3
6. Duration of insanity.—Duration of insanity prior to admission was
ascertained in 124 cases of last year. In 35 of them it was less than
3 months, in 27 between 3 and 6 months, in 22 between 6 and 12 months and
in 40 from 12 months to several years.
7. Paying patients.—There were 30 paying patients (17 males and 13
females) at the beginning of the triennial period, viz., 15 in the Bhawani-
pur Lunatic Asylum and an equal number in the Berhampore Lunatic Asy-
lum ; 51 were admitted during the three years, viz., 18 into the Bhawanipur
Lunatic Asylum and Observation Ward, 2 in Dacca and 31 in the Berhampore
Lunatic Asylum : 50 of the number were discharged, viz., 32 from the
Bhawanipur Lunatic Asylum and Observation Ward, (mostly transferred to
Ranchi), 1 from Dacca and 17 from Berhampore, and 6 died, viz., 1 at the
Bhawanipur Lunatic Asylum, 1 at Dacca and 4 at Berhampore. Thus there
were 25 paying patients under treatment at the end of the period under notice,
all being in the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum.
8. Observation cases.—Altogether 146 persons were received for obser-
vation in the 3 years under notice, viz., 69 in the Bhawanipur Lunatic Asylum
and Observation Ward, 65 in Dacca and 12 in Berhampore. Of these, 99 were
certified to be insane and admitted as lunatics, 31 were found to be sane and
discharged, 15, although proved to be insane, were either made over to their
relatives, or discharged by the order of the committing Magistrate, and one
died.
Under the existing system of recording Observation cases, it is difficult
to see at a glance, without referring to the footnote, what is the actual
number of admitted lunatics and what is the number of Observation cases, as
the two are mixed up. To remove this defect, it has been proposed to show
Observation cases in a separate line below the admitted cases. The matter is
under the consideration of the Government of India.
9. Military insanes.—One hundred and nine military insanes were
received in the Lunatic Asylums of Bengal during the past 3 years, viz., 79 in
the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum and 30 in Dacca, and there were 34 such
lunatics remaining over from the year 1917, total 143. Of this number,
98 were discharged and 14 died, leaving 31 military insanes under treatment
at the end of the triennium, viz., 26 in the Berhampore and 5 in the Dacca
Lunatic Asylum.
10. Discharges.—Six hundred and seventy-nine lunatics were discharged
from the Lunatic Asylums in 3 years, viz., 138 from Bhawanipur (including
62 transferred to Ranchi), 205 from Dacca, 335 from Berhampore (including
35 transferred to Ranchi) and 1 from the Gobra Insane Ward. Speaking of
individual years, 319 were discharged in 1918. 171 in 1919 and 189 in 1920.
11. Recoveries.—One hundred and fifty-one, 94 and 90 lunatics were
discharged cured in 1918, 1919 and 1920, respectively, and 28, 27 and 31
in an improved state. There were 50 recoveries among the admissions of
1918, or 16.89 per cent. of total admissions of that year ; 22 recoveries among
those of 1919, or 11.22 per cent., and 24 in 1920, or 11.06 per cent.
The types of insanity of the 90 patients discharged cured last year
were mania in 39 cases, melancholia in 29, insanity caused by cannabis indica
and its preparations in 11, delusional insanity in 3, alcoholic insanity in 3, post
febrile insanity in 2, mental stupor in 2 and confusional insanity in 1.
In 30 out of the 90 cases cured in 1920, the duration of insanity prior to
admission was known. It was less than 3 months in 18 cases, between 3
and 6 months in 4, between 6 and 12 months also in 4 and between 1 and 5
years in an equal number of cases.
The average period of patients' stay in the Lunatic Asylum prior to
recovery in 1920 was 1 year, 1 month and 4 days at Berhampore, and 3 years
and 16 days at Dacca, the longest stay in the former Lunatic Asylum having
been 7 years, 8 months and 23 days, and in the Dacca Asylum 20 years,
7 months and 20 days and the shortest 2 months and 2 days at Berhampore
and 1 day at Dacca.
12. Escapes.—There were 4 cases of escape, all from the Dacca Lunatic
Asylum, in 1918. The low outer wall on the male side, which afforded
facility for escape in most of the cases, has now been raised, and other
measures have been adopted to prevent escapes in future.