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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE LAHORE LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1881, BY BRIGADE-SURGEON
J.
FAIRWEATHER.
Population.
1. On 1st January 240 lunatics remained in the Asylum from the previous year, and 93
were admitted in the course of the year, making a total of
333, of whom 39 were discharged cured, 7 were made over
to the care of friends (2 improved and 5 not improved), 4 escaped and have not boon recaptured,
8 were discharged an not insane, 35 died, and the year cloned with the same number as it had
begun.
2. The number of admissions exceeds the previous years by 28 ; but it may be observed
that for the past 3 years the admissions have been much fewer than in former years, probably
because of the stricter Government orders as to the kind of cases which are to be sent to
Lunatic Asylums.
3. The proportion of cured to daily average strength was 16.27 per cent. as compared
with 14.60 * for the previous year. The deaths amounted to 140 per cent. of the daily average
strength as compared with 6.8 per rent. for the previous year; but the latter was one of the
healthiest years there had been for some time, while the former was very unhealthy, and had
the severest epidemic of cholera which has occurred in Lahore since 1856.
Criminal
lunatics.
4. Of criminal lunatics, 36 remained from previous year, and 12 were admitted during
the year, making a total of 48, of whom 8 recovered so far
as to be able to be sent back to their districts to stand
their trials, 3 were transferred to Jail on recovery, 2 were transferred to the non-criminal
class on completion of their terms of imprisonment, 2 were made over to the care of friends
under Government orders (one of these being cured, the other still insane), I escaped and I died,
leaving 31 at the close of the year.
5. The number of criminal lunation has varied very little in this Asylum for the past
10 years. They are kept for security in a separate part of the Asylum common to them and the
other dangerous lunatics, although some who can be trusted are allowed to mix with the other
lunatics in different parts of the Asylum. They have given no trouble during the year, and, as
an incentive to good conduct, the letters have been removed from all but a few who cannot be
trusted. It must be said, however, that they seem to prefer the rigour of Jail discipline to the
amenities and indulgences of the Lunatic Asylum, for an soon as they recover their senses they
usually petition to be sent back to prison.
Religion, sex and residence.
6. Of the 93 new admissions, 53 were Hindus, 36 were Mussalmans, and 4 belonged to
other castes. Only 5 of the new admissions were women,
2 being Hindus and 3 Mussalmanis.
7. The greater part of them were of course residents of the Punjab, but several belonged
to the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, some to the Native States of Patiala, Jind and Jey-
pur, a few came from beyond British territory, and in 13 the residence could not bo ascertained
Previous occupation.
8. In the table showing the previous occupations of those admitted during the year, it
will be found that sepoys form the most numerous class.
This in probably due in some degree to the excitement of the
Kabul war, and in several instances it wan found out that they had been on service there.
Types of insanity.
9. The different forms or types of insanity admitted were 27 of acute and 46 of
chronic mania, 6 or melancholia, and 1 of idiocy.
Thirteen of the new admissions presented no symptom of
insanity from the time of their admission till their discharge. Of these no fewer than 5
were sepoys sent from different regiments, who would appear to have been laboring under
some merely temporary excitement, and who, therefore, had they been kept only a little longer
under observation, need not have been subjected to the punishment and stigma of continement
in a Lunatic Asylum.
10. In the preparation of table No. 6, which shows the types of insanity, it appears to
have been the custom in thin Asylum, as well as in some others, to include under the head of
" Recovered " all who were discharged an " not insane, " and under the head of " Improved "
all who were " transferred to friends " or who escaped, the reason assigned being that there was
* Memo. —This ratio has been corrected as the calculations in previous reports seem to have been erroncously made
not on the cured alone but on the number discharged from all causes.