6
The other named Hirna was received from the Hoshangabad District,
being incapable of making his defence to a charge of arson ; he continues insane;
there is a history of hereditary predisposition.
Of the 4 discharged or transferred, one was transferred to the non-criminal
list, another was pronounced capable of making his defence to a charge of murder
on 28th June last and sent to his district, Hoshangabad, to be tried, and has not
yet been received back ; and two females were discharged by order of the Local
Administration, who directed that they should be made over to their friends
whenever the visitors considered it could be done with safety; the case of one
Musst. Bandro has been described above ; the other was Musst. Khimia, whose
case was described in last year's report.
25 Males 20 / Femal es 5 remained at the end of the year, the lowest number since 1879.
STATEMENT 3 shows the districts from which lunatics were admitted ; of the
eight districts, four, namely Seoni, Mandla, Narsinghpur and Nimar, sent none.
STATEMENT 4 deals with the occupation of those admitted. The 14 admis-
sions were divided between 6 different kinds of occupation : cultivators and beg-
gars include 7, or half of the whole; naturally enough, as the great majority of
the people are engaged in agricultural operations, and it may be inferred the
" beggars " are beggars because their insanity renders them incapable of sup-
porting themselves.
The pensioned Apothecary was received from Harda in May, and as soon as
the weather was mild enough for travelling and arrangements could be made he
was transferred to the European Lunatic Asylum at Colaba.
STATEMENT 5 deals with ages. Of the 14 admitted and re-admitted 11 were
between 20 and 40, being the ages within which most cases of insanity arise, as
explained in former reports.
STATEMENT 6 treats of the types of insanity. Of the 14 admitted 6 Males 5/Females 1
suffered from acute mania, 1 male from chronic mania, 1 male from melancholia,
1 female from acute dementia, 3 males from chronic dementia and 2 from-
idiotcy.
The question of diagnosis of the various forms of insanity has been dis
cussed in former reports, and no further reference to it need be made in this.
The large number of idiots in the Jubbulpore Asylum has attracted notice.
I offered some remarks in explanation of this in last year's report, adding that
''something also must be set down to the action of District officers" in ignoring
the provisions of the Chief Commissioner's Book Circular above quoted.
There does not appear to be much abatement of the practice : 2 harmless
idiots and three cases of chronic dementia, a condition verging on idiotcy, also
harmless, were sent in during the year from outlying districts, that is 5 out of a
total admitted of 14. I have shown that such cases can be kept in a dispensary
without inconveniencing anybody.
STATEMENT 7 deals with the alleged causes of insanity. In former reports I
have dealt with this question fully: no further remarks are called for here. Of
the 14 admitted, a cause is assigned in three only, namely, one religious excite-
ment; one grief and known hereditary predisposition ; and one an attack of con-
tinued fever. Of the remaining 11 no attempt is made to assign the cause; and
I have been unable to ascertain any.
STATEMENT 8 deals with bodily ailments.
The Asylum was very healthy
during the year. Only 35 cases of sickness were treated against 41 for the year
preceding.
Of these 9 were for fever; 4 for bowel complaints; 3 for bronchial
affections; 4 for eye diseases, with a number of single cases of various disease ;
the whole, excepting the cases of dysentery, were of a mild type. No particular
kind of sickness was prevalent.
Four deaths occurred during the year, 2 males and 2 females. One male and
one female died of chronic dysentery, the former was the man from Damoh,
above referred to, already in a very exhausted state from the disease when