16
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.
Criminal lunatics.
62. The superintendent finds criminal lunatics the most troublesome, and considers that
they ought to be confined in a separate asylum, or in a separate part of the same asylum.
Restraint.
63. No restraint of any kind was employed during the year; but Dr. Simpson thinks
that the non-restraint system may be carried too far, and that the belt and sack are in many
cases useful, and in some beneficial.
Causation.
64. On the subject of the causes of insanity he remarks:—
" As usual, ganjah heads the list. It is by no means an easy matter to determine in all such cases the
proximate cause of insanity. In many of those attributed to ganjah there may have been, and probably
was, some exciting cause at which, from the deficient details furnished by the descriptive roll, we are
unable to arrive. In most of these, where the lunatic is addicted to ganjah, the latter, and perhaps
with reason, gets the credit of being the cause, and it is put down as such. Judging from the style of
answers furnished by the police in the descriptive rolls, it would appear that if the man be a ganjah-smoker,
the drug is invariably put down by them as the cause of insanity.
" However this may be, the figures in table No. 7 impress one with the conviction that ganjah, bhang, and
alcohol, have more to do with the peopling of our asylums than all other cases put together; whether they be
considered as the proximate or remote cause, is a matter of minor consequence. It is worthy of note that
the female columns under the head of ganjah or bhang are blank. Dr. Wise, in his report on the Dacca
asylum for 1872, remarks that he does not believe ganjah to be an incentive to crime, and that in the records
of his asylum there is no mention of any crime having been committed when under the influence of hemp.
These remarks do not agree with my experience in this asylum: we have here at the present moment a
criminal who most undoubtedly committed murder when under the full influence of bhang."
Neglect in
forwarding
lunatics.
65. The superintendent complains that sufficient attention is not always paid by officers
forwarding lunatics to the rules laid down by Government regarding their transmission to
asylums, and cites the instance of a patient from Tirhoot received in a dying state, who only
survived his admission 20 hours. It would be better were cases of this sort brought to notice
at the time of their occurrence.
Improvements.
66. Some improvements have been effected during the year. An additional loom for
the manufacture of canvas was constructed in the asylum, and the wards were coated by
tar to obviate the effect of damp. Some improvements were also effected in the garden.
Establishment.
67. Dr. Simpson considers the establishment insufficient, and proposes to make a
separate representation on this subject. Mr. and Mrs. Nowlan, the overseer and matron,
continue to give satisfaction. Third class Hospital Assistant Ahmed Khan is also favorably
reported on.
Inspection.
68. Deputy Surgeon General J. Irving, M.D., inspected the asylum on the 30th of
November. He writes of the utter unfitness of the place for the purpose for which it was
built " on account of its dampness and deficient accommodation." He considers that a building
of this kind should be built on arches. On the day of his visit " the asylum was scrupulously
clean; nearly all the inmates were occupied, and the whole arrangements showed how well
the unfortunates were cared for."
CUTTACK ASYLUM.
Superintendence.
69. Cuttack.—Surgeon W. D. Stewart was in charge of this asylum from 9th May
1874, on which date he relieved Surgeon-Major H. Cayley. The annual report and returns
are submitted by Dr. Stewart.
Population.
STATEMENT No. 17.
YEAR.
1869
...
...
...
1870
...
...
...
1871
...
...
...
1872
...
...
...
1873
...
...
...
Average ... ... ...
1874
...
...
...
Daily average
strength.
36
38
44
51
49.2
43.6
57.84
Admitted.
21
58.3
22
57.9
39
88.6
14
27.4
16
32.5
52.9
22.4
31
53.5
DISCHARGED
Cured.
4
11.1
17
44.7
11
27.2
5
9.8
11
22.3
23
9.6
14
24.2
Improved.
3
8.4
5
13.1
3
6.8
1
1.9
......
......
6
2.4
7
12.1
Otherwise.
1
2.7
9
23.7*
1
2.3
1
1.9
......
......
6.1
2.4
......
......
Deaths.
3
8.4
2
5.2
4
9.1
13
25.6
1
2.03
10.07
4.6
3
5.2
Total discharges
and deaths.
11
30.6
33
86.7
19
43.1
20
89.2
12
24.4
45
19
24
41.5
NOTE.—The smaller figures are percentages of mean strength.
* Transfers to Dullunda.
70. The population of the asylum was unprecedentedly large. On this subject the
Superintendent
writes :—" To
relieve the pressure, 12 insanes
were selected to sleep in the
verandah under sufficient protec-
tion. A ward in the female
division of the asylum was set
apart, and seven were removed to
it in the evening and brought
back to the male wards in the
morning. The ward for Euro-
peans was utilized and five were
allotted to it. Latterly we have
declined to receive lunatics from
Sumbalpore on account of over-
crowding. The asylum was
originally built, in 1864, for
the accommodation of 31 males
and 12 females. The number of
males has steadily risen, that of
females has generally kept with-
in 12: the daily average male
population for 1874 was 49.65, of
females 8.19. At the close of the year there were 53 males and seven females in the asylum.
Need of a new
asylum.
Dr. Stewart proceeds to urge the need of a new asylum, the construction of which has
been delayed from financial pressure. Meantime some additional space will be obtained
by using the female ward for males, and the European ward for native females.