4
LUNATIC ASYLUMS OF BENGAL.
there was more or less overcrowding throughout the year, and particularly in
the male division, but this defect is in course of being remedied by the construc-
tion of a building which will afford additional accommodation. At Patna there
is no want of room for females, but there were occasions during the year
when the number of male lunatics exceeded the capacity. At this asylum
the verandahs of the male division are still used to some extent at night,
but the practice does not seem to be attended with any bad result. Similar
conditions also exist at Cuttack, where the number of male lunatics was in
excess of the capacity, but two additional wards and two cells have recently
been constructed and are nearly ready for occupation. The asylum at Berham-
pore has capacity for 147 males and 55 females, while the largest numbers in
confinement in any one night were 163 males and 59 females, which shows
that there has been overcrowding during the year in both the male and female
divisions. Considerable relief was afforded by transferring some of the male
lunatics to Dullunda, but there is always a liability to overcrowding in the
Berhampore asylum, owing to the peculiar construction of the barracks, which
were originally built for European soldiers, and also to the want of a sufficient
number of solitary cells for the separate confinement of noisy and dangerous
lunatics. The consequence is that when it is necessary to place a lunatic in
solitary confinement, one of the smaller wards has to be emptied, and its
inmates, numbering 8 or 10, have to be distributed among the other wards, which
perhaps have as many occupants as they can contain. This condition of things
is very undesirable, causing much inconvenience, besides subjecting the lunatics
to serious risk of injury to their health, and I have therefore asked the
Superintendent to draw up a scheme for the enlargement of the asylum, so as to
provide a suitable site for solitary cells at some distance from the main buildings.
8. Criminal Lunatics.—The following table refers to criminal lunatics in
the asylums in 1889 and ten previous years and is an abstract of statement
II of the appendix:—
Table of Criminal Lunatics in the Asylums of Bengal for the year 1889 and ten previous years.
1
YEARS.
1879 ...
1880 ...
1881 ...
1882 ...
1883 ...
1884 ...
1885 ...
1886 ...
1887 ...
1888 ...
1889 ...
2
REMAINING
ON 1ST
JANUARY.
Males.
265
252
264
269
291
332
332
349
360
349
377
Females.
23
24
31
28
27
27
31
38
37
35
41
Total.
288
276
295
297
318
359
363
387
397
384
418
3
ADMITTED.
Males.
69
64
64
69
85
65
81
74
73
85
86
Females.
3
14
8
8
8
9
12
7
7
14
10
Total.
72
78
72
77
93
74
93
81
80
99
90
4
RE-ADMIT-
TED.
Males.
12
14
12
9
12
10
10
10
9
20
10
Females.
1
1
1
1
...
2
1
2
1
...
2
Total.
13
15
13
10
12
12
11
12
10
20
12
5
TOTAL.
Males.
346
330
340
347
388
407
423
433
442
454
473
Females.
27
39
40
37
35
38
44
47
45
49
53
Total.
373
369
380
384
423
445
467
480
487
503
526
6
DISCHARG-
--, TRANS-
FERRED, &C.
Males.
67
40
51
35
44
56
46
54
67
56
48
Females.
2
5
8
6
6
5
4
6
8
5
5
Total.
69
45
59
41
50
61
50
60
75
61
53
7
DIED.
Males.
27
26
20
21
12
19
28
19
26
21
31
Females.
1
3
4
4
2
2
2
4
2
3
2
Total.
28
29
24
25
14
21
30
23
28
24
33
8
REMAINING
ON 31ST DE-
------.
Males.
252
264
269
291
332
332
349
360
349
377
394
Females.
24
31
28
27
27
31
38
37
35
41
46
Total.
276
295
297
318
359
363
387
397
384
418
440
9
DAILY AVERAGE
STRENGTH.
Males.
248.2
253.41
250.98
278.7
314.52
301.81
336.74
359.2
355.57
350.96
380.33
Females.
22.56
27.64
20.42
27.05
28.3
30.24
36.22
37.45
35.31
35.00
44.17
Total.
270.76
281.05
287.4
305.75
342.82
332.05
372.96
396.65
390.88
392.56
424.50
9. It will be observed that the criminals have increased in number during
the year. At the beginning of the year there were 418 in confinement and 440
at the close of it, being an addition of 22, which represents the excess of
admissions over the number who were discharged and who died. At Dullunda
the admissions were balanced by the discharges and deaths, but at all the other
asylums the latter together fell generally much below the former. In the last
10 years the total admissions and re-admissions into the asylums have been
much larger than the total discharges and deaths, as will be seen from the
following figures:—
Total admissions ...
Total re-admissions ...
Total ...
843
127
970
Total discharges ...
Total deaths ...
Total ...
555
251
806