MUNICIPAL
DEPARTMENT.
MEDICAL.
No. 93T-M.
DARJEELING, THE 20TH MAY 1892.
RESOLUTION.
READ—
The Report on the Lunatic Asylums in Bengal for the year 1891.
Read again—
The Report for the year 1890, and the Resolution recorded upon it.
The present report, which has been submitted with admirable punctuality,
shows the statistics of the asylums in the forms hitherto in use, which cannot
be altered without the concurrence of the Government of India, but it adds to
these the provincial totals and the modified statement relating to sickness and
death, which were suggested in the Resolution on last year's report.
2. The population of the five native asylums on 1st January 1891 was
1,021, the admissions and re-admissions during the year amounted to 213; 149
persons were discharged cured and 42 otherwise, and 80 persons died. The
number of persons under detention at the close of the year was 963, or 58 less
than at the close of the preceding year. The larger portion of the decrease is
among the non-criminal lunatics, the decrease in this class being 42 as
compared with a decrease of 16 in the class of criminal lunatics.
The
increase in the number of discharges, which amount to 191 as compared with
117 in 1890, is remarkable, and its cause a little obscure ; but it is satisfactory
to observe that it has occurred chiefly in the class " Cured." The number
of admissions was 197, or only two less than in the previous year. It
is hoped, however, that in future this number will be reduced when the instruc-
tions issued by Government in Circular No. 42, dated 3rd December 1891,
regarding the admission of non-criminal lunatics, begin to take effect.
3. The decrease of 16 in the criminal population of the asylums is
ascribed by Dr. Hilson to more vigorous supervision on the part of the
visitors. It is not apparent, however, how this more vigorous supervision
has been exercised. The admissions in this class, which amounted to 80 against
88 in 1890, do not seem to have been affected by the orders of Government
prescribing greater caution in the admission of lunatics, as these orders have
scarcely had time to begin to operate. Nor can the increase in the number of
discharges, from 50 in 1890 to 83 in 1891, have been due to those orders, but
it must probably be attributed to the effect of the rules laid down by the Com-
mittee in 1888, which are only now coming into full operation.
4. During the year under review, all the asylums were remeasured with
the result that there is now found to be accommodation for 1,069 patients, cal-
culated at 50 superficial feet for each patient. Dr. Hilson's surmise that the
capacity of the asylums had been under-estimated is thus proved correct, and there
is really accommodation for 50 more patients as compared with the capacity
shown in the year 1890. This capacity too will be largely increased when the
new buildings at Berhampore are completed. Some slight overcrowding, which
occurred during the year in the Berhampore and Dacca Asylums, was relieved
by making suitable temporary arrangements, so that but little inconvenience
was felt.
5. The admissions into hospital were 717 as compared with 715 in the
previous year.
There were 3 cases of chicken-pox at Dacca, 1 case of
cholera at Patna, 28 cases of influenza at Dacca, and 39 cases at Berhampore.
It is remarkable that at Berhampore influenza was confined to females, while
in the previous year males only suffered. There were 80 deaths as against
69 in 1890. Of these 1 was due to cholera, 17 to diarrhœa and dysentery, 10