3
Ages.
9. The ages of the 287 admissions are given in Statements No. 5.
Between the ages of 20 and 40 there were 199
males and 32 females; from 40 to 60, 33 were
males and 5 females; and above 60 there were 4 males and 1 female :
under the age of 20 there were 12 males and 1 female.
Types of insanity.
10. Statements No. 6 exhibit the various types of insanity. Of acute
mania 105 cases remained, and 153 were admitted,—
a total of 258 as compared with one of 330 in the
preceding year. Of these, 58 recovered, 33 improved, and 17 died. Of the
chronic form of mania 165 remained and 18 were admitted ; 10 of the cases
recovered, 7 improved, and 9 died. The total treated for melancholia was 56 ;
4 of these recovered, 15 improved, and 1 died. Acute dementia shows 61 re-
maining and 56 admissions; 14 of the total recovered, 29 improved, and 6
died. Of chronic dementia 185 cases remained and 17 were admitted, the
figures for last year having been 68 and 28 respectively; of these 11 recovered,
4 improved, and 16 died. The large increase in the number of " remained,"
under the heading of chronic dementia, is due to the asylum population
having been re-diagnosed and classified at the beginning of the year under
report. In previous years certain patients, notwithstanding an alteration having
occurred in the type of their diseases, continued to be returned as suffering
from the original form of insanity with which they were admitted. Acute
mania may, for instance, pass into dementia, and it is the fact that many
patients, the subjects of chronic dementia for years, have hitherto been
regularly returned as cases of acute mania for no better reason than that this
was the form of insanity with which they happened to be affected when first
admitted. Since a system of this kind manifestly led to a false impression
being entertained as to the relative proportions in which the different types
of insanity existed in the asylums of this Presidency, steps were taken to
have a re-classification made of the chronic cases; it will be seen that one
result of this is an apparent large falling off in the number of patients treat-
ed for acute mania, while a corresponding increase in the cases of chronic
dementia may be observed. The total number of idiots has fallen from 32
in 1876 to 12 in the past year; imbeciles have, on the contrary, increased in
number from 8 to 22. Of certain types complicated with epilepsy, 17 re-
mained, and 1 was admitted.
Causes of insanity.
11. In Statements No. 7 the causes of insanity, so far as it is possible
to ascertain them, are shown. One hundred and
fifty cases are said to be due to the use of ganja ;
alcohol accounts for 44, and opium for 10. Fever is asserted to have produced
insanity in 23 cases; 18 are attributed to a previous mental attack ; 31 are
hereditary and congenital ; 24 are due to epilepsy ; 5 to disorders of parturi-
tion; injuries of the head account for 14, and the effects of climate for a
like number; destitution is responsible for 19 cases, self-abuse for 5, and
syphilis and debility for 1 each. Amongst the moral causes of insanity
grief is credited with 44 cases, and fright with 9 ; excessive study was the
cause in 4, and religious excitement in 10. The total number put down to
physical causes is 361, and to moral causes 79, or an aggregate of 440 cases,
in which the cause of the mental disease was to a certain extent ascertained.
In 429 instances the cause was unknown.
Causes of sickness.
12. The diseases rendering necessary admission to the asylum hospi-
tals are shown in Statements No. 8. The total
treated numbered 617 as compared with 709 in the