3
compared with 8.51 in 1914. The death-rate among lunatics in the Bengal
asylums compares favourably with those of other Provinces except Bombay
vide figures quoted below :—
Bombay ... ... ... ...
Bengal ... ... ... ...
Burma ... ... ... ...
Assam ... ... ... ...
Punjab ... ... ... ...
United Provinces ... ... ... ...
Madras ... ... ... ...
Central Provinces ... ... ... ...
Bihar and Orissa ... ... ... ...
7.1
7.81
8.5
8.9
9.5
10.2
10.3
12.3
13.0
15. Accidents and Injuries.—Cases of accidents and injuries were
pretty numerous in the Dacca Asylum last year. Two lunatics died of
suicidal hanging, while 3 others met with sudden death from injuries sup-
posed to have been dealt by other inmates. These frequent cases of accidents
indicate that the management of the asylum is not what it should be and
that the staff is incompetent. Enquiry has shown that some of the accidents
occurred through the negligence of the keepers. The delinquents have been
suitably punished, and steps are being taken to remedy the defects.
16. In the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum 10 trivial cases of accidents
occurred and 1 of injury.
17. Criminal Lunatics.— As stated before, there were 101 admissions on
the criminal side which raised the total criminal population to 602, the
corresponding figures for 1914 having been 91 and 607 respectively. There
were a fewer discharges and deaths, viz., 53 and 37 respectively, as
compared with 67 and 39 in the year before ; the number at the end of the
year was thus larger than in 1914, viz., 512 against 501. Their daily average
strength was however smaller, viz., 509.59 against 510.88, and the criminal
population at the end of the year bore almost the same proportion to the
total asylum population as in the year before, viz., 46.46 per cent. against
46.73 per cent. in 1914.
18. Statements III, IV, V, VI and VII.—I have no remarks to make with
regard to these statements with the exception that the heading " Insanity of
Haschisch " in column 14 of Statement VI has, under the orders of Government,
been changed to " Insanity caused by Cannabis Indica or its preparations or
derivatives", as the Arabic term Haschisch does not apply to the preparations
of Indian hemp.
19. Finance.—The gross expenditure of the lunatic asylums amounted
to Rs. 2,14,118 against Rs. 1,97,828 in 1914. Deducting from it the fees
realised from paying lunatics, the value of articles received from the manufac-
turing department and that of manufactured articles sold to the public (which
amounted to Rs. 15,520, Rs. 13,565 and Rs. 6,279, respectively, against
Rs. 16,686, Rs. 13,015 and Rs. 6,032), the net cost to Government on account
of the maintenance of the lunatic asylums amounted to Rs. 1,78,754, as
compared with Rs. 1,62,097 in 1914. There was an increase of Rs. 3,353 in
the cost for Superintendence, or rather the expenditure for the previous year
under this head was smaller owing to the absence of Major A. S. M. Peebles
who was on leave for over 5 months in that year when his locum tenens
drew a smaller salary. The promotion of Mr. H. V. Mann, Deputy
Superintendent of the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum, to the rank of Lieutenant
carrying a higher salary and the increase in the pay of the matron of that
asylum from Rs. 40 to Rs. 50 were also partly responsible for the larger
figure in the year under notice. Diet cost Rs. 3,290 more than last year
owing to high prices of food-stuffs and larger population. Public
Works
Department charges show an increase of Rs. 4, 830 ; but they are mostly the
result of quadrennial repairs and of works executed in the previous year, the
accounts of which were adjusted in the year under report. The average cost
to Government per head of pauper or non-paying lunatic (taking into
account receipts from manufactures but leaving out Public Works Depart-
ment charges) was Rs. 153-7-6 against Rs. 145-1-10 in 1914.
20. Establishment.—At the Bhawanipur Lunatic Asylum the post of
the Deputy Superintendent was held by a Civil Assistant Surgeon owing to the
withdrawal of the Military Assistant Surgeon for military duty. At Berham-
pore there was only one Sub-Assistant Surgeon instead of two since August