4
LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
is being added to one of the barracks at Dacca which will afford room for 30
more lunatics. The asylum here is nearly full, and the annual number admit-
ted into it from Assam is increasing. Two wards and two cells capable of
containing 14 lunatics, which were under construction last year at Cuttack,
have been completed and occupied on the 8th August 1890.
8. Statement II— Criminal Lunatics.—This class of insane persons con-
tinues to increase, as will be seen from the following table:—
Table of Criminal Lunatics in the Asylums of Bengal for the year 1890 and ten previous years.
1
YEAR.
1880
...
...
1881
...
...
1882
...
...
1883
...
...
1884
...
...
1885 ... ...
1886
...
...
1887
...
...
1888
...
...
1889
...
...
1890
...
...
2
REMAINING
ON 1ST
JANUARY.
Males.
252
264
269
291
332
332
349
360
349
377
394
Females.
24
31
28
27
27
31
38
37
35
41
46
Total.
276
295
297
318
359
363
387
397
384
418
440
3
ADMITTED.
Males.
64
64
69
85
65
81
74
73
85
86
75
Females.
14
8
8
8
9
12
7
7
14
10
13
Total.
78
72
77
93
74
93
81
80
99
96
88
4
RE-ADMIT-
---.
Males.
14
12
9
12
10
10
10
9
20
10
10
Females.
1
1
1
...
2
1
2
1
...
2
1
Total.
15
13
10
12
12
11
12
10
20
12
11
5
TOTAL.
Males.
330
340
347
388
407
423
433
442
454
473
479
Females.
39
40
37
35
38
44
47
45
49
53
60
Total.
369
380
384
423
445
467
480
487
503
526
539
6
DISCHARGED
TRANSFER¬
RED, &c.
Males.
40
51
35
44
56
46
54
67
56
48
42
Females.
5
8
6
6
5
4
6
8
5
5
8
Total.
45
59
41
50
61
50
60
75
61
53
50
7
DIED.
Males.
26
20
21
12
19
28
19
26
21
31
23
Females.
3
4
4
2
2
2
4
2
3
2
1
Total.
29
24
25
14
21
30
23
28
24
33
24
8
REMAINING
ON 31st
DECEMBER.
Males.
264
269
291
332
332
349
360
349
377
394
414
Females.
31
28
27
27
31
38
37
35
41
46
51
Total.
295
297
318
359
363
387
397
384
418
440
465
9
DAILY AVERAGE
STRENGTH.
Males.
253.41
250.98
278.7
314.52
801.81
336.74
359.2
355.57
356.96
380.33
394.36
Females.
27.64
26.42
27.05
28.3
30.24
36.22
37.45
35.31
35.60
44.17
48.85
Total.
281.05
277.4
705.75
342.82
332.05
372.96
396.65
390.88
392.56
424.50
443.21
It will be noticed that while the total admissions and re-admissions in
1890 were less by 9 when compared with the previous year, the difference was
counterbalanced by fewer deaths and discharges. The increase will readily be
seen from the following figures of the last three years :—
Remaining on 1st January ... ...
Admitted during the year ... ...
Re-admitted ... ... ...
Total ...
Discharged and transferred ... ...
Died
...
...
...
...
Remaining on 31st December ... ...
1888.
384
99
20
503
61
24
85
418
1889.
418
96
12
526
53
33
86
440
1890.
440
88
11
539
50
24
74
465
9. In my last annual report I entered at length into the question of the
increasing number of this class of lunatics in Bengal, and it seems unnecessary
to recur to it except to state that during my inspections I made enquiries into
the system of admitting into the asylums persons who had committed petty
offences, but could not discover that it differed materially from that in force in
other provinces; and I can only account for the increment by supposing that
Magistrates and other admitting officers do not adhere with sufficient strictness
to the orders of the Government of India as laid down in its No. 179 of
25th March 1876. I have also good grounds for suspecting that occasionally
medical officers are lax in their examination of convicted prisoners in jail when
supposed to be of unsound mind, and that some whose insanity is very doubtful
are transferred to an asylum. At the same time I think there can be little
doubt that a part of the increase is caused by sufficient latitude not being
allowed to the Superintendents and official visitors in their recommendations
for the discharge of persons confined on account of petty offences. The num-
ber of criminal lunatics admitted into the Berhampore Asylum decreased during
the year, and on this subject the Superintendent remarks in his annual report:
" The decrease in regard to criminal lunatics is probably owing to more care
being exercised by Magistrates in disposing of simple offences committed by
people of unsound or apparently of unsound mind; for instance, by making
them over to their relatives on security instead of sending them to the asylum."