LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
13
Prevalence of bowel
complaints.
73. Bowel complaints (including cholera) caused more than half the admissions of the
male patients, and nearly half of the admissions into hospital of the female patients.
Mortality.
74. During the year 49 patients (males 32, females 17) died. The mortality was at
the rate of 13.39 per cent. of males and 24.00 per cent. of females on average daily strength
of each sex, and at the rate of 18.39 per cent. of males and 32.69 per cent. of females on the
total number treated in hospital.
75. The principal diseases in order of fatality, and their rates per cent. of the total
deaths of each sex, are shown in the following table :—
DISEASES.
Dysentery
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
Diseases of the nervous system
Cholera
...
...
...
...
MALES.
Number of
deaths.
11
5
4
2
Per cent. of total
mortality.
34.37
15.62
12.50
6.25
DISEASES.
Cholera
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
Diarrhœa ... ... ...
Diseases of the nervous system
FEMALES.
Number of
deaths.
4
3
3
1
2
Per cent. of total
mortality.
23.53
17.64
17.64
5.88
11.76
Bowel complaints
caused the greatest
mortality.
76. Bowel complaints (including cholera) caused 40.62 per cent. of the total mortality
of male patients and, 47.05 per cent. of that of females. In both sexes the mortality from
phthisis was high, and was nearly at an equal rate.
Overcrowding.
77. The capacity of the asylum at 50 superficial feet for each patient (the cubic space
is not stated) is for 246 males and 47 females, and as the average strength of the year was
238.87 males and 70.82 females, it will be observed that while the male patients were not
overcrowded, the females were so to a very considerable extent. As already stated, the rate
of mortality per cent. of mean strength of males was 13.39, and of females 24.00, and the
sick-rate was 3.5 per cent. of males on their mean strength, and 4.3 per cent. of females, so
that in this asylum overcrowding has very probably exerted a great influence over the sick
and death-rate of the female population. As an additional proof of this, it will be seen that
phthisis caused admissions of females at the rate of 4.2 per cent. of mean strength, and 2.9
per cent. of males. In connection with the subject of overcrowding, it may also be observed
that while the mortality of the male asylum population was but 1.25 per cent. in excess of
the average of the four preceding years, the mortality of the female patients has been as high
as 11.05 per cent. in excess of the average of the same period.
It is also a curious fact that while cholera caused the largest percentage of the total
female mortality, or at the rate of 23.53 per cent., it only gave 6.25 per cent. to the total male
mortality.
No deaths
immediately on
admission.
78. No deaths occurred in this asylum immediately after admission. One patient died
on the third day after coming in, and death was caused by epilepsy.
Population
" remaining " on
31st December.
79. The residual population on the 31st December 1875 was 307 (males 244, females 63).
This number exceeds that on the same date of 1874 by 12, but is below the average of the
preceding five years by 28.
Criminal lunatics.
80. On the 1st January 1875, 55 criminal lunatics were remaining in the asylum;
19 (males 18, females 1) were admitted, 3 males were re-admitted, and the total criminal
population was 77 (males 71, females 6), or 16.41 per cent. of the total population.
Daily average
strength.
81. The daily average strength of this class was 57.31 (males 53.46, females 3.85), and
was less than the average of the four preceding years by 21.25 (males 19.20, females 2.05).
The daily average strength of the criminal lunatics was 18.50 per cent. of the total average
strength.
Discharged and
died.
82. Eleven male criminal lunatics were discharged, 8 (males 6, females 2) died, and on
the 31st December (58 males 54, females 4) remained in the asylum.
Mortality.
83. The total mortality of the criminal lunatics was at the rate of 13.95 per cent. of
mean average strength of the class. The high death-rate of the female criminal lunatics,
51.94 per cent. of their mean strength, is unusual.
Caste and
residence
of those admitted.
Types of insanity.
Improvements.
84. Of the total admissions, 174, (males 129, females 45), there were 124 Hindoos, 43
Mahomedans, 6 Christians, and one whose caste was not specified, or at the rate of 71.2 per
cent. of Hindoos, 24.7 of Mahomedans, 3.5 of Christians, and 0.5 per cent. of other castes.
As to the residence of the patients, 74.7 per cent. came from the Presidency, 20.6 per cent.
from Burdwan, and 4.5 per cent. from Chota Nagpore.
85. Each type of insanity contributed to the total asylum population in the following
proportion:—Chronic dementia, 37.1 per cent.; chronic mania, 28.3; acute mania, 22.8; melan-
cholia, 3.8; and acute dementia, 3.1. Twenty-two patients were admitted who after observation
were found to be not insane; of this class there was 4.6 per cent.
86. The Superintendent writes that the dining-room still remains incomplete, and
that the arrangements for furnishing the female ward with good bathing apparatus are in