6
LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
discharging criminal lunatics, which probably differs in the various provinces
of India. In what these differences consist I am not at present prepared
to state, but probably they lie in the manner of dealing with lunatics
apprehended for the commission of minor offences. If Magistrates and
committing officers in one province are in the habit of sending to an asylum
all lunatics charged with some petty theft or trespass, while such persons
in another province are made over to the care of their friends, it is obvious that
the statistics of lunacy in the two provinces will be considerably affected there-
by, or if such cases when admitted into asylums are detained for three months
in one province and for three years in another, there can be little doubt that
the difference in the period of confinement will have a very appreciable effect
in increasing or diminishing the criminal population as the case may be.
That some cause of the kind just indicated is probably in operation in the
Bengal asylums, and tends to swell their criminal population, may be inferred
from the large number of persons entered as "not insane" who are admitted
and remain in the asylums of Bengal, when compared with those of other
provinces—see the following two tables:—
Table showing the Lunatics who were admitted as "not insane."
Bengal
...
...
North-Western
Provinces.
Bombay ... ...
Central Provinces
Punjab
...
...
Madras ... ...
1884.
Total admissions.
232
Admissions of "not
insane."
15
Rate
per cent. of "not
insane" admissions
to total admissions.
6.46
Report not
available.
315
71
127
214
None.
4
5
None.
...
5.63
3.93
...
1885.
Total admissions.
232
363
237
62
119
179
Admissions of "not
insane."
15
4
None.
None.
9
Rate per cent. of "not
insane" admissions
to total admissions.
6.46
1.10
...
...
7.56
None.
1886.
Total admissions.
218
331
257
Admissions of "not
insane."
14
3
None.
Rate per cent. of "not
insane" admissions
to total admissions.
6.42
.90
...
Report not
available.
124
168
5
None.
4.03
...
1887.
Total admissions.
181
313
242
56
110
207
Admissions of "not
insane."
9
3
None.
2
5
7
Rate per cent. of "not
insane" admissions
to total admissions.
4.97
.95
...
3.57
4.54
3.38
1888.
Total admissions.
238
348
266
54
103
168
Admissions of "not
insane. "
24
6
None.
3
7
9
Rate
per cent. of "not
insane" admissions
to total admissions.
10.08
1.72
...
5.55
6.79
5.35
1889.
Total admissions.
247
...
...
...
...
...
Admissions of "not
insane."
22
Rate per cent. of "not
insane" admissions
to total admissions.
8.90
Not known.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Table showing the Lunatics who remained in the Asylums at the end of every year as "not insane."
Bengal
...
...
North-Western
Provinces.
Bombay ...
Central Provinces
Punjab
...
...
Madras ... ...
1883.
Total number of lunatics remain-
ing on 31st December.
907
"Not insane" inmates remain-
ing on 31st December.
45
Rate per cent. of "not insane"
remained cases to total number
of lunatics remained.
4.96
Information not
available.
605
250
370
493
None.
2
1
2
...
.8
.27
.40
1884.
Total number of lunatics remain-
ing on 31st December.
919
976
662
286
376
543
"Not insane" inmates remaining
on 31st December.
46
3
None.
5
1
2
Rate per cent. of "not insane"
remained cases to total number
of lunatics remained.
5.00
.30
...
1.74
.26
.36
1885.
Total number of lunatics remain-
ing on 31st December.
955
978
630
"Not insane" inmates remaining
on 31st December.
45
4
None.
Rate per cent. of "not insane" re-
mained cases to total number of
lunatics remained.
4.71
.40
...
Information not
available.
381
600
1
2
.26
.33
1886.
Total number of lunatics remain-
ing on 31st December.
956
941
671
285
377
590
"Not insane" inmates remaining
on 31st December.
49
2
Rate per cent. of "not insane'' re-
mained cases to total number of
lunatics remained.
5.12
.21
None.
4
None.
12
1.40
...
2.03
1887.
Total
number of lunatics remain-
ing on 31st December.
922
968
683
262
352
627
"Not insane" inmates remaining
on 31st December.
42
1
Rate per cent. of "not insane" re-
mained cases to total number of
lunatics remained.
4.55
.10
None.
1
1
10
.38
.27
1.59
1888.
Total number of lunatics remain-
ing on 31st December.
957
985
675
272
350
647
"Not insane" inmates remaining
on 31st December.
55
Rate
per cent. of "not insane" re-
mained cases to total number of
lunatics remained.
5.74
Not known.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
13. It is true that these figures include the non-criminal inmates, but it
is probable that they represent a considerable proportion of criminals also. A
Superintendent of an asylum is unable to control the admissions except from
his own district, of which he is the Civil Surgeon. He must admit all who are
sent by the Magistrate or committing officer, and so far as releasing lunatics
are concerned, he is guided in a great measure by the principles laid down by
the Committee which dealt with this subject in 1888 at the instance of the
Bengal Government.