2
afforded as to why there should be so much larger a proportion of sick at
Nagpur, the health of the outside population being there so much better than at
Jubbulpore.
Statement No. 2.
Criminal lunatics.
7. Treats of Criminal lunatics, and of this class there has been a large
increase during the past year, principally in the Jubbul-
pore asylum. The numbers at the close of last year and
the one previous being as follows:—
Nagpur ...
Jubbulpore ...
1877.
Male.
20
22
Female.
3
4
Total.
23
26
1876.
Male.
17
12
Female.
3
3
Total.
20
15
Of these, 3 died at Nagpur and 1 at Jubbulpore, a very high rate of mortal-
ity, special reason for which is not given.
Statement No. 3.
Religion and residence of
patients.
8. The patients admitted were almost entirely of the Hindu religion, both
as regards Nagpur and Jubbulpore. Dr. Rice remarks
with reference to the religion and residence of patients
admitted during the year :—
" 36 out of 44 are Hindus, due partly to the larger number of this class in the general
population, and also to the fact of their being of weaker physique and worse
nourished than Mahomedans or Christians.
"The Christian woman admittted appears to be a Madrassin. She does not speak, nor
can any history be obtained from her of her antecedents; she is said to be the
widow of a man named Russell, late an employe in the East India Railway, who
died at Sutna. As usual the majority of admissions, nearly half, is from the dis-
trict of Jubbulpore. Is it that the situation of an asylum in the district is rather
suggestive of this way of disposing of insane persons? It is hoped that the res-
trictions enjoined in Book Circular No. XXXI. will impose some limitation to the
sending of lunatics to the asylum who are at once harmless and incurable, or who
may appear to be mad from the effects of the abuse of ganja or other debauch,
but who recover their reason after a few days' or weeks' restraint and deprivation
of the drug. I am confident that a large proportion of the "cures" in asylums
is due to this. Men when "mad-drunk" from ganja, or stupid and fatuous from
the abuse of opium, are apt to be sent off hastily to the asylum, when perhaps a
few days' detention in the local dispensary, or jail if they were dangerous, would
establish the cause of the mental derangement and suggest the cure, without
involving a long and not inexpensive journey, one almost always inconvenient to
the man himself and to his family, and which cannot but lead to his detention in
an asylum for a period longer than is necessary, for it is obvious that responsible
visitors will hesitate to discharge a patient to all intents and purposes cured until
time confirms the recovery."
Statements Nos. 4 and 5,
Occupation and ages of patients.
9. Seem to call for but little notice. The occupation of the greater part
of the patients admitted is that of agriculture ; the ages
for the most part being from 20 to 40, only 5 being
below 20, and 3 over 60 years of age.
Statement 6.
Classification.
10. There has been more attention paid to uniformity of classification in the
two asylums during the past year, though the difference
in the figures given under the various classes would lead
to the conclusion that correct diagnosis is not so easy a
matter as may be supposed. On this point, Dr. Beatson gives his opinion :—
"Those given as remaining from the previous year are acute and chronic mania, melan-
cholia, acute and chronic dementia, paralysis of the insane, and insipientia. The
admissions consisted of cases of acute mania 15, chronic mania 10, acute de-
mentia 2, chronic dementia 8, insipientia 1, and not insane 2. Some of these were
brought upon the register during my absence on other duty, under denominations
not permitted by the authorized nomenclature, such as kleptomania, monomania,
and homicidal mania ; and old remaining cases of chronic mania were similarly
altered. Paralysis of the insane was wrongly, in my opinion, added to the list.
Paralysis of the insane is a peculiar affection characterized by a progressive dimi-