6
LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
At the Dullunda and Berhampore Asylums the death-rate is practically
the same as last year, and cannot be considered excessive. In both of these
asylums there were cases in a hopeless condition on admission, and in both also
instances of disease which defied treatment from the outset. For instance, in
the Dullunda Asylum there were seven fatal cases of tubercle of lungs, and no
less than four deaths occurring within the first two months of residence.
At Berhampore also there were deaths from epilepsy, apoplexy, leprosy,
tubercle of lungs and anæmia, for which no treatment seemed to be of any
avail. Nine of the 15 fatal cases in the asylum were admitted in bad health.
At the Patna Asylum 26 deaths occurred against 20 in 1891. On a close
analysis of the mortality it is seen that the asylum population suffered with
that of the jail and city from bowel-complaints, nine fatal cases having been
returned as from diarrhœa and dysentery. Seven more deaths were attributed
to debility and anæmia, disorders common in asylums under the most careful
management. The Superintendent reports that eight of the fatal cases had
been in the asylum for upwards of 14 years, and four of them for 20 years,
and that they were all aged and infirm.
At the Dacca Asylum there were 23 deaths against 21 in 1891. Of these
bowel-complaints account for five, tubercle of lungs, four ; anæmia, four;
exhaustion of mania, three; and small-pox, two: the remaining five cases
being instances of disease in no way influenced by the conditions of asylum
life.
At the Cuttack Asylum there was no death, but, as before stated, the daily
average strength of this Asylum was but 19.
16. Of injuries and accidents there were altogether 11 against 16 in 1891.
At Dullunda there were three injuries resulting in fracture of radius, frac-
ture of rib, dislocation of finger. The first was due to the rough treatment
of a female warder who was at once dismissed, and the other two were caused
by patients quarrelling with each other. At Dacca one case of injury to a
lunatic was done by a keeper who struck the patient in the face. The injury
was a simple contusion, but the keeper was punished with dismissal. There
were also two accidents; in the first, the patient lost her balance and fell,
breaking her thigh-bone, and in the second, a bullock, in being thrown, fell
against the leg of a patient and fractured both bones. In both these cases
recovery is reported. At Patna the Superintendent records one accident, a
fracture of the thigh-bone, the result of a push by another patient. At the
Berhampore Asylum there were four cases of contusion, two of which were
caused by the falling of weights from an oil-mill, and two to epileptics during
manifestations of their disorder.
17. Escapes.—One each occurred from the Dullunda, Patna and Dacca
Asylums. In the case of the two former, the patients were recovered, but
the lunatic who escaped from Dacca has not since been heard of. The Warders
through whose carelessness these escapes occurred have either been dismissed or
fined.
18. Statement IX—Finance.—In the report for 1891 the accounts of the
asylums were presented agreeably to the remarks of Government contained in
paragraph 7 of Government Resolution No. 113T.M., dated the 10th June 1891.
This arrangement has been followed in the treatment of the figures for 1892,
which are given below and compared with those of the previous year:—
INCOME.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Received from Treasury ...
Ditto
from paying-patients
1891.
Rs.
64,576
1,228
A.
5
14
P.
9
0
1892.
Rs.
63,232
1,754
A.
6
7
P.
9
6
Ditto
from Manufacture Department ... ...
Ditto
from the Public Works Department ...
Ditto
from Government Medical Store ...
Ditto
from Stationery Office ... ...
GRAND TOTAL ...
1891.
Rs.
65,805
16,917
11,544
453
80
94,780
A.
3
7
7
4
4
12
P.
9
10
5
4
9
1
1892.
Rs.
64,986
18,084
2,536
608
76
86,293
A.
14
14
10
5
3
0
P.
3
10
0
4
8
1