LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
9
was discharged. The others showed no signs of improvement. In the opinion
of the Superintendent mental aberration produced by the abuse of hemp
drugs is generally of short duration, and the patient ultimately recovers.
The new medical history sheet was found to be very useful when it
was carefully filled up. But Superintendents report that as a rule these
documents are very carelessly prepared, which makes them practically useless.
During my inspection of the Dacca Lunatic Asylum I observed that some of
the certificates were not correct. In several cases men were described as being
in good health when they were really suffering from advanced phthisis. The
Superintendent also pointed out to me that the medical history sheets in many
cases furnished very meagre and incomplete information, and had to be
returned for correction, giving rise to much unnecessary correspondence. It
is very desirable that the medical history sheet should be carefully prepared by
the persons who are responsible for the entries made in them. If the commit-
ting officers bestow greater care and attention upon this part of their duty,
many of the irregularities now complained of would disappear. It is to be
hoped that in future the medical history sheet will be more carefully prepared.
14. Statement VIII.—Sickness and mortality.—The figures for each asylum
will be found in the Appendix. The following table shows the total number
treated and the results for the last two years :—
TABLE VII.
Remained in hospital on 1st January ...
Admitted during the year ... ...
Total ...
Discharged ... ... ... ...
Died
...
...
... ...
Remaining 31st December ... ... ...
Total ...
Percentage of admission to average strength ...
Average daily number sick ... ... ...
Percentage of constantly sick to average strength ...
Percentage of deaths to average strength ...
1897.
133
667
800
573
89
138
800
71.92
128.57
13.86
9.70
1898.
138
620
758
566
72
120
758
67.24
104.83
11.36
7.91*
It will be seen that admissions to hospitals and the daily average sick
show a marked diminution, as compared with 1897. The death-rate was the
lowest on record during the last 13 years, excepting 1890, and compares very
favourably with what obtains in the borough asylums of England. The death-
rates in the asylums in some of the other Provinces of India are not available
for 1898. The figures for 1897 are, however, given below, and are contrasted
with those of the Bengal lunatic asylums for 1898. It will be seen that so far
the result obtained in the latter was very satisfactory—
Bombay ... ...
Rangoon ... ...
Madras ... ...
Per cent.
10.6
10.80
10.05
Punjab ... ...
North-Western Provinces ...
Bengal (1898) ... ...
Per cent.
8.29
7.83
7.91
At Dullunda the admissions show a decrease of 122, which is attri-
buted to improvement in sanitation, to the issue of prophylactics, and to the
maintenance of the infirm gang which facilitated the early recognition and
care of those losing in health, and afforded a means of keeping the weakly and
aged under closer observation. There was a decrease under almost all the
principal heads of disease. Phthisis was, however, more numerous than in
1897. There were only 3 cases of chicken-pox.
Dacca had no cases of influenza in 1897, but in 1898 63 patients were
treated for this disease, which accounts for the increase in the total admissions
to hospital, viz. 217 against 175 in 1897. The Superintendent remarks very
favourably of the infirm gang maintained in this asylum, which, he says, tends
* This is inclusive of the one sudden death outside the hospital.
C