LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
15
there was a fair proportion of patients who had improved mentally, and who, during the
last six months of the year, might have been discharged cured. In this way, the Superin-
tendent adds, the asylum statistics were greatly influenced as to mortality, sick-rate, and
mental cures.
Transferred.
101. There were but five patients (males 4, females 1) transferred to their friends in an
improved condition.
Discharged
"otherwise."
102. Of the 58 patients (males 57, females 1) discharged " otherwise," 50 were trans-
ferred to Berhampore Asylum, four escaped (three of whom were criminal lunatics), and
four were boarded out.
Sickness.
103. The total number treated in hospital during 1875 was 596 (males 501, females 95),
or at the rate per cent. of average strength for males 251.75, and females 188.11.
Daily average
number of sick.
104. The daily average number of sick was 41.40 (males 33.61, females 7.79), or at the
rate per cent. of average strength for males 16.88, and for females 15.42, and was greatly
in excess of the daily average sick of any year of the preceding decennial period.
Principal diseases
causing sickness.
105. The diseases which caused the greatest amount of sickness according to sex, and
their proportion to the total number treated, are shewn in the following table:—
DISEASES.
Chicken-pox
...
...
...
...
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
Continued fever
...
...
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
Febricula
...
...
...
...
Debility
...
...
...
...
Ague
...
...
...
...
...
...
Remittent fever
...
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
...
...
Cholera
...
...
...
...
...
MALES.
Number
treated.
61
60
49
40
31
21
18
14
11
4
Per cent.
of total
treated.
10.17
9.98
9.78
7.98
6.18
4.19
3.59
2.79
2.19
.79
DISEASES.
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
Debility
...
...
...
...
...
Ague
...
...
...
...
...
...
Chicken-pox
...
...
...
...
...
Continued fever
...
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
...
...
Febricula
...
...
...
...
...
Cholera ... ... ... ... ...
Remittent fever
...
...
...
...
FEMALES.
Number
treated.
15
9
9
8
8
6
3
3
5
......
Per cent.
of total
treated.
15.78
9.47
9.47
8.42
8.42
5.26
3.15
3.15
5.26
......
106. From this table it will be seen that while there was a larger percentage of sickness
amongst the male patients from chicken-pox, continued fever, febriculæ, and remittent fever,
the females suffered more from diarrhœa, dysentery, debility, ague, phthisis, and cholera. In
connection with this point some observations will be made in paragraph 110.
Mortality.
107. During the year 39 insane patients (males 22, females 17) died, or at the rate
of 11.05 per cent. of males and 33.66 per cent. of females on the mean strength of each sex.
The principal diseases in order of their fatality, and the death-rate of each sex per cent. of
their total mortality, were as follow:—
DISEASES.
Phthisis ... ... ... ... ...
Brain diseases
...
...
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
Diarrhœa ... ... ... ... ...
Remittent fever
...
...
...
...
Cholera
...
...
...
...
Lung diseases
...
...
...
...
Splenitis
...
...
...
...
MALES.
Number
of
deaths.
9
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
Per cent.
of total
deaths.
40.90
9.09
9.09
9.09
4.54
4.54
4.54
9.09
DISEASES.
Cholera
...
...
...
...
...
Phthisis
...
...
...
...
...
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
Lung diseases
...
...
...
...
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
Brain diseases
...
...
...
...
FEMALES.
Number
of
deaths.
4
3
3
2
1
1
Per cent.
of total
deaths.
23.52
17.64
17.64
1176
5.88
5.88
Mean strength.
Influence of
overcrowding on
phthisis.
108. The mean average strength of the asylum population for 1875 was 249.55
(males 199.05, females 50.50), and as the capacity of the asylum only allows for 127 males
and 50 females, it may be considered that overcrowding exerted some influence over the
mortality of the male patients from phthisis. This disease caused more than 40 per cent. of
the total mortality of males.
State of health on
admission.
109. Of 72 male patients admitted, 66.66 per cent.were in good health, 27.77 in
indifferent, and 5.58 in bad health. Of the females, 50 per cent. were in good health,
33.33 in indifferent, and 16.66 in bad health.
110. It is very remarkable that the mortality of the females, who were in no way over-
crowded, has been more than three times greater than that of the males, who were
overcrowded to the extent already alluded to in paragraph 108; and the remarks of the
Deputy Surgeon-General regarding this point may be considered as very apposite. They tend
to prove that while on the one hand avoiding any overcrowding, we should not on the other
run into the opposite extreme of allowing too free a ventilation of the wards, particularly