17
Previous Employment of
Lunatics.
14. Among those admitted during the past year 1 was a police constable,
15—9 males and 6 females—were beggars, 3 cultiva-
tors, 3 unknown, 3 labourers, 1 a cloth-dealer, 2 car-
penters, 2 kárkuns, 1 a cart-driver, 1 a pensioned
hospital assistant, and 3 sepoys. As is usual in lunacy returns in this
country, beggars furnish by far the greatest number of admissions—42.6 per
cent. in the present instance. There can be no doubt but that the dissolute
and intemperate habits of this class, coupled with the hardships and priva-
tions they have often to endure, tend towards the production of mental de-
rangement ; but there is also reason to believe that the insanity of not a few
of this class is rather the cause of beggary than the result of it.
Ages of Lunatics.
15. Of the 35 admissions, 4 males were under 20 years of age ; 25—20
males and 5 females—were between 20 and 40 years ;
and 5 males and 1 female were between 40 and 60
years. This distinctly points to insanity being more prevalent in the prime
of life than during youth and old age.
Types of Insanity.
16. The types of insanity found in the asylum are given in detail in
Form No. 6, hereto appended. It will be observed
that by far the greater number of patients admitted
during the year were suffering from an acute form of mental derangement, and
the large number of recoveries shows the utility of placing the insane under
proper care and treatment at an early stage of their disease.
Causes of Insanity.
17. Regarding the causes of insanity, nothing whatever is known in the
great majority of cases. In the total population the
cause was unknown in 70 cases, and only known in
19. Of the latter number the causes were, in 17 in-
stances, attributed to physical influences—ganja, spirit, opium and heredity;
and in 2 to moral influences—grief. Of those admitted during the year
the cause was known in 13,11 being attributed to physical, and 2 to
moral causes. No fewer than 63.1 per cent. of all the known causes of in-
sanity in this asylum are attributed to the use of ghanja. As so great a
number of the lunatics consist of beggars who have generally no known
friends or relatives to give a history of their disease, it is not to be wondered
at that the cause of insanity is known in so few cases.
Health of Lunatics.
18. The health of the patients has been remarkably good. There re-
mained one in hospital on the 1st January 1876, and
15 having been admitted during the year, the total
number treated only amounted to 16. Of these 14
were discharged cured, 1 died, and 1 remained in hospital at the close of
the year. The death which occurred resulted from debility after the patient
had been resident in the asylum for about 38 years.
Cash Account.
19. The cash receipts during the year amounted to Rs. 9,198-15-3, of
which Rs. 8,831-5-9 were drawn from the Trea-
sury, and Rs. 367-9-6 were received from the
sale of garden produce and on account of labour. Of the above total the
sum of Rs. 343-14-11 was paid into the Treasury as realizations from
garden produce and labour, leaving Rs. 8,855-0-4 as the net expenditure
for the year, or Rs. 370-8-9 less than the net expenditure of the previous
year. This diminished expenditure is owing to a decrease in every item of
B 864—3