( 2 )
to general debility and old age, 18 to tubercle of the lungs, 7 to pneumonia, 4 to
anæmia, 6 to apoplexy and hemiplegia, 1 to paralysis, 2 to cirrhosis of the liver,
3 to exhaustion of mania, and the rest to other scattered causes. A comparison
is suggested in the report between the sickness and mortality in jails and
in the asylums, but such a comparison cannot be fairly made, since the popula-
tion of a jail is mostly healthy, while that of a lunatic asylum is generally
diseased. The rate of mortality ruling in the Bengal asylums may more
properly be compared with that recorded in the asylums of other provinces of
India, and with the death-rate of asylums in Europe. Taking the latter
figures first, it will be found that while the mortality in jails in England is
considerably lower than in Bengal, the reverse appears to hold good in the case
of lunatic asylums. In 1890, for example, the death-rate in the Bengal asylums
was 6 94 per cent., and during the past year it rose to 8.02. But the
latter rate compares favourably with the 10 per cent. recorded in England,
while French asylums show 15 and Austrian 12 per cent. Even in Belgium,
where special attention has been paid to the treatment of lunatics, the mortality
in public asylums and families taken together amounts to 8.8 per cent. A
comparison with the death-rates of other provinces in India cannot be made for
1891, as the reports are not yet available. But in 1890 the Madras asylums had
a death-rate of 18.4 per cent., Bombay showed 11, the Panjab 9.53, and the
North-Western Provinces 9 ; while the rate for the Bengal asylums was only 6 94.
These results may be considered satisfactory, and indicate that the health of the
inmates of asylums is carefully looked after by the Superintendents. The
whole subject of asylum mortality is, however, dealt with rather briefly in the
report, and the Lieutenant-Governor would wish it in future to be treated at
greater length.
6. The record of injuries, accidents and escapes compares favourably with
that of last year, but is still too full. At Dalanda there were three trivial acci-
dents; at Dacca there were three accidents and six injuries, two of which were
apparently due to violent treatment of the patients by their keepers. An account
is given in the report of one of these cases and of the punishment inflicted on
the culprits ; the Lieutenant-Governor trusts that sufficiently severe notice was
also taken of the other case. At Patna and Berhampore there were two accidents
each, and at Cuttack there was one case of suicidal hanging. At Dacca there
were two escapes, both the lunatics being recaptured.
7. The figures of income and expenditure are clearly shown in the state-
ment in the body of the report. The details are as follow:—
INCOME.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Received from Treasury ...
Ditto from paying patients
1890.
Rs.
63,533
1,314
A.
8
15
P.
3
3
1891.
Rs.
64,576
1,228
A.
5
14
P.
9
0
Ditto from Manufacture Department ... ...
Ditto from Public Works Department ... ...
Ditto from Government Medical Store ... ...
Ditto from Stationery Office ... ... ...
GRAND TOTAL ...
1890.
Rs. A. P.
64,848
15,570
9,341
530
84
90,374
7
5
11
1
5
15
6
1
11
3
7
4
1891.
Rs.
A. P.
65,805
16,917
11,544
433
80
94,780
3
7
7
4
4
12
9
10
5
4
9
1
EXPENDITURE.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Establishment proper ...
Superintendence
... ...
Diet
...
...
... ...
Clothing and bedding
... ...
Bazar medicines ... ... ...
Contingencies proper ... ...
Contingencies of manufacture
Repairs and maintenance
Rates and taxes on asylum
buildings.
Total ...
Printed forms and stationery ...
English medicines
... ...
Public works ... ... ...
GRAND TOTAL ...
Received from treasury on
account of—
1890.
Rs.
18,076
16,492
22,744
563
71
3,659
A.
0
10
15
8
0
5
P.
6
7
2
0
5
1
......
207
3,033
64,848
9
6
7
9
0
6
......
...
......
......
1891.
Rs.
16,480
15,946
20,583
999
64
6,148
A.
2
14
1
5
8
4
P.
7
7
5
9
1
2
......
1,224
4,358
65,805
5
10
3
2
0
9
......
.
......
......
Received from manufacture
department on account of—
1890.
Rs.
A.
P.
......
......
13,330
1,434
7
387
5
403
15
14
2
14
12
10
7
11
0
7
0
0
......
15,570 5 1
...
......
......
......
1891.
Rs.
A. P.
......
......
14,010
1,963
6
703
2
230
13
6
8
1
12
14
2
3
0
8
0
9
......
16,917 7 10
......
......
......
......
1890.
Rs.
18,076
16,492
36,075
1,998
78
4,047
5
611
3,033
A.
0
10
14
6
2
3
12
3
6
P.
6
7
9
11
5
8
0
9
0
84
530
9,341
90,374
5
1
11
15
7
3
11
4
1891.
Rs.
16,480
15,946
34,593
2,962
71
6,851
2
1,455
4,358
A.
2
14
14
12
0
5
12
3
10
P.
7
7
7
0
1
10
0
11
0
80
433
11,544
94,780
4
4
7
12
0
4
5
1