REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE TRIENNIUM 1900-1902
3
10. Health.—There was no epidemic sickness in the Asylum during the year
under review, but the Superintendent lays stress on the low state of health of the
civil insanes at time of admission. At the beginning of the year 1902 there were
29 patients remaining in hospital and 188 were admitted during the year. Of
these 141 were discharged cured and " otherwise," and 44 died leaving 32 under
treatment on the last day of the year.
The admissions to hospital and deaths for the past three years are shown
below :—
Years.
1900
1901
1902
Admissions.
115
192
188
Deaths.
23
36
44
The chief causes of admissions into hospital during 1902 have been Debility
37, Mania 26, Diarrhœa 32, Ague 20, and Dysentery 16.
The causes of death in the year 1902 were Mania 13 ; Dysentery 12 ; Phthisis
7 ; Pneumonia 3; Debility 2 ; Diarrhœa 2 ; Cancer 1 ; Hemiplegia 1; Gastroentritis
1 ; Malaria 1 ; and Suicide 1.
The suicide was a maniacal patient who hanged himself in his cell with a
strip of his blanket.
The death-rate per cent. of average strength for 1902 was 10.57 as compared
with 8.81 in the previous year and 6.31 in 1900. The mean death-rate for the
last three triennium periods is compared below:—
1894—1896
...
...
...
1897—1899 ... ... ...
1900—1902 ... ... ...
9.84
10.31
8.56
1902 ... ...
1901 ... ...
1900 ... ...
Total ... ...
15
12
14
41
The bad condition of health in which civil insanes are admitted into the
Asylum has doubtless a direct influence in raising the death-rate though the ten-
dency in a considerable number of cases of acute insanity is to death.
11. Injuries Inflicted by Lunatics.— Forty-
one cases of injury occurred during the triennium
1900—1902. In 1902 10 cases were homicidal,
three self-inflicted and two accidental.
1902 ... ...
1901 ... ...
1900 ... ...
Total ...
4
3
3
10
12. Escapes.—Ten lunatics made their escape in the triennium 1900—1902
of whom three are still at large. In 1902 one criminal
lunatic effected his escape from the Asylum, but was
recaptured the next day. Three civil lunatics also
escaped in the same year. Of these one is still at
large, one was recaptured three days afterwards and
the third while at large was convicted of theft and sent to jail for three months.
He is now back in the Asylum.
13. Labour.—The lunatics are chiefly employed on gardening operations,
also on paddy-grinding, coir-pounding, rope-making, weaving, basket-making, and
the various forms of labour necessary to keep the Asylum in a clean and tidy con-
dition.
From the sale of vegetables and flowers to the public and grass cut by the
lunatics the sums of Rs. 839 and Rs. 259 respectively were realized in the trien-
nium 1900—1902.
The weaving industry realized a net profit of Rs. 431-9-6 and Rs. 501-4-0
in the years 1902 and 1901 respectively and Rs. 69-6-0 were earned by extra-
mural labour in 1902. The average number of lunatics incapable of doing work
was 85 males and 15 females.
14. Dairy.—There has been a marked improvement in the dairy opera-
tions. All the old and more or less useless cows and calves have been sold and
fresh Indian cows purchased during the year. At the close of the year the stock
consisted of 16 cows, 13 calves and one bull.
In the triennium under review the expenditure amounted to Rs. 12,367-10-0
and the receipts to Rs. 17,117-11-7 or a net profit of Rs. 4,750-1-7. The net
profit in the period 1897—1899 was Rs. 6,858-15-7, the receipts having been Rs.
16,901-11-5 and the expenditure Rs. 10,042-11-10.