No. 7286.
FROM COL. R. P. WILSON, I.M.S.,
Offg. Surgeon-General
with the
Government of Bengal,
To THE SECRETARY,
GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL,
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT,
Medical Branch.
Calcutta, the 1st May 1925.
SIR,
I have the honour to submit here-
with the Annual Returns of the Mental
Hospitals in this Presidency for the year
1924 with the following brief notes : —
Accommodation.—The total capacity
of all the Mental Hospitals in Bengal
(including that of the Mental Observation
Ward at Bhowanipore and Mental Ward
at the Albert Victor Leper Asylum at
Gobra) that were in operation during the
year 1924 was 1,147 as against 1,121 in
1923. The increase was due to the fact
that the Ward for Indian patients at
Bhowanipore, which provides accom-
modation for 26 observation cases, was
brought into use from 1st May 1924.
Population.—The total population of
the two Mental Hospitals at Dacca and
Berhampore and the Mental Ward at
Gobra was 1,172 as compared with 1,186
in the previous year. Their daily
average strength was 977.05 (834.92
males and 142.13 females) as against
950.44 in 1923. The maximum number
confined in any one night was 1,023
(878 males and 145 females) as compared
with 973 in 1923. There was no over-
crowding in any institution.
Admission
and
readmission.—Al-
together 224 insanes were admitted or
readmitted during the year as compared
with 213 in the previous year.
The duration of insanity prior to
admission was ascertained in 91 cases; it
was less than three months in 28 cases,
between three and six months in 13,
between six and twelve months in 21,
between one and two years in 12 and
between three years and over in 17 cases.
Discharges and recoveries.—The total
number discharged during the year under
report was 123 as against 157 in 1923; of
this 85 were cured as compared with 115
in the previous year, their percentage to
daily average strength being 8.70 as
against 12 09 in 1923. Of the 85 insanes
cured 38 suffered from mania, 6 from
melancholia, 1 from circular insanity,
3 from delusional insanity, 4 from
insanity due to alcohol, 10 from insanity
due to cannabis indica, 22 from dementia
præcox and 1 from idiocy.
Sickness and mortality.—The general
health of the patients at the time of
their admission was better than what it
had been in 1923. their daily average sick
having been 89.01 as against 116.97 in
1923. There was no outbreak of disease
in epidemic form in the Dacca Mental
Hospital; while at Berhampore a mild
epidemic of influenza broke out in July
causing 63 admissions in the Infirmary
and only 1 death. The largest number
of admissions in all the hospitals was
from influenza, viz., 129 (66 at Dacca and
63 at Berhampore). The next large
number was 70 from diarrhœa. Dysen-
tery accounted for 67 admissions and
epilepsy for 52.
The mortality was much lower than in
1923 being 5.62 per cent. to daily average
strength as compared with 8.52 in 1923.
The actual number of deaths was 55, viz.,
12 at Dacca and 43 at Berhampore as
compared with 81 in 1923. Phthisis was
the cause of death in 18 cases, senility in
9 cases, all occurred in the Berhampore
Hospital. General tuberculosis was res-
ponsible for death in 7 cases and diarrhœa
in 4 cases in all the hospitals.
Accidents and injuries.—There was no
accident or injury in the Dacca Mental
Hospital. At Berhampore a serious
accident occurred; a building, situated in
the outside garden of the hospital having
collapsed during a severe hailstorm, a
patient met instantaneous death.
There also occurred at Berhampore 7
cases of injury of serious nature of which
5 were accidental and 2 inflicted by fellow-
patients.
Escape.—There was one case of escape
from the Bhowanipore Mental Observ-
ation Ward and two from the Berhampore
Mental Hospital. A portion of the
compound wall at Bhowanipore which
was low afforded facility for the escape.
This portion was raised to prevent further
escapes. Of the two escapes from
Berhampore one was captured and the
other is still at large.
1 A