DACCA ASYLUM.
17
asylum. Cholera is endemic in Dacca, but it was generally prevalent in the beginning of
the year and again during the cold months. Six fatal cases occurred out of 13 lunatics who
were attacked by the disease. Of the 41 deaths, 10, or nearly one-fourth, died from tubercu-
lar disease; 14, or more than one-fourth, from diseases of the brain and its membranes; 3 from
pneumonia ; 4 from dysentery; 6 from cholera; 1 from fever ; 1 from abscess; and 1 from
violence inflicted by another lunatic. Looking to the months in which the deaths occurred, it
appears that 10, or nearly a fourth of all the deaths, occurred in November, and 9 in Decem-
ber. Many feeble lunatics suffering from organic diseases died with the commencement of
the cold weather. The mortality is now (January) decreasing, and mainly, I think, because
those amongst the lunatics who were most weak and sickly have already died. In November
two cases of pneumonia died, and several others were admitted into hospital. The three cases
of dysentery that I saw were all old cases, in which the tissues of the large intestine had
undergone extensive morbid changes. The case of the man who died from rupture of the
viscera was at the time of its occurrence reported to the Government. The circumstances of
the case were as follows:—
On the morning of the 17th June last, Gunga Sunker Deb Moozooomdar was one of a
gang of 40 lunatics who were attended by two guards and a malee, and were working in the
garden within the asylum grounds. Suddenly, and without provocation, Joyah Patnee
kicked Gunga Sunker Deb Moozoomdar, and then immediately jumped upon his abdomen.
When the attack was made a burkundauze was only ten yards from the deceased, and ran up
to rescue him, but before any assistance could be rendered, Joyah Patnee had kicked and
jumped upon the deceased and had run off. The burkundauze pursued and seized him, and
brought him before a jemadar, who was in charge of the lunatics and their guards. The cir-
cumstance was immediately reported to the overseer, who at once attended to the injured
man and had him taken to the hospital. Gunga Sunker Deb Mozoomdar died on the
18th June, and on post-mortem examination the ordinary appearances of peritonitis were
observed, and the descending colon was found to have been ruptured, and to have allowed its
fecal contents to escape into the abdominal cavity.
On the 19th June an official report of the occurrence was forwarded by the officiating
superintendent of the asylum to the officiating magistrate of Dacca, who, on the 23rd June,
visited the asylum and made a magisterial investigation into the case.
On the 14th July a letter, No. 4415, dated Fort William, the 8th July 1869, was
received from the Government of Bengal, ordering Joyah Patnee to be kept in the Dacca
Lunatic Asylum in safe custody, and under proper treatment, subject to a report on his state
of mind by the visitors of the institution, as required by clause I, section 395, of the Code of
Criminal Procedure.
The visitors recorded their opinion that no one was to blame for the death of the lunatic,
which resulted from a sudden outbreak of another lunatic's passion, that could not have been
foreseen nor prevented.
Of the direct causes which are likely to have led to a high rate of mortality, cold appears
to me to be the most obvious. The diet of the asylum is liberal, and very far exceeds that
which is given to prisoners in the jails, or that which natives in their own houses enjoy. The
drinking water in Dacca has been pronounced by Dr. Wise to be very bad. I am not aware
that it has ever been subjected to any minute chemical analysis. I have had filters on the
old plan of charcoal and sand in gurrahs erected, and all drinking water is thus filtered.
The site on which the asylum is located is adjacent to that of the jail, in which the
mortality for the whole year has been 0.86 per cent. of strength. I believe that the site may
be pronounced to be good.
E