3
He adds that of the old cases, the great majority are subjects of chronic
disease, in whom there is little hope of recovery. The results therefore are not so
bad as a first glance at the figures might lead one to infer.
Sickness and mortality.
9. During the triennial period, the admissions into hospital aggregated
245 in the Nagpur Asylum and 261 in the Jubbulpore
institution. The chief causes of sickness were malarial
fevers, bowel-complaints, influenza, epilepsy, bronchitis, debility and ulcers. The
deaths in the Nagpur Asylum numbered 36 and in the Jubbulpore Ayslum 20.
Judged by the daily average number of sick, the health of the Nagpur
Asylum has been by no means as good as that of Jubbulpore during the
triennium. 1900 was a year of dire famine and sickness, and the conditions
resulting therefrom were continued into 1901. The effects of these adverse con-
ditions were felt within the asylum also, and explain the high sick and death rates
in the Nagpur Asylum in 1900. In 1901 influenza was prevalent, and caused two
deaths. The figures for 1902 show a marked improvement. Malarial fevers and
dysentery were much less prevalent, and there was no influenza. The Superin-
tendent writes :—" Many of the inmates of this asylum are mere wrecks of men
and women: an unhealthy season tells heavily on them." In the Jubbulpore
Asylum it is somewhat remarkable that the sick and death-rates were higher in
1901 than in 1900. Calculated on the daily average strength, the admissions into
hospital in 1902 were in Nagpur 22.94 per cent., in Jubbulpore 13.72 per cent.;
the daily average sick was in Nagpur 5.71 per cent., in Jubbulpore 1.43 per cent.;
the deaths were in Nagpur 4.59 per cent., in Jubbulpore 3.92 per cent. These
figures show that there was more sickness in the Nagpur Asylum than in Jubbul-
pore ; that in the Jubbulpore Asylum the detention of patients in hospital was
comparatively short, and that the death-rate of the two asylums was about the
same.
STATEMENT II.
Criminal lunatics.
10. Nagpur Asylum. —The number remaining on 31st December 1899 was
56. Nineteen were admitted and 1 re-admitted during
the triennial period. Of these latter, 15 were from the
Central Provinces and 5 from Berar. In all, 21 are shown under the head
" Discharged, transferred, &c.," in the statement. Of these, 10 were sent to
stand their trial, 2 were made over to their friends, 1 was sent to the Amraoti
Jail and 2 to the Nagpur Central Jail to undergo periods of probation as warders
prior to discharge, 4 were transferred to the non-criminal list, their sentences
having expired, and 2 escaped. Jubbulpore Asylum.—Thirty-nine were left over
from 1899 and 9 were admitted during the three succeeding years. Of the 9
shown under the head " Discharged, transferred, &c.," for the period under
report, 6 were sent to stand their trial, 2 were made over to their friends,
and 1 was transferred to the non-criminal list. The figures for the combined
asylums show a progressive increase in the number of admissions and a progressive
decrease in the number discharged during the triennium.
STATEMENT III.
Religion and sex.
11. In regard to sex the statement shows that of the
admissions during the triennium 74 per cent. were males
and 26 per cent. females.
STATEMENT IV.
Occupation of those admit-
ted.
12. As usual, the largest number belonged to the labouring classes. The
number of beggars and of those whose occupation is
unknown is large. The insane poor are doubtless more
liable to be sent to an asylum than insanes of the better classes who have friends
to care for them.
STATEMENT V.
Age of those admitted.
13. This statement shows that the largest number of admissions occurred
between the ages of 20 and 40, the period of stress and
pressure. The sex incidence does not vary very much
in the different age periods.