MOYDAPORE LUNATIC ASYLUM.
71
Of these, two were induced by ganja, one by affection of the brain, one by excessive
grief, and one by anger. Two came from the district of Dinagepore, two from Rungpore,
and one was from this district. The two cases in which insanity is attributed to ganja were
charged with theft; they were both tried and convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprison-
ment, and both showed symptoms of insanity while undergoing their sentences—one in the
jail at Rungpore, and the other at Dinagepore. The man with affection of the brain and
the woman who is said to have become mad by grief were charged with murder—the former
of his own brother, the latter of her most intimate friend; and the man in whom insanity
is attributed to anger, was charged with wounding.
The man who killed his brother, did so under the delusion that he was in intrigue
with his wife. The woman's case is a rather singular one. It appears that she had five
children, not one of whom had survived. This she attributed, and still attributes, to a
grossly immoral life which her husband was leading, and looked upon her bereavement
as a punishment from God. While in this state of mind she got a sixth child, which she
was induced by a woman whom she considered as her best and most intimate friend to make
over to her care, she (the friend) promising to adopt the child and to take the same care as
the mother herself would. This step appears to have been taken to evade the punishment which
the woman appears to have been under the impression was inflicted upon her in consequence
of her husband's crime. But it so happened that the very next day after the child was made
over to the friend she (the child) died, and becoming more mad than ever the mother was
seized with an idea that her friend must have given her child some drug to cause its death,
and under this belief she resorted to the friend's house by daylight and inflicted a cut across her
throat with a buthi, which she found in the house, from the effects of which wound the
woman is said to have died some days after.
In the case in which anger is assigned as the cause of insanity, the man wounded
his uncle with a knife because the uncle had prevented all the barbers and washermen of
their neighbourhood from serving him, for the reason that he had been outcasted. This so
annoyed and enraged the man, that he watched an opportunity and attacked his uncle in an
open market while he was selling molasses. He has been in the asylum for about eight
months now, and even at this distant period the slightest allusion to his uncle excites him
to such a degree that he becomes violent.
Admissions, &c.,
according to
season.
Table No. IV.—The largest number of admissions was in July, in which month seven
insanes were admitted, the next highest admissions were in February, April, June, and
September, in each of which months there were five admissions.
The greatest number of discharges took place in February, when no less than seven
patients left the asylum. The deaths occurred during the cold months of January, February,
and December.
Daily average sick.
The average of sick to strength was somewhat higher than that of last year, but in
reality there was not more sickness; the increase shown in the returns being attributable
to detention in hospital of two chronic cases, one of paralysis, and the other of epilepsy,
for unusually long periods: in fact, one of them was on the register of the sick throughout
the year.
The plan of treating the sick in their own cells is an admirable one, and at once does
away with the necessity of having a hospital.
Districts from
whence lunatics
were received.
Table No. V.—By far the largest number of admissions was from this district. Rungpore,
with a total population of 2,149,972, sent only five lunatics to the asylum, while with a
total population of 1,353,626 we had no less than 24 admissions from Moorshedabad. It
is difficult to explain the cause of this apparent prevalence of insanity in Moorshedabad in
comparison to other districts of the division; but I think it is very probable that the
proximity of the asylum to their homes induces those who are so unfortunate as to have a
lunatic among the members of their family to seek admission into it in the hope of effecting
a cure.
It is not at all an uncommon occurrence here for people to petition the Magistrate of
the district, representing the difficulties and danger to which they are subjected and exposed
in consequence of some member of their family being mad, and praying that they might be
relieved of the responsibility and risk by the transfer of the insane member to the asylum ;
whereas the people of the remote districts of Rungpore, Bogra, and Dinagepore, are perhaps
not even aware of the existence of an insane asylum in the division where they could
remove their mad relatives for the purpose of being cured. I presume such as are now
sent from the distant districts are only those who, being homeless and friendless, wander
about the country and render themselves so obnoxious that they are taken up and sent here.
Occupations prior
to admission.
Table No. VI.—As in previous years, the largest number of patients came from the
class of agricultural laborers, the next largest number came from the class of domestic
servants, then beggars, and so on.
Ages.
The largest number of admissions was between the ages of 80 and 40, and 20 and 30,
and the smallest number between 50 and 60.