6
ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
134 no information could be obtained as to the antecedents of the patients. An
investigation into the causes of insanity in this country is involved in difficulties,
but I feel confident that more satisfactory results would be obtained than are
apparent in this report if greater care were taken by local authorities to examine
into the previous history and antecedents of each particular case before sending
the lunatic to an asylum. I have drawn the attention of Medical officers up-
country to this subject, and directed them to take care to find out as much as they
possibly can of the previous family history and antecedents of the lunatics they
may be called upon to examine. The Medical officers in charge of the asylums
have, in the majority of cases, nothing to guide them in forming an opinion, except
the written documents which accompany the insanes, and, if these are carelessly
filled up, the difficulties in forming an opinion as to the causes of insanity are
greatly increased.
10. In reviewing the annual report for 1889, exception was taken to certain
sub-divisions adopted in statement VII under the two main heads " Physical
causes " and " Moral causes " ; this year " Foreign service " has been omitted as a
cause of insanity, and " dissipation " has been classified as a physical cause.
As regards the terms "congenital" and " hereditary" I desire to point out
that, though the former undoubtedly affords information in respect to the type of
insanity, it cannot be excluded from the causes which tend to produce insanity; as,
for instance, in those cases where mental incapacity is due to congenital abnormal
conditions of the bones of the skull: in such cases the brain, though it may have
attained the size natural at birth, is prevented from further development by the
too early ossification of the bones of the skull, and closing of the sutures. Insanity
due to arrested development of the brain from this cause is manifestly very
different from the hereditary forms which may not appear till middle life or even
old age. There is a well defined difference between congenital and hereditary
conditions, a tumour inside the skull may be a congenital cause of insanity, but
need not necessarily be hereditary.
11. CRIMINAL LUNATICS.—There were 143 criminal lunatics remaining in the
asylums on the 1st of January 1890, of whom 121 were males and 22 females.
During the year 15 males and 1 female were admitted, 7 males were discharged
and 10 males and 5 females died, leaving in confinement on the last day of the year
119 males and 18 females. There was a small falling off in the number of criminal
lunatics as compared with the previous year; this result is due to the large number
of deaths (15) which occurred, and not to any diminution in the actual number
of applications for admission. There are at present a considerable number of
criminal insanes confined in jails, for whom there is no accommodation available in
the asylums.
12. FINANCE.—The financial results of the year are shown in statement IX
appended to the report, according to which the receipts from the several sources
amounted to Rs. 1,18,236-14-2—
From Treasury
...
...
...
...
...
...
From self-supporting patients
...
...
...
...
From Municipalities and Local Fund Boards
...
...
From Pay Examiner on account of Military insanes ...
Total ...
RS.
1,08,783
6,291
3,131
30
1,18,236
A.
9
1
14
4
14
P.
1
11
11
3
2
The receipts from Municipalities and District Boards represent the amounts
outstanding on 1st April, from which date these bodies were relieved from the
payment of contributions towards the maintenance of pauper lunatics.
Compared with last year the treasury receipts have considerably increased.
This increase is due to the large outlay on buildings during the year, and also to
the value of manufactured goods made over to the asylum having, for the first
time, been included under treasury receipts in accordance with the orders of the
Government of India. The net receipts from the treasury, omitting these two
items, amounted to only Rs. 83,186-2-3, being nearly the same as last year.
The expenditure during the year amounted to Rs. 1,18,236-14-2 and was
disbursed as follows :—