6
I am afraid that the number of this class under treatment must of neces-
sity steadily increase. Most of them are confined on account of acts which
prove them to be dangerous to themselves or to the public. Although many
cases occur in which there are grounds for supposing that reason has been
restored after a longer or shorter time in the asylum, the visitors hesitate to
accept the responsibility of letting them loose on society, their antecedents
placing them in a category greatly different from that of harmless lunatics.
The daily average strength was 27.14 against 24.76 for 1881.
Of the 7 admitted during the year 5 are males and 2 females. Of the 5
males one was tried at Hoshangabad for murdering his wife with an axe, and
acquitted by the Sessions Judge on the ground of his being insane when he
committed that act.
One was charged at Damoh, under Act V of 1861, with indecently exposing
his person and committing nuisances in public places : he was found incapable
of making his defence and sent to the asylum.
One was a prisoner on account of theft and undergoing a sentence of two
years' imprisonment in the Mandla Jail when it was found that he was insane
and transferred to the asylum under Act V of 1871,
One was confined in the Central Jail, Jubbulpore, under trial for theft
and considered insane by the Medical Officer : his transfer was ordered by the
Local Government under Section 426, Criminal Procedure Code.
One was transferred from Seoni under similar circumstances.
The 2 females were transferred, one from the Jubbulpore and the other from
the Seoni Jail, by order of the Local Government under Section 426, Criminal
Procedure Code, in each instance being incapable of pleading to a charge of
theft.
The female re-admitted comes from Hoshangabad district ; she was admitted
on the 27th September 1881, charged with the murder of her newly born child,
ten days' old. The Medical Officer pronounced her incapable of making her defence.
She soon grew better, and by the end of the year was pronounced by the official
visitors sane and capable of pleading, and on the 12th January 1882 transferred to
Hoshangabad to undergo her trial. She was acquitted on the ground of insanity.
She continues up to this quite quiet, rational, obedient and easily manageable, but
of course is unfit for discharge, as this may be no more than a lucid interval,
instances of which are very common in this asylum. Lunatics after being ap-
parently cured for two or more years have become violent and dangerous under a
re-accession of the mental derangements for which they were originally admitted,
sometimes just after discharge but in most instances without any assignable
cause.
Table III. shows the religion, sex and districts of the new admissions.
Of the 31 admissions and re-admissions 25 are Hindus, simply what one
should expect in a country where the Hindu population so largely preponderate.
The Christian is a Madrassi half-caste, an orphan, aged about 20 years, who
suddenly became subject to delusions, grew mischievous and was a nuisance
generally to his neighbours. He is much improved, and I hope in a few months
will be fit for discharge.
Of the whole number admitted 16, or more than half, came from Jubbul-
pore. This is to be expected, because when there is a reasonable presumption
that a person is insane, he or she is at once sent for treatment. There happens
to be a Lunatic Asylum here, and the patient may as well (if not better) be
treated there as in an ordinary hospital. It is always provided that I see the