( 2 )
overlooked. It is not, however, desirable that in an asylum for the labouring
classes these should assume a prominent character, or be allowed to interfere
with the ordinary business of the establishment.
POPULATION, ADMISSIONS, &C.
Statement No. 1 shows the principal statistical events of the year 1886 and,
for the sake of comparison, those of the preceding ten years are also given. The
statistics of the year under review may be considered to be on the whole satisfac-
tory when compared with those of the preceding years, as it will be noticed that
there has been a low death-rate (8.31 per cent.) as compared with the average
death-rate (9.69) of the preceding years ; on the other hand there were a larger
number admitted than in any of the preceding ten years and seven more than in
1885.
The proportion of cured is rather small, being 11.08 against an average of
11.78 of the preceding years, but it is 3.28 better than in 1885.
The asylum population on the 1st January 1886 was (males 188, females
14) 202 and was more than on the corresponding date of 1885 by (males 19,
female 1) 20.
The admissions (males 73, females 6 = 79) exceed those of 1885 by seven.
There were (males 3, female 1) four re-admissions, the cases being as in former
years those of recurrent insanity chiefly due to intoxication.
The total population was (261 males, 20 females) 281, being 27 more than
last year, and 43.7 more than that of the average of the preceding decennial
period and of any year in it.
It thus appears that the admissions continue to increase steadily, and there
is a corresponding accession to the number remaining on hand, of whom the
great majority will never be removed but by death, as they are persons whose
insanity had existed so long prior to admission as to shut out all hope of their
restoration to reason.
During the year 24 males were discharged as cured, or at the rate of 11.93
to daily average strength, and this proportion, as regards the total number cured,
is lower than was observed in any year of the preceding decennial period with
the exception of that of 1877, 1878, 1881, 1883, and 1885 ; and the reason for this
is that this figure will naturally rise and fall as the admission figure falls and as
the asylum population comes to consist more largely of criminals and chronic
cases.
There were (males 8, female 1) nine patients sufficiently improved in their
mental condition to be made over to the care of their friends, three (males 2, fe-
male 1) civil lunatics escaped, and 18 died.
On the 31st December the asylum population was (males 210, females 17)
227, which shows a marked increase in the number remaining, particularly of
male patients, on the first day of the year.
The mean daily average strength present during the past year was (201.14
males, 15.37 females) 216.51, and as the capacity of the asylum calculated at 50
superficial feet per patient will accommodate 219 males and 36 females, there was
no overcrowding. The maximum number of lunatics confined on any one night
was (males 212, females 17) 229 on the 9th December 1886.
Statement No. II.—Of the class of criminal lunatics there remained in the
asylum on the 1st January 1886 (males 58, females 4) 62. This number is more
by one than it was on the corresponding date of 1885 and 12.8 in excess of the
average number remaining in the asylum on the same date during the past
decennial period.
The admissions and re-admissions amounted to males 20, which was a high-
er number than was registered in any of the ten preceding years with the excep-
tion of in 1882, 1883, and 1884, and was in excess of the average of the same
period by 1.8.
Of the total population just shown four males were transferred and discharged,
&c. Of these four, two were transferred, one to the Central Jail, Rangoon, and the
other to the Central Jail, Moulmein, one to stand his trial, and one was set at liberty.
The total number of deaths amongst the criminal lunatics was six males, 8.9
per cent. of the mean strength of this class. The death-rate was considerably
more than in 1885, when it was 6.4.