LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
5
Comparison of
statistics of crimi-
nal and non-crimi-
nal lunatics.
RATIOS.
Admission rate ... ... ...
Discharge do. ... ... ...
Rate of increase
...
...
...
Death-rate ... ... ... ...
Proportion of females in population ...
Non-criminal
lunatics.
60.4
44.8
15.6
12.4
24.3
Criminal luna-
tics.
49.8
31.8
18.0
14.3
12.5
against 12.1. The results of 1872 are therefore unusual; and if the results of the five years,
1867—71, are taken, the death-rate
among criminal lunatics is found to
be 8.7 against 14.7 in all classes.
In what precedes the statistics of
criminal lunatics are contrasted with
those of all lunatics. The statement
on the margin contrasts criminal and
ordinary lunatics taken separately.
Increase of crimi-
nal lunatics observ-
ed in all the asy-
lums.
7. On comparing Statement No. 3 with those of previous years, it will be observed that
there is an increase in the number of criminal lunatics in all the asylums. The increase is
most marked in the case of the smaller asylums at Cuttack and Moydapore, and least so in
the case of Dacca, where the number of criminal lunatics in confinement has remained com-
paratively stationary since 1865. The high death-rate, it will be noticed, was mainly due
to the great mortality among this class of lunatics in the Dacca Asylum, where the rate was
19 per cent. of average residents against 18.4 for all classes. It will also be observed that
the increase in the number of female residents was due more to the circumstance that only
two were discharged and none died, than to an accession to their numbers; for there were only
5 admissions and no re-admissions.
Propriety of plac-
ing criminal luna-
tics in a separate
asylum.
Proceedings
taken, to that end,
during the year.
8. Superintendents continue to represent the embarrassment in asylum management
experienced from the presence of a large and growing body of lunatics, held in confinement
under peculiar circumstances, many of whom are really sane, though, from the nature of
the crime which they have committed, and the very proper provisions of the law, their
discharge is delayed or denied. It is felt that for such persons thus conditioned, a sterner
watch and a stricter discipline are necessary than becomes an institution where the cure of a
distressing malady is the main concern. A considerable amount of correspondence has taken
place during the year regarding the overcrowding of asylums, the necessity of providing
increased accommodation, and the propriety of setting apart a special asylum for the accommoda-
tion of criminal lunatics, or, at any rate, of such of them as import difficulty into the manage-
ment of asylums, and whose association with ordinary lunatics it is considered desirable to
avoid. The necessity of providing a special asylum for criminal lunatics—persons acquitted
on the ground of insanity, or considered by the courts of law unable to make a defence, or
who have become insane while undergoing imprisonment—-has been acknowledged in most
countries where public provision for the custody and treatment of the insane is made, and
experience has affirmed the wisdom of the arrangement, until it has become a settled principle.
In a letter No. 2520, dated 13th June, Government recognized the existence of overcrowding
in asylums, and the advisability of establishing a separate asylum for criminal lunatics.
The question of utilizing some of the disused military buildings at Berhampore, or the district
jails of Bhaugulpore or Midnapore for the purpose, was raised, and Committees were appointed
to examine and report upon the suitability of the buildings in each instance for conversion
into an asylum.
Provision of a
new asylum at
Berhampore
re-
solved on.
In a resolution dated 30th August 1872, Government announced that, after due consider-
ation of the report of the Committee, and a personal inspection of the buildings at Berhampore,
the "Lieutenant-Governor had come to the conclusion that the plan recommended by the
Committee was clearly the best and cheapest—namely, to make the hospital and enclosure
attached to it into a jail, and to join the conjee-house to the rear barracks for a lunatic asylum.
The latter should be adapted to hold at least 200 lunatics, with ample space for a garden, &c."
The Public Works Department was instructed to prepare plans and estimates, and to make
preparations to execute the necessary works as quickly as possible. This work is now in
progress. A special inquiry was made in July regarding the number of lunatics whom it
might be considered desirable to transfer to a criminal asylum. Superintendents reported
that of 204 criminal lunatics (179 males and 25 females) then in confinement, 154 (136
B