LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
21
Employment.
185. On the average, 71 males and 41 females were usefully and healthfully employed
daily during the year in oil manufacture, the weaving of cloth and gunny, spinning cotton
and jute, &c., &c. The total amount realized from the sale of manufactured articles was
Rs. 1,908-7-11, of which the sum of Rs. 755-7-7 was profit.
186. The Superintendent reports well of his subordinate asylum staff.
Report of Deputy
Surgeon-General on
his inspection of
the asylum.
187. The Deputy Surgeon-General of the Presidency Circle inspected this asylum on the
18th February 1876, and the following remarks have been extracted from his report submit-
ted to this Office:—"The principal building used for males was formerly one of the European
barracks, and the females are located in what was the congee-house of the European
regiment; between these is a large open space which comprises the garden and out-offices,
the whole being surrounded by a high wall.
"In the male barrack there are 55 rooms of different sizes, capable of accommodating, at
50 superficial feet per head, 175 inmates, and in the female building 26 rooms, capable of
holding 55 patients at the above calculation. The asylum is now finished according to the
sanctioned plan and estimates, but a great deal remains yet to be done which was not included
in these estimates and plans. There are no work-sheds; there are no properly constructed
day privies; the ventilation of the buildings is also defective; and a verandah along the south
side of the male barrack is very much required.
"The inmates were all inspected and found in fair physical condition, but they appear
to be an unusually noisy and unruly lot, more especially the men, the result probably of
their being nearly all transfers from other asylums, from which, no doubt, the most noisy and
troublesome patients were sent."
"The subordinate asylum establishment has been favourably reported on."
MOYDAPORE
ASYLUM.
188. Moydapore.—This asylum has been under the charge of Surgeon-Major
S. M. Shircore during the year, and he commences his report by stating " that the Moydapore
operations for 1875 were quite exceptional in character, and do not admit of much useful or
instructive comparison with the results of other years. It will be remembered that owing to the
overcrowded condition of the asylum, and to the newly-constructed asylum at Berhampore
being ready for the reception of insanes, admissions into the Moydapore Asylum were discon-
tinued in October 1874. Accordingly there have been no new admissions during the year under
review." "It will also be remembered that the Berhampore Asylum was originally
intended to replace the Moydapore Asylum, but on its being completed it was found impossible
to provide accommodation for all the patients in it and elsewhere. It was therefore
decided by Government to retain the Moydapore Asylum for the present."
YEARS.
1870 ... ... ... ... ...
1871 ... ... ... ... ...
1872 ... ... ... ... ...
1873 ... ... ... ... ...
1874 ... ... ... ... ...
Average ... ... ... ... ...
1875 ... ... ... ... ...
Daily average
strength.
21
26
44
60
75
45.1
65.18
Admitted.
19
90.5
19
73.1
43
97.7
41
68.4
32
42.6
30.8
68.29
......
......
DISCHARGED.
Cured.
7
33.3
9
84.6
11
25
18
30.1
14
18.6
11.8
26.16
7
10.7
Improved.
2
9.5
......
......
4
9.1
8
13.4
4
5.3
3.6
7.9
1
1.5
Otherwise.
1
4.8
......
......
......
......
1
1.6
2
2.7
0.8
1.7
......
......
Deaths.
7
33.3
......
......
3
6.8
4
6.7
5
6.6
3.8
8.4
6
9.2
Total discharges
and deaths.
17
80.9
9
34.6
18
40.9
31
51.7
25
33.2
20.
44.3
14
21.4
Note.—The smaller figures are percentages of mean strength.
Statistics.
189. The annexed statement shows the statistics of the asylum as compared with the
five preceding years, but,
as has been already
stated, there were not
any fresh admissions
during 1875. The figures
of this year are thus
rendered almost value-
less for comparison.
Total population.
190. The total popu-
lation of the asylum
consisted of those who
remained in it at the end
of 1874—viz. 73 per-
sons (males 53, females
20).
Average strength.
191. The
average
strength of the asylum
population for 1875 was
65.18 (males
47.13,
females 18.05), and, even without any admissions having taken place, was in excess of the
average strength of the three previous years by 5.53, but was below that of 1874 by 9.93.
Discharged cured.
192. During the year seven patients (males 5, females 2) were discharged cured, or
at the rate of 10.60 per cent. of males and 11.08 per cent. of females on average strength
of each sex, or at the rate of 9.43 per cent. of males and 10.00 per cent. of females on
total number treated; and the proportion of cured from both sexes is, as might be expected,
considerably less than it was in 1874. One male patient was discharged improved and made
over to the charge of his friends.
Sickness.
193. There was a total number of 121 (males 90, females 31) treated in hospital
during the year, or at the rate of 190.96 per cent. of males and 171.74 per cent. of females
on mean average strength of each sex.