No. 1.
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF ASTLUMS AT THE PRESIDENCY,
To THE DEPUTY-INSPECTOR GENERAL OF HOSPITALS,
PRESIDENCT CIRCLE.
Fort William, Bhowanipore, the 1st January, 1871.
SIR,
I HAVE the honor of submitting herewith the annual return of the European
lunatic asylum for the year 1870. The main facts presented are as follows.
Admissions.—There were 52 patients, male and female, admitted during the year, or 26 less
than in the preceding year. This reduction is mainly in the number of military insanes. In
my last report I mentioned the effect which recent changes in the manner of despatching
invalids to Europe must have on the shipments of lunatics from Calcutta; that the method
in use of despatching harmless men as ordinary invalids would be no longer possible, as not
more than one ship each season would in future be required for the invalids of the Presidency
division of the army, who alone would embark at Calcutta; and that there would be no
alternative but to return to the old costly method of specially chartering ships for the convey-
ance of the insane, unless it could be arranged that insane soldiers should proceed direct to
Bombay with other invalids from up-country stations: and I suggested that for every reason
of economy and convenience, it was desirable that this course should be followed. The
proposal was supported in every office through which it passed, and sent by the Government
of India to the Secretary of State. It was too late at the time to alter the course of any of
the lunatics of that season, and the immediate difficulty of the year was overcome in another
way. It was doubtful also whether there would be sufficient room in the Bombay asylum
for the intermediate reception of the men from this presidency, and there was also an
impression that some objections lately raised to the embarkation of insane men in the new
transports would be insisted upon, in which case there would be comparatively little money
advantage in sending them to Bombay. It was decided therefore that, pending the consi-
deration of the question in England, the circuitous route to Calcutta should be followed; and
men began to arrive at Bhowanipore, as usual, in October. In November, however, a letter was
received in the office of the Inspector-General of Hospitals (British troops) from Inspector-
General Mouat (Bombay), inquiring the number of insane soldiers of this presidency for
whom passage would be required during the current season. Correspondence from England
accompanied, showing that no objection existed to their conveyance in the Government
transports, which was therefore duly sanctioned by the Secretary of State. This was the
first intimation received of the change; and Dr. Muir, regarding the orders as superseding
those previously issued, at once called for a list of insane soldiers already in the asylum for
whom passage was needed.
In consequence of this I concluded the number of soldiers received by the end of the year
was much smaller than before. There is also a reduction of 10 in the civil admissions.
Causation.—Among the admissions 9 cases are ascribed to intemperance as a cause.
The imputation, however, in many of these is open to the same doubt as in former years. It
is easy to mistake for a cause of insanity that which is in truth only an occasion of first
outbreak of inherent disease. Inheritance was traced in 8 instances and suspected in a