( 3 )
in far fewer cases than has hitherto been popularly believed. Sir Charles Elliott
welcomes this conclusion, not merely as confirming an impression which he had
already formed, but as tending to remove what has long been a blot on our
management of asylums, and to bring about the separation and intelligent
treatment of persons suffering from ganja insanity. For the Commission further
show that the form of insanity thus caused is usually of a temporary character,
and lasts for a shorter time than insanity arising from other causes. If in future
Superintendents of Asylums study carefully the mass of information collected
by the Commission on this subject, it may reasonably be hoped that substantial
progress will be made in the diagnosis and curative treatment of cases of ganja
insanity.
8. The improvement noticed last year in the health of the inmates of the
asylums has not been maintained. The average daily number of sick rose to
55.41 from 49.25 in 1893, and the percentage of chronic invalids to average
strength was 6.05, against 5.28 in the previous year. Dr. Harvey points out,
however, that these figures are low when compared with the rates of admission
to hospital among British and Native troops in India, which in 1893 were 100.4
and 82.9, respectively, excluding venereal diseases.
Moreover, the death-rate of 8.19 per cent. is slightly lower than last year's
and compares favourably with all other asylum rates in India, except that of the
North-West Provinces. The actual number of deaths fell from 77 to 75.
Taking the individual asylums, it is observed that at Dullunda, Patna and
Berhampore more patients were admitted into hospital than in 1893, while
Dacca shows a decrease in this respect. At Dullunda, however, the increase of
57 includes 30 cases of mere debility without any definite disease. The
increase of 11 at Patna is ascribed to the prevalence of bowel-complaints,
while of the increase of 45 cases at Berhampore, 32 are accounted for by influ-
enza, and the rest by fever being somewhat more prevalent than in 1893.
The decrease of 89, or 36.47 per cent., at Dacca is explained by the fact that in
the previous year 87 patients were admitted for influenza, while none suffered
from this disease in 1894. There were two cases of cholera, apparently caused
by drinking polluted water in the Dullunda Asylum, one of which indicated great
carelessness on the part of the hospital attendants.
9. Seventeen cases of injuries and accidents are recorded as compared
with 10 in 1893 and 11 in 1892. Eleven of these took place at Dullunda, of
which 3 were assaults by lunatics on lunatics and 8 minor accidents. At
Dacca there were two cases of fractured ribs caused by kicks from other lunatics,
who had up to that time shown no tendency to violence. An epileptic was burned,
and a woman sprained her hip. At Patna one lunatic was thrown down by
another and broke his collar-bone, and a woman broke the small bone of her left
forearm in trying to escape. The warders whose neglect contributed to these
accidents were in each case adequately punished. At Cuttack and Berhampore
there were no casualties. It speaks well for the management of the asylums
that no cases of ill-treatment of lunatics by warders occurred during the year.
10. Three escapes took place—two from Berhampore and one from Dul-
lunda. In all three cases the lunatics were recaptured, and the officials in fault
punished.
11. The income and expenditure of the last two years, are shown in the
following table:—
1.
2.
3.
4.
Income.
Received from Treasury ...
Ditto paying patients ...
Total ...
Received from
Manufacturing
Department ... ...
Received from Public
Works
Department, Medical Stores
Depôt and Stationery Office ...
GRAND TOTAL ...
1893.
Rs.
62,020
2,355
64,376
16,273
6,138
86,789
A.
12
12
8
14
13
4
P.
4
6
10
4
3
5
1894.
Rs.
66,883
2,042
68,925
14,415
12,447
95,788
A.
14
0
15
4
8
12
P.
5
8
1
3
11
3