4
views regarding the non-infectiousness of Dysentery are not shared by many
modern medical practitioners.
Tuberculosis.—Forty-eight
patients suffering definitely from Tubercular
Phthisis were admitted into the asylum hospitals for treatment in the past
year against 41 in 1912 and 64 in 1913. No fresh case of Phthisis occurred
in the Bhowanipur Lunatic Asylum during the past year. Dacca had also
fewer admissions from this cause last year than in 1913, viz., 20 against 43.
In the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum, however, the number of new cases of
Tubercular Phthisis rose from 20 in 1913 to 28 in 1914. Fifteen cases of
Tuberculosis were admitted into the asylum with the disease and died
within periods ranging from 4 days to 11 months subsequent to their
admissions.
At this asylum the sputum of all suspected cases of Phthisis
is very carefully microscopically examined before a definite diagnosis is made
of Phthisis, and the patients are weighed twice a month. Extra food is given
to them, and they are isolated in a separate block of the hospital, and kept as
much as possible in the open air. Owing, however, to the characteristically
filthy habits of insanes as a rule, and the difficulty of instituting even the
rudiments of sanitation or general cleanliness into them, each of these cases
must be looked on as an active focus and helping in the spread of the disease.
9. Injuries and Accidents.—There
were altogether 91 cases of
accidents and injuries of more or less serious nature among the inmates of
the Lunatic Asylums during the three years under report (including two
cases of fatal injury and one of murder, the particulars of which have
already been given in the Reports for 1912 and 1913). The figures in
1914 were—one case of slight injury in the Dacca Lunatic Asylum and
three of trivial injuries and 13 of accidents in the Berhampore Lunatic
Asylum. Two of the latter were Fracture of the Ulna and one Fracture of
Clavicle. They were caused by slipping and falling during the rains.
10. Deaths.—There was no appreciable diminution in the mortality
during the past year as one might possibly have expected to be the case in a
healthy year. The number of deaths was 90 (excluding one death by suicide)
or only three less than in 1913. It was however five in excess of the number
in 1912. The percentage of deaths to daily average strength worked out to
8.42 during 1914 against 7.99 and 8.57 in 1912 and 1913. The mean death-
rate in relation to the daily average strength during the three years under
report was 8.33 against 8.60 in 1909-1911. The death-rate of Bengal com-
pares favourably with that of United Provinces, Bihar and Orissa and the
Punjab where it was 10.59, 13.86 and 10.73 respectively in 1914.
Phthisis was responsible for 30 deaths last year, viz., 22 at Berhampore,
7 at Dacca and 1 at Bhowanipur, and Tuberculosis for 14 deaths, all in
the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum, against 40 and 3 respectively in the
preceding year and 35 and 2 in the year before. There were six deaths
from Epilepsy and six from Dysentery, all of which, with the exception of
one death from Dysentery, occurred at the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum.
Two deaths occurred in this asylum from Septicæmia. Both these cases
had been admitted into the asylum with septic wounds and one of them
died two months and the other 6½ months after admission.
A curious case of death from rupture of the intestine occurred in the person
of a male inmate of this asylum during the past year. He was working
in the garden when suddenly he complained of severe pain in the abdomen.
He was immediately admitted to hospital and died the same night. Post
mortem revealed a rupture of the intestine. There was no history of injury,
and the cause of the rupture remains rather obscure.
A case of suicide by hanging occurred in the Dacca Lunatic Asylum
last year. The deceased was a criminal lunatic and had been admitted into
the asylum a year previously on a charge of murdering his wife. He was
tried and acquitted by the Court, on the ground of insanity. He had never
shown suicidal tendencies before. He regained his sanity in March 1914
and worked in the garden in the day time, and was engaged in religious
exercises before his death which took place at night. A judicial enquiry
was held on the case, and a verdict of suicide brought in.
11. Accomodation.—From an examination of the figures (quoted
below) for the past few years for admissions and readmissions on one hand
and those for deaths and discharges on the other, it is clear that every