( 2 )
admitted during the year 1891, the crime with which he was charged. It is
only by such an examination of details that it can be ascertained whether
lunatics are sent to asylums whose confinement is not required by the public
safety.
4. The method of classifying the different forms of insanity underwent
revision during the year, with the object of securing some uniformity of classifica-
tion ; but, as pointed out by the Inspector-General, it is impossible to expect
absolute accuracy and uniformity, since the diagnosis depends almost entirely
on the views held by individual Superintendents. It is well known how prone
some persons are to conceive ganja a fertile cause of insanity, while others
consider it a rather innocuous kind of stimulant. Thus the Superintendents of
Dullunda and Dacca have attributed 23 and 14 admissions, out of a total of
39 and 27 cases respectively in which the cause of insanity was known, to
ganja; while the Superintendents of Cuttack and Berhampore have only
attributed to that cause 2 admissions each out of 6 and 12 cases of which the
history was available. It is worthy of notice that, while ganja-smoking and
spirit-drinking are the alleged cause of 56 and 7 cases of insanity respectively
among the admissions of the year, opium-smoking is held responsible for none
and opium-eating for only 2 cases.
5. The health of the inmates of the asylums during the year was excep-
tionally good, the daily average sick for the whole province being 58 against
69.55 in 1889. Cholera was completely absent from the asylums, and beyond a
few cases of small-pox and chicken-pox at Dullunda, Berhampore and Patna,
and the prevalence of influenza at the two last-named asylums and Dacca, there
was no visitation of any serious epidemic disease. The mortality was 69.4
per mille on the daily average strength, which is the lowest death-rate on
record for the past seven years. There were 69 deaths, the largest number of
which were due to the following causes:—Dysentery 14, lung disease and
pneumonia 19, fever 3, anæmia 6, influenza 3, apoplexy 2. The death ratios
to daily average strength were—Dullunda 35, Dacca 115.5, Patna 60.5, Cuttack
77.9, Berhampore 67. Dullunda, Patna and Berhampore show better ratios
than in the preceding year. A large portion of the heavy death-rate at Dacca
was due to dysentery, the patients having, it is said, been first weakened by
influenza.
6. The record of injuries, accidents, and escapes during the year compares
unfavourably with that of the previous year. The Dullunda Asylum heads
the list with nine cases of injury, of which two were of a serious nature,
seven accidents and four escapes, in two of which the lunatics were recaptured.
Dacca follows with seven cases of injury, four of which were severe, and two
escapes, the lunatics in both instances having been recaptured. Next in order
comes Berhampore with one case of injury, which terminated fatally, and three
accidents, and Patna with one case of injury and two accidents by lunatics
falling from trees. In Cuttack alone was there no case of injury, accident, or
escape. The Lieutenant-Governor agrees with the Inspector-General that
though it is impossible to prevent a certain proportion of the lunatics from
injuring themselves, the number of these occurrences is still larger than it should
be, and trusts that the Committee appointed to examine the system of guarding
lunatics in asylums may be able to suggest improvements which will lead to
better results in future.
7. The total income of the year is shown in Statement IX as Rs. 81,733,
against an expenditure of Rs. 91,690, the corresponding figures for 1889 being
Rs. 80,614 and Rs. 91,526. The details are as follow:—
Income.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Received from treasury ... ...
Ditto
paying patients
...
...
Ditto
Manufacture Department ...
Total ...
1889.
Rs.
65,249
1,450
13,915
80,614
1890.
Rs.
64,848
1,315
15,570
81,733