8
LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
9. Statement III.—Represents the religion, sex, and residence of persons
admitted. Ten lunatics were received from Cachar, of whom 8 were non-
criminals. There is no important variation in the figures when compared with
those of other years, and the same remark applies to—
10. Statement IV.—-in which is entered the occupation of patients previous
to admission into the different asylums.
11. Statement V.—In this the age on which insanity is most generally
seen is given. The great majority are affected between 20 and 40 years of age.
12. Statement VI—Types of insanity.—As ordered in Government of India,
Home Department, Resolution No. 16-Medl./576-86, dated 10th July 1896, a new form
for this statement has been introduced in this report.
The admissions are classified as follows:—
Mania ... ... ...
Melancholia ... ... ...
Dementia and acquired imbecility ... ...
Idiocy ... ... ... ...
Epileptic insanity ... ... ...
Consecutive insanity from fevers, &c. ...
"Other forms" ... ... ...
Declared to have recovered or not yet diagnosed
Total ...
104
28
5
4
3
6
18
13
181
Under the heading of " Other forms" in the above list have been placed all
cases of toxic, traumatic, senile and climacteric insanity, as well as those
associated with obvious morbid changes in the brain. The form of the state-
ment has recently been revised so as to agree with the new edition of the nomen-
clature of diseases brought into use from the beginning of the current year.
13. Statement VII.—Alleged causes.—The returns for the year are pre-
sented in the revised form laid down in Government of India, Home Depart-
ment, Resolution No. 16-Medl./576-86, dated the 10th July 1896, in which "moral
causes " are grouped together. Of the total of 181 admissions, 60 are ascribed
to physical causes, 27 to moral causes, and 94 are entered as " cause unknown."
The physical causes are allotted as follows:—
Ganja smoking ... ... ...
Spirit drinking ... ... ...
Fever ... ... ...
Heredity ... ... ...
Epilepsy
...
...
...
Congenital ... ... ...
Traumatic ... ... ...
Syphilis
...
...
...
Imbecility ... ... ...
Excessive study ... ... ...
Self-abuse
...
...
...
20
6
6
14
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
No cases are shown as having resulted from the use of charas, bhang or
opium.
Of the 20 admissions due to ganja smoking, 5 are reported from Dullunda
(in one of which there had also been excess in drink) , 2 from Dacca, 3 from
Patna, 2 from Cuttack, and 8 from Berhampore.
The total number is one less than in 1895; in 1894 it was 40.
In accepting cases as having been caused by ganja, much care was taken
by the Superintendents to avoid a mistaken diagnosis—a precaution still very
necessary, as the descriptive rolls cannot be safely trusted as yet. The
Superintendent at Dullunda states that a large proportion of cases are still
ascribed to ganja. The form of medical history sheet prescribed in Govern-
ment of India Resolution quoted above has now been substituted for the
descriptive rolls hitherto in use.
Surgeon-Captain Moir points out that an indication of the common use
of this drug may be found in callosities which form on the outer side of the
right thumb as a result of the manner in which habitual smokers prepare it.