16
LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
at Berhampore. Surgeon-Captain Pilgrim brings especially to notice the good
work done by Babu Shama Prosonno Bhattacharjee. Babu Romesh Chander
Sil, the overseer at Dacca; Mr. and Mrs. Nowlan, overseer and matron at Patna;
Benjamin Naik, daroga at Cuttack ; and Mohendro Nath Ray, the overseer
at Berhampore, are also commended; so are Civil Hospital Asistants Munshi
Abdul Majid at Dacca and Elahi Baksh at Patna. The Superintendent at
Berhampore again complains that a great part of the overseer's time is occupied
in the office, and again suggests that a clerk should be supplied. One is provided
for in the budget.
36. I inspected all the asylums during the year. They are well and
carefully managed in their own way, and provide their inmates with comforts
and means of recovery, such as they would not have if left at large This
is their main end, and it is impossible to compare them with English
asylums. Almost every county in England spends more on its asylums than
does the Government of Bengal, and each has three or four specially trained
alienist physicians who give their lives to asylum work. In Bengal medical
officers in charge of asylums are not specialists, and have many other
duties. They do the best they can at a cost which is marvellously low
and with a death-rate much below that of English asylums; and they
deserve the utmost credit for the care and energy they expend on their work.
EUROPEAN LUNATIC ASYLUM, BHAWANIPUR.
37. Population was as noted below—
Remaining on 1st January ... ...
Admitted during the year ... ...
Readmitted ... ... ...
Total ...
Discharged cured ... ... ...
Despatched to
Europe under Merchant
Shipping Act ... ... ...
Transferred to care of friends ... ...
Made over to military authorities ...
Despatched to Europe as still insane ...
Discharged otherwise ... ...
Died
...
... ... ...
Total ...
Remaining on 31st December ... ...
1893.
35
27
2
64
9
2
6
...
1
1
4
23
41
1894.
41
21
2
64
4
2
11
1
...
1
6
25
39
38. Admissions.—Twelve Europeans and 11 East Indians were admitted,
including two men readmitted. There were only four recoveries as compared
with 9 ; but large fluctuations must be expected when dealing with such small
numbers. The case discharged "otherwise" was transferred to Dullunda to
make room for a more urgent case.
39. Accommodation remains the same—sufficient for 23 men and 19
women. The average daily strength was 22.29 men and 18.08 women: total
40.37 against 36.78 in 1893. There was some temporary overcrowding on the
male side, but the greatest number detained on any night was only two in excess
of capacity. The maximum number of women was 19. The proposed provi-
sion of increased accommodation for women mentioned last year was accepted,
but final sanction was withheld for want of funds.
40. Criminal Lunatics.—One was admitted, one readmitted. The average
number in the asylum was 3.38, all males. One was discharged, one transferred
to Dullunda, none died.
41. The following statement shows the cause, or supposed cause, of
insanity among the total treated and the new admissions. Four of the latter
were due to intemperance (alcoholic), 2 each to heredity and sexual causes, 2 to