6
REPORT ON THE RANGOON LUNATIC ASYLUM FOR THE YEAR 1899.
number of criminal lunatics are convicted and sent to jail without the fact of their
insanity being brought to light. The large increase of civil lunatics admitted (91
in 1898 as compared with 56 in the previous year) cannot be ascribed to an in-
crease of insanity in the province, but is due to the fact that as years go on and
peace and order prevail lunatics who of old would have been neglected and left to
themselves, are now forwarded to the Asylum for treatment.
The number of admissions of civil lunatics must by no means be taken as an
index of the mental health of the Burmese people. Large numbers of foreigners
are constantly arriving at the large ports for work in the rice trade. Many of these
from sickness (especially syphilis), drink, and the use of drugs become stranded
in Burma, far from home and friends, and often these circumstances cause them to
lose the few wits they may have originally possessed. They are then brought to
the Asylum as " wandering lunatics, " generally in a half-starved, deplorable condi-
tion.
16. The following table shows the number of supposed insanes sent to the
Asylum for report and observation. Of the 59 sent only 35 were finally admitted.
Years.
1897 ... ...
1898 ... ...
1899 ... ...
Total number.
45
36
59
Number declared
insane and subse-
quently admitted.
22
22
35
Number released on
security, reported
sane, and otherwise
discharged.
23
14
24
Percentage
of
admissions into
Asylum (co-
lumns 2 and 3).
49
61
59
17. The following Statement gives the particulars required by the footnote
to Statement II.
Year.
1899
Those tried and acquit-
ted on the ground of
insanity.
Male.
7
Female.
1
Total.
8
Those insane on admis-
sion found to be in¬
capable of making
their defence.
Male.
10
Female.
2
Total.
12
Those who became in-
sane during imprison-
ment.
Male.
6
Female.
...
Total.
6
Total of all classes.
Male.
23
Female.
3
Total.
26
18. Europeans and Eurasians.—There were seven admissions of this class
during the year. Of this number six were males, making with the three patients
still in hospital at the end 1898 a total of nine. During the year four males were
discharged, leaving at the close of the year five males under treatment.
One female lunatic was admitted during the year and one remaining from
the previous year.
These patients are still both in the Asylum. The female accommodation re-
mains the same as stated in the report for 1898.
List of Europeans and Eurasians under treatment in the Rangoon Lunatic Asylum
during the year 1899.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
II
Name.
A. E. ...
A. D. ...
E. C. ...
A. M. ...
R. V. W.
...
A. T. ...
I.. W. B. ...
J. H. ...
A. F. ...
H.S. H. ...
J.X. ...
Sex.
Male ...
Male ...
Female ...
Male ...
Male ...
Female ...
Male ...
Male ...
Male
...
Male
...
Male
...
Previous occu-
pation.
Clerk ...
Nil.
...
Telegraph sig¬
nailer.
Steward ...
Nil.
Clerk ...
Seaman ...
Seaman ...
School master.
Clerk ...
Age.
Yrs.
35
23
30
22
26
44
43
25
19
34
29
Race.
Eurasian ...
Eurasian ...
Armenian ...
Eurasian ...
European ...
Eurasian ...
Armenian ...
West Indian.
European ...
Eurasian ...
Eurasian ...
Date of admis-
sion.
15th September
1890.
4th May 1892 ..
12th May 1894...
19th November
1894.
34th April 1899
3rd June 1899
7th June 1899
28th August
1899.
31st August
1899.
8th September
1899.
11 th November
1899.
Type of insanity
Melancholia.
Idiocy.
Melancholia.
Melancholia.
Mania ...
Dementia ...
Delusional in-
sanity.
Mania.
Mania.
Mania
Melancholia ...
Date of dis¬
------ or
death.
3rd May 1899.
11th December
1899.
23rd November
1899.
13th November
1899.
Remarks.
Removed
by friends.
Cured.
Died.
Removed
by friends.