Notes on the Statistical Table of the Punjab Lunatic Asylum for
the year 1915.
Statement I.—Admissions, discharges, etc.
ON the 1st January 1915, there were 581 males and 161 females under
treatment in the asylum. The number
admitted during the year, including re-
admissions, was 311, the largest figure on record for any year. Of these 237
were males and 74 females, the figures representing re-admission being 22 (17
males and 5 females), as against 25 the year before. The total number of dis-
charges was 190, those for the year previous being 170. The number discharg-
ed cured was 116, while 57 were transferred to friends, 52 as mentally improv-
ed and 5 as not improved, 17 being discharged as otherwise, whilst however the
number improved was markedly in excess of the previous year, those dis-
charged cured show a decrease over the figures for the last two years.
The daily average strength (763.50) was the highest on record and the fact
that the number of patients admitted shows a tendency to increase annually
may perhaps be considered satisfactory as a sign of the popularity of the in-
stitution.
Sickness and mortality.
2. It is gratifying to note that the death rate (9.56) is lower than what
it has been for some years. The general
health of the asylum too has been satis-
factory, the daily average sick being 68.49, which may be accepted as
normal.
There were no epidemics of any kind during the year under report.
Statement II.—Criminal lunatics.
3. The year opened with 147 criminal lunatics of whom 139 were males
and 8 females. The total number of
admission including re-admissions was
83, all males, and that under discharged transferred totalled 22. The number
of deaths was 7, a figure representing proportionately a smaller death rate than
that obtaining among non-criminals.
There were no cases of serious assaults or escapes among the criminals
during the year.
Statement III.—Religion, sex and residence.
4. Out of a total of 311 admissions, including re-admissions, Hindus
contributed 121 males and 89 females,
Muhammadans 105 males and 19
females, Europeans and Eurasians 2 males, Native Christians 4 males and 2
females. As usual the largest number (36) was received from the district of
Lahore.
Statement IV.—Occupation and age.
5. " Agriculturist," as usual, furnished the largest number of admis-
sions, viz., 56, " Housewives " account-
ed for 38 while the " unknown and
vagrant" represented 66 and 16, respectively.
Statement V.—Age.
6. Of the total patients admitted, 212 were between 20 and 40, 65
between 40 and 60 and 26 under 20.
Eight were upwards of 60.
Statement VI.—Types of insanity.
7. Various types of mania contributed 113 towards the total admis-
sions " melancholia " 49, " insanity
of haschisch" 47, " dementia" 33,
" idiocy and imbecility " 24," delusional insanity " 7 and 10 were declared to
have recovered or not yet diagnozed.
Statement VII.—Aetiological factors and associated
conditions.
8. The difficulty of obtaining any reliable history accounts for the
large number in whom " no cause as-
signable " or "no cause ascertained."
These alone account for 142 out of a
total of 311 admissions. Of the other aetiological factors and allied conditions
contributing " heredity " accounts for 24, " congenital and mental instability