( 42 )
admissions were only 87. The average of the last 25 years has been 96. The largest
number received in any one year was 129 in 1850 ; the lowest was 63 in 1843.
As might be expected, patients are generally sent in during August and September,
when there is the greatest facility for transporting the sick by boats.
The proportion of lunatics yearly received into this asylum is quite insignificant.
Unless when lunatics are dangerous, or when the relatives are too poor or too much occupied
to maintain a constant watch over them, they are kept at home. When refractory, they are
bound with chains, or their feet are fastened to a heavy log of wood. They are never
designedly maltreated, but when a paroxysm of excitement comes on there is too much cause
for suspecting that they are inconsiderately dealt with. The rapid spread of spirit drinking
among the Hindoos, and of opium eating and gunjah smoking among the Mahomedans,
must lead to an increase of mental diseases ; but the returns of this asylum do not indicate
any such result.
The only explanation is that Section 5 of Act XXXVI of 1858 is not enforced by the
police. People of unsound mind are frequently met with in Dacca and other towns, who
cannot be considered accountable for their actions, and who might at any time commit a
homicidal act. Such persons generally gain a livelihood by begging, and as long as they do
no overt act they are permitted to wander at large.
Statement No. 3 shows the type of insanity in the cases treated : 10 were cases of
acute mania, 179 of chronic mania, 82 of dementia, 18 of monomania, 3 of moral insanity,
and 1 of amentia.
In his report on the Insane Asylums for 1866, Dr. Green remarks upon the different
classification of mental diseases followed in this asylum from that adopted at Dullunda. On
referring to the reports of former years, I find that Dr. Simpson in 1862 distinguished
between 9 varieties of insanity. In the reports for 1863 and 1864 8 classes only
are enumerated; mania being subdivided into chronic and recurrent, and dementia into
primary and secondary. In the report for 1865 only 5 classes are noted, mania chronic and
dementia being made to include the subdivisions of the former years. In 1866 the same
nomenclature was followed. It has been found impossible to alter the classification of the
present report, as the monthly returns and case books have been filled up in accordance
with it.
It would be easy to adopt "a uniform standard of distinction" in all asylums, but the
orders on this subject are vague. The circular letter of the Medical Board, No. 25, dated
13th July 1854, leaves it to the option of the Superintendents to follow one of two classifications ;
but it directs that if the minute subdivision is adopted, the varieties must be included under
the 5 heads of moral insanity, monomania, mania, dementia, and amentia. The table in
the revised rules of 1860 only recognises these 5 divisions.
Appended to the above circular letter is an explanatory table with a minute classifica-
tion of mental diseases " which may be adopted by those who choose." In the Dacca Asylum
all cases have, during the last three years, been returned under 5 heads only. In the
Dullunda Asylum the minute classification has been followed.
For the future the Dacca returns will be drawn up uniformly with those of the Dullunda
and other asylums.
Statement No. 4 shows that of the 293 cases 156 were due to physical, 31 to moral
causes, and that in 106 or 36.17 per cent. the cause could not be ascertained,