REPORT ON THE CUTTACK LUNATIC ASYLUM
FOR THE YEAR 1871.
BY SURGEON-MAJOR A. FLEMING, M.D., SUPERINTENDENT.
Population.
2. AT the date of last report 35 lunatics remained under treatment, viz. 24 males and
11 females. During 1871, 32 males and 5 females were admitted, 1 male and 1 female
re-admitted, total 39. The total treated during the year has been 74, of whom 11 have been
cured, 3 improved and made over to friends, 1 reported sane (a criminal) and forwarded to
stand his trial before the Assistant Commissioner of Sumbulpore, and 4 have died, viz. 3 males
and 1 female. At the close of the year there remained 55 patients, viz. 41 males and
14 females. The number cured to total treated per cent. has been 14.8, and deaths to total
treated 5 4 per cent.
Criminals.
3. Of the lunatics in the asylum at the close of the year 12 were criminals, 7 of whom
were admitted during 1871. They have been reported on quarterly to Government by the
official visitors.
Sickness.
4. Sickness.—There has been but little sickness during the year, the average daily
sick having been 1.32. There has been no cholera.
Mortality.
5. Mortality.—There have been 4 deaths during the year. Two of these were of old,
feeble, and worn out patients, who had been kept alive in the asylum since 1867. The
other two were pilgrims from Pooree, who were admitted to the asylum almost in a dying
state, and sank soon after.
Defects of existing
asylum.
6. Asylum Buildings.—No changes have been made. The accommodation is far too
limited, and the position of the asylum in the middle of the town and close alongside the
principal thoroughfare, as bad a one as could have been selected. In the male division
there are 11 small wards, 8 of which were built to accommodate 2 patients in each, allowing
only 43 superficial feet to each, and 3 larger ones to contain 5 patients, allowing 51.2 super-
ficial feet to each.
Altogether, the asylum was intended to accommodate 31 males and 13 females. At the
close of the year there were 41 males in confinement. Of this number, 5 from their dirty,
noisy, or violent habits, had to be kept in separate wards, which engaged 5 of the smaller ones,
so that the other patients (36 in number) had to be arranged for as best they could be in the
remaining 6 wards, barely adapted to hold 21 patients.
The airing grounds too are far too small, and the noisy patients in consequence give
those quieting down a poor chance of recovery.
A new asylum ur-
gently needed.
The above remarks will, I think, show the necessity for a new asylum, which has in the
course of the year been under the consideration of Government.
More accommodation is urgently needed, as now it is quite dangerous, having so many
lunatics crowded into so limited a space ; and until this is provided, district officers might be
directed to detain their lunatics in their respective jails.
Accommodation
inadequate.
Allowing for a fair number of discharges in the course of the year, the present asylum
will hardly provide for the lunatics of Cuttack itself, far less is it likely to be able to accom-
modate those of Balasore, Pooree, the Khond Mehals, and Sumbulpore, which last district
has furnished 13 of our lunatics in 1871.