2
to their admission ; 28 between 3 and 6 months ; 28 between 6 and 12
months ; 26 between 1 and 5 years and 22 over five years.
Of the 78 admissions into the Dacca Asylum and 199 into Berhampore,
21 and 4, respectively, were examined and certified by the Superintendent of
the Lunatic Asylum and the rest by the Medical Officers of the places
from which they came.
Fifteen of the new admissions were paying patients viz., 6 Europeans
and 9 Indians. This raised the paying population to 45.
Four voluntary boarders sought admission into the Berhampore Lunatic
Asylum during the year, 3 males and one female ; of the male cases one is a
sub-assistant surgeon, one a teacher and one a zemindar.
Fifty, or 16.89 per cent., of the newly admitted lunatics were cured and
discharged as compared with 38, or 14.90 per cent., in 1917.
There were 29 deaths among the new admissions, 23 of them occurring in
the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum. The miserable state of health of most of
the lunatics at the time of their admission was responsible for most of the
deaths.
6. Observation cases.—Thirty-one cases were admitted for observation
—5 in the Bhowanipore Lunatic Asylum, 20 in Dacca and 6 in Berhampore.
Nineteen of them were certified to be insane and admitted into the Asylum,
6 were declared to be sane and discharged, 3, certified to be insane, were made
over to their relatives by order of the committing authorities, 1 died and 2
remained undisposed of.
Seven cases were admitted into the temporary Observation Ward,
Bhowanipore ; 4 of them were pronounced to be insane and removed to the
Ranchi Central Asylum, 2 were not improved and were made over to their
relatives under the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Calcutta, and one
remained in the ward.
7. Discharges.—Altogther 319 lunatics were discharged as compared
with 154 in 1917. Of these 151(or 13.99 per cent. of the total strength) were
discharged cured, 28 as improved, 97 were transferred to the Ranchi Asylum,
1 escaped from the Dacca Asylum and the remaining 42 were discharged
on other grounds.
The duration of the mental diseases of the patients cured, prior to their
admmission, is recorded in 101 cases. In 22 it was less than 3 months, in 23
between 3 and 6 months, in 22 between 6 and 12 months and in 34 over one
year.
The average stay in Asylum of the patients cured was 1 year 3 months
and 19 days, the shortest being 12 days and longest 12 years.
8. Escapes.—Four criminal lunatics escaped from the Dacca Lunatic
Asylum, 3 by scaling the enclosure wall and one by slipping away from the
grass-cutting gang. All of the first 3 were recaptured shortly after, while
the last is still at large. Steps have been taken'to raise the low parts of the
enclosure wall.
9. Sickness and mortality.—The year was particularly unhealthy. The
number of daily average sick increased from 89.69 in 1917 to 94.30 in the
year under report, and admissions into Hospital were 511 against 397.
Chicken-pox broke out in the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum. It was a mild
epidemic, only 35 cases having occurred in the male section. There was no
death. The infection is believed to have come with a military insane from
Bombay. Epidemic Influenza affected both the Berhampore and Dacca
Asylums. There were 45 cases and 2 deaths in the former, while Dacca-had
46 of the mild type without any death.
One hundred and four deaths occurred as compared with 85 in 1917
the ratio per cent. of average population being 9.63 against 7.91 in the prece-
ding year. The extraordinary death-rate at Gobra viz., 112.78 per cent., is
explained by the fact that the daily average population was very small viz.,
2.66, while the number of deaths, was 3. Tuberculosis accounts for the lar-
gest number of deaths, viz., General Tuberculosis 19, all in the Berhampore
Asylum, and Tubercle oj the Luna 16.
Arrangements were made to investigate and treat hookworm disease
among the inmates of the Berhampore Lunatic Asylum and the junior sub-
assistant surgeon of the Asylum was given the necessary training under