LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
7
14. The recommendations of that Committee have not yet had any effect
in checking the progressive augmentation of the criminal population, if we
may judge from the returns of the past two years, and this may be due to
some extent to what appears to me the unnecessary stringency of some of
its suggestions regarding the liberation of persons confined in asylums for
trivial offences against property. A greater freedom might be exercised by
Superintendents in dealing with such cases, and they might be enjoined not to
prolong unnecessarily the confinement of harmless criminal lunatics who have
been guilty of petty offences against property. The Committee recommends
that persons of this kind need not be confined for more than three years—an
unnecessarily long time in most instances —and although this does not prevent
Superintendents recommending release soon after admission, I fear the mention
of three years in the Committee's report has a tendency to suggest the advis-
ability of a long detention within the limits of that period.
15. It is probable, too, that Civil Surgeons are not sufficiently careful in
distinguishing between harmless and non-harmless lunatics when making their
recommendations to district officers regarding their confinement. This suppo-
sition derives support from the circumstance that while the total number of
insane (criminal and non-criminal) is proportionately in no way larger, and
indeed is much smaller in Bengal, than in some other provinces when the extent
of the country and its large population is taken into consideration, it is only as
regards the criminal inmates that any undue preponderance is observable.
This circumstance leads to the belief that many persons who would be treated
as ordinary lunatics in other parts of India are confined as criminals in the
Bengal asylums.
16. STATEMENT III OF THE APPENDIX.— Residence, &c., of patients admitted.—
The only remarkable feature in this return is the very large number of lunatics
derived from Calcutta and the 24-Pergunnahs as compared with those from
other places, and the same is noticeable in the return of the previous year.
The cause of this probably lies in the proximity of the asylum affording ready
facilities for the confinement of lunatics, and also to the greater strictness with
which the police regulations regarding the apprehension of lunatics found
wandering about the streets are enforced in Calcutta, where they are likely
to be more of a nuisance than in less civilised localities. The large number
admitted into the Dacca Asylum from the adjoining province of Assam is also
worthy of notice, because if continued at the same rate for a few years longer,
it may become necessary to provide further accommodation for them at that
institution.
Admissions.
From—
Cachar ...
Sylhet ...
1884.
9
7
16
1885.
10
6
16
1886.
4
5
9
1887.
9
13
22
1888.
8
11
19
1889.
15
12
27
These numbers are larger than they were in former years.
17. STATEMENTS IV AND V OF THE APPENDIX.—Occupation and ages of
patients admitted.—The figures in these two returns present little variation
from those of the previous year, and do not call for any remarks.
18. STATEMENT VI OF THE APPENDIX.—Types of insanity.—It will be noticed
that the new nomenclature of montal diseases as given by the College of
Physicians of London has been followed in this return, but it has failed to secure
uniformity of classification at the various asylums; for, while a considerable
number of cases of toxic insanity are entered as having occurred at Patna,
Dacca, Cuttack and Berhampore, there are none at Dullunda. Their absence
from this institution can only be accounted for by the peculiarity of the indi-
vidual views held by the Superintendent regarding the nature and cause of
this form of insanity, and until we possess some arbitrary and clear definition