. The
number in the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum was 251 as compared with 300
in 1912 and 378 in 1913. The health of the lunatics at the time of their
admission into this Asylum during the past year was however much worse
than in other years, only 21 out of a total of 121 admissions and readmis-
sions having been in good health.
Cholera and Small-pox.—No cases either of Cholera or Small-pox occurred
in any of the asylums during the past year.
Fever.—Admissions from Fever numbered 62 (which is the lowest number
on record for the past six years), viz., 54 at Berhampore, 5 at Dacca and 3 at
the Bhowanipore Lunatic Asylum. Quinine was issued as a prophylactic to
all asylum patients. In the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum it was given in 10-
grain doses on two consecutive days in the week, to all patients from July to
December and had the effect of considerably lessening the admission of fever
cases in spite of the prevalence of the disease in the station and the district.
Quinine was also issued to the keepers and menial staff of this asylum with
good results.
Bowel Complaints.—As the result of a careful microsco, ical examination
of the dejecta of the Berhampore Asylum patients, it was found that the two
most common worms which inhabitated the intestinal tract were the Ascaris
Lumbricoides (43 cases) and Oxyuris Vermicularis (27 cases). Ova of the
Ankylostoma were only detected in 6 cases. There were only 16 cases
of Diarrhwa (9 at Behrampore and 7 at Dacca) and 13 of Dysentery (9
at Berhampore, 3 at Dacca and 1 at Bhowanipur) as compared with 25
under each head in each of the previous two years. Dysentery patients
are kept separate from other cases. In the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum
the stools of every case admitted for Dysentery were examined, and if
they were found to be suffering from amœbic Dysentery they were treated
with Emetine Hydrochor with very satisfactory results. Lieutenant-Colonel
Anderson, the Superintendent of the Dacca Lunatic Asylum, writes
" Believing most implicitly that Dysentery is neither contagious nor in-
fectious, but wholly produced by decomposing articles of food, I caused
great attention to be devoted to the articles of diet during this and the
preceding year, and the result of such attention is most gratifyingly
visible in the small number of cases of Dysentery that have occurred
during the past two years but especially during the year under review.
The habits of the inmates have in no way altered or improved for the better,
the water supply is the same as before, not altogether satisfactory from
a bacteriological stand-point, the accommodation is the same as it was in
the previous year, the clothing the same—the sole difference lies in the
increased attention devoted to the food supply of the inmates." Whilst
admitting the paramount necessity of looking most carefully after the diet of
all cases of Dysentery, I may be permitted to say that Colonel Anderson's