LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
7
Sickness.
38. During 1875 the total number of cases of sickness treated in the asylum hospitals
amounted to 1,209 (males 990, females 219). This was at the rate of 107.32 per cent. of mean
strength, or at the rate of 113.06 per cent. of males and 87.30 per cent. of females on mean
strength of each sex.
Daily average sick.
39. The daily average number of sick was 84.45 (males 67.90, females 16.55), or at the
rate of 7.48 per cent. (males 6.02, females 1.46) of mean strength. This sick rate was very
slightly in excess of that of the average of the preceding five years.
Principal diseases
causing sickness.
40. The diseases which contributed the largest numbers to the total treated in hospital
were, in order of frequency—fevers, dysentery, diarrhœa, chicken-pox, debility, phthisis,
cholera, brain diseases, dropsy, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
Proportion of
sickness caused by
the principal
diseases.
41. The total number of each of these diseases treated, as well as their rate per cent. to
the total number treated in the asylum hospitals, was as follows :—
DISEASES.
Total of each ... ... ... ... ... ...
Rate per cent. of total treated
...
Total per cent. of total treated ...
Fever s .
268
Males
Females
18.9
3.3
22.2
Dysentery.
214
15.55
2.15
17.70
Diarrhœa.
147
9.01
3.14
12.15
Chicken-pox.
60
4.30
.66
4.96
Debility.
52
3.14
1.15
4.30
Phthisis.
29
1.90
.49
2.39
Cholera.
28
.99
1.32
2.31
Brain diseases.
27
1.57
.66
2.23
Dropsy.
24
1.73
.24
1.98
Lungs.
39
2.48
.74
3.22
Principal diseases
which caused the
asylum mortality.
It will be observed from this table that fevers, dysentery, and diarrhœa, account for 52.06 per
cent. of the total number treated in hospital.
42. The principal causes of mortality during 1875 were dysentery, phthisis, diarrhœa,
cholera, brain diseases, pneumonia, and debility. Similarly as in last year's report, the
following table exhibits the rate per cent. of the principal causes of mortality to the total
deaths, but the results have only been compared with those of 1874 instead of with those of
the preceding decennial period:—
STATEMENT No. 4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Bowel complaints (excluding cholera) ... ... ...
„
including dysentery ... ... ...
diarrhœa ... ... ...
Cachectic conditions (debility, anæmia, dropsy, &c.) ... ...
Brain diseases ... ... ... ... ...
Cholera ... ... ... ... ...
Phthisis and scrofula ... ... ... ...
Lung diseases (pneumonia, &c.) ... ... ... ...
Fevers
...
...
...
...
...
Injuries ... ... ... ... ... ...
Total ...
1875.
30.7
19.7
11
7.8
3.2
10.2
18.9
4.7
3.9
3.2
83.4
1874.
35
25.0
10.0
7.1
9.2
7.8
9.2
10.7
8.5
—
87.5
Dysentery and
diarrhœa are still
the most fatal
diseases.
It will be noticed that dysentery and diarrhœa still head the list of the most mortal
diseases, and have contributed 30.70 per cent. of the total number of deaths. Cachectic
diseases continued at nearly the same rate they did in 1874; the mortality from brain
diseases was less than half what it was in 1874 ; while that from cholera had increased by
more than one-third; the mortality from phthisis was more than double what it was
in 1874, and there was a very marked decrease in the rate of mortality from lung diseases
and fevers.
Death-rates of the
several asylums.
43. In statement No. 5 is shown the death-rate in the several asylums as calculated on
the strengh, the total treated, and the admissions:—
STATEMENT NO. 5.
Dullunda
...
...
...
...
...
...
Dacca ... ... ... ... ... ...
Patna
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cuttack ... ... ... ... ... ...
Moydapore ... ... ... ... ... ...
Berhampore ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
All asylums ...
...
... ... ...
Males ... ... ... ... ... ...
Females ... ... ... ... ... ...
DEATH PER CENT. OF
Strength.
15.82
15.63
6.35
3.21
9.20
7.98
11.27
9.93
15.94
Treated.
10.45
11.05
4.44
2.38
8.22
5.93
8.51
7.46
12.27
Admissions.
28.16
46.43
17.02
8.33
—
35.71
30.38
26.12
47.06
Statistics of
mortality
44. There was a total of 127 deaths (males 87, females 40) from the asylum population
during 1875, or at the rate of 11.27 (males 9.93, females 15.94) per cent. of mean strength;
and this result is highly satisfactory, as it is the lowest asylum death-rate which has been
observed in any year since 1863. Taking the asylums individually, it will be seen that they