( 4 )
The daily average, comparatively, for the same period is—
Years.
1875 ... ... ... ...
1876 ... ... ... ...
1877 ... ... ... ...
1878 ... ... ... ...
1879 ... ... ... ...
1880 ... ... ... ...
1881 ... ... ... ...
1882 ... ... ... ...
1883 ... ... ... ...
1884 ... ... ... ...
Yearly average ...
1885 ... ... ... ...
Males.
142
148
167
176
180.83
160.85
160.58
162.58
178.48
165.62
164.29
179.19
Females.
15
15
16
17
19.59
18.76
21.76
14.67
10.6
14.5
16.29
11.96
Statement No. II.—Of criminal lunatics there remained from 1884 a total of
61 males and females, consisting of 57 males and four females; a total of 15 was
admitted, namely, 14 males and one female-; one female was re-admitted, making
a total treated of 77, or 71 males and six females. A total of 11 was discharged,
nine males and two females, some to the Rangoon Jail, others to stand their trial
in the various districts whence they came ; four males died, leaving in the asylum
at the close of the year 58 males and four females, or a total of 62. The daily
average number confined under treatment was 58.90 males and 3.36 females, or
a total of 62.26 against 55.57 and 4.53 confined in 1884.
In a considerable proportion of the instances where persons indicted for crimes
are placed in the asylum there is a complete recovery from the disease. As many
as six are now well, or nearly well ; but, as it is liable to recur, the visitors decided
that all criminal lunatics should be detained under observation for long periods.
In a great number of these cases the insanity follows on excessive drinking and
dissipation ; kept absolutely sober, with vigilant medical supervision, suitable diet,
and regular habits, these patients are invariably very quickly restored to reason.
Feigned insanity seems common amongst them, and the difficulty of manage-
ment, the discipline, good order, and security of the institution, both as to person
and property, are very seriously increased by the detention of criminal lunatics of
very strong homicidal and suicidal propensities.
In some of this class it is very difficult to say whether they are responsible
or not. If their responsibility is to be tested by the existence or non-existence of
delusions, or by the knowledge of right and wrong, I should unhesitatingly say
that they are not irresponsible. If, however, the want of control, which renders
them the creatures of the most violent and dangerous passions and impulses, be
admitted as in itself evidence of insanity and irresponsibility, then certainly there
are few, if any, of these cases that can be considered sane or responsible.
Statement No. III.—In this are classified the religion and the sex of the
admissions, and the different districts from which they came. Thirty-nine were
Burmans, 27 Hindus, and 6 Mussulmen. Paungdè sent 1, Akyab 3, Rangoon 34,
Hanthawaddy 1, Tharrawaddy 1, Prome 4, Bassein 4, Thayetmyo 3, Moulmein 12,
Shwegyin 2, Ma-ubin 2, Toungoo 1, Henzada 2, Sandoway 1, Port Blair 1. The
insane from Port Blair is a sepoy belonging to the regiment stationed at Moul-
mein.
Statement No. IV.—No remarks.
Statement No. V.—Taken according to age, it appears that the majority of
males and females were admitted between the ages of 20 and 40, next between
40 and 60, and next under 20, and two upwards of 60.
I find that age exerts a marked influence upon the number of recoveries.
The probability of recovery is greatest in the young, and undergoes a gradual and
very regular diminution as age advances. Thus the recoveries at 20 to 40 years of
age when admitted were 55.55 per cent. and at 40 to 60 and upwards of 60 only
20 per cent. of the admissions.
The number of recoveries amongst men have been more numerous than
amongst women under nearly all circumstances of form and duration of disorder
and of age. This I attribute to the fact that only the worst cases occurring amongst