2
Of the 94 cases cured, 49 (38 males and 11 females) suffered from
mania, 29 (27 males and 2 females) from melancholia, 2 males from
delusional insanity, 1 male from post-febrile insanity, 1 male from confu-
sional insanity, 2 males from alcholic insanity and 10 males from insanity
caused by cannabis indica. The duration of insanity of the cases cured prior
to admission was ascertained in 40 cases only as shown below :—
Less than 3 months ... ... ...
3 to 6 months
...
...
...
6 to 12 months
...
...
...
Over one year
...
...
...
Total ...
23
7
4
6
40
The average stay in the asylums of the patients cured was 1 year
7 months and 11 days at Berhampore and 4 years 8 months and 9 days at
Dacca, the shortest and the longest being 1 month and 8 days and 16 years
4 months and 20 days respectively, at Berhampore and 1 month and 4 days
and 30 years 4 months and 22 days respectively at Dacca.
Sickness and mortality.—The general health of the asylums was as
unsatisfactory as in 1918, the number of daily average sick being 107.78
against 94.30 and the total number of admissions into hospital being 501
against 511. The chief causes of sickness were dysentery, diarrhœa, malaria,
anæmia, influenza and pneumonia. Tubercle of the lungs was, however,
conspicuously on the decrease and cholera and small-pox were absent except
for a solitary case of the latter at Berhampore, which was cured.
One hundred deaths occurred during the year against 104 in 1918, the
ratio per cent. to average population being 10.03 against 9.63 in 1918. The
heavy mortality is due to an epidemic of influenza at the Berhampore Asylum
causing 16 deaths, and the bad health of a large number of new admissions
both at Dacca and Berhampore.
Stool examination of the lunatics for the detection of hookworm disease
was done during the year at the Berhampore and Dacca Asylums and ova
of hookworm were found in 116 cases (56 at Berhampore and 60 at Dacca).
These cases were treated with either Thymol or Chenopodium oil followed
by saline purge. The results are reported to be satisfactory at both the asylums,
except for one death which occurred at Dacca.
Second Grade Sub-Assissant Surgeon Abinash Chandra Das Gupta, First
Sub-Assistant Surgeon of the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum, has been specially
trained at the Campbell Medical School in the modern methods of diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of tubercular diseases, and it is expected that with
his special training, he will be of greater service in combating the disease.
He has been granted a duty allowance of Rs. 20 per mensem for this work.
Escapes.—It is satisfactory to note that there wore no escapes from any
of the asylums during the year, and that there were no cases of injuries
except of a trivial nature.
Observation cases.—Admissions for observation numbered 50 (against
31 in 1918) viz., 25 in the Bhowanipur Observation Ward, 20 in the Dacca
and 5 in the Berhampur Lunatic Asylums. Besides these there was one
case of the previous year at Bhowanipur. Of these 51 cases, 9 were pro-
nounced to be sane and discharged, 29 were certified to be insane and
admitted into the asylums (11 of them were transferred to the Ranchi
Asylum from Bhowanipur), and 10 were disposed of as follows :—4 handed
over to their relatives, 2 made over to and 1 discharged by the order of the
Committing Magistrate and 3 discharged otherwise. At the close of the
year there remained 3 cases, viz. :—1 at Dacca and 2 at Berhampore.
Criminal lunatics.—The criminal population of the asylums consisted
of 488 males and 41 females, 529 in all, as compared 565 in 1918; 58 of
them (52 males and 6 females) wore new admissions. Forty-one criminal
lunatics were discharged, 32 died and 5 were transferred to the non-criminal