LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
11
At Dullunda there were 21 deaths as compared with 16 in 1894—7 from
tubercle of lungs, 1 from cholera, 2 each from dysentery, meningitis, and
pneumonia, and 1 each from cancer of the duodenum, pyæmia, enteritis, cirrhosis
of liver, heart disease, rupture of the spleen, and asphyxia from submersion.
Reference to the last 2 cases will be made later on. In connection with the
greater mortality in the asylum, the Superintendent reports that 3 cases had
tubercle on admission, and 4 were admitted in bad health.
Dacca had 22 against 21; 5 being from tubercle of lungs, 3 from anæmia,
3 dysentery, 2 pneumonia, 1 each from debility, old age, apoplexy, paraplegia,
cirrhosis of liver, enteritis, Bright's disease, cellulitis of the thigh, and 1 was a
case of suicide by hanging, of which mention will be made in paragraph 16.
The Superintendent states that many of the deaths occurred among very old
patients.
Patna had 17—a decrease of 4 as compared with 1894. Dysentery caused
6 deaths; tubercle of lungs 2; diarrhœa 2; enlarged spleen 2; cholera 1;
fever 1; old age 1; anæmia 1; and 1 was a case of suicide by hanging.
Cuttack had no death. At Berhampore 4 of the 15 deaths were due to
tubercle of lungs; 2 to anæmia; 2 to diarrhœa; 1 to epilepsy; 1 to snake-
bite ; 1 to concussion of the brain; 1 to cancer, and 3 to exhaustion of mania.
16. Injuries and accidents numbered 22, as compared with 17 in 1894 and
10 in 1893. Eighteen were at Dullunda. Eight of these were assaults by one
lunatic on another, and one a case of self-inflicted injury. The eight were
cases of slight wounds on face, tooth, ear, lip and hand, and seven were cases of
injuries accidentally received by the lunatics in the workshops—six were slight
wounds and one a fracture of phalanges. Besides these there were two fatal
cases. A non-criminal lunatic died from drowning, and the warder in charge
was fined by the Superintendent for being lax in his duties. I asked the
Superintendent to bring the matter before the visitors. The case was also
reported to the Magistrate; and as the latter was of opinion that it was an
accidental drowning, the visitors thought no further action was necessary.
The second was a case in which a warder, probably assisted by two insanes, as
the Superintendent states, ill-treated a lunatic, who died from rupture of the
spleen. The case was sent on to the Sessions Court, and the warder was
convicted and sentenced to four years' rigorous imprisonment for culpable
homicide not amounting to murder.
At Dacca a lunatic suffering from mania hanged himself at night. He
twisted his clothes in the form of a rope and made a noose round his neck,
attaching one end of it to a window bar. The District Magistrate was of
opinion that there was no sufficient evidence to justify a prosecution of the
warder on duty for neglect. He was, however, dismissed.
At Patna a lunatic committed suicide by hanging. A judicial enquiry
was held; and though there was apparent carelessness or negligence on the part
of some of the warders, the Magistrate was of opinion that it did not
materially contribute to bring about the death of the lunatic. They were
suspended during the enquiry, and were subsequently fined.
At Berhampore one lunatic died from concussion of the brain, produced,
as was elicited by a magisterial enquiry, by an accidental fall when he was in
an excited condition of insanity, "which brought his forehead in violent contact
with the floor." I may remark here that this is a case in which a 3" layer of
dry earth spread over the floor, as suggested by Dr. Rice, late Surgeon-General
with the Government of India, would probably have saved the life of the
lunatic.
The other was a case of snake-bite. The lunatic kept his bundle
of clothes on a peg near a hole in the kitchen, and when he went to bring
it in the dark he was bitten by a snake, dying shortly after.
This matter requires the attention of Superintendents.
17. Escapes.—At Dacca a criminal lunatic, who was a skilled carpenter,
managed to effect his escape by wrenching open the padlock of his cell
door and climbing over the wall: this occurred on the 15th December 1895,
and up to the close of the year he had not been recaptured. The keeper,
who was on duty at the time of the occurrence, was dismissed for not
exercising due vigilance. A criminal lunatic escaped from Berhampore, and
was not recaptured up to the close of the year. Each head warder was fined