( 28 )
Percentage to daily
average strength.
Panjáb ..
Lahore .. .. ..
Delhi .. .. ..
Bombay .. .. .. .. ..
Cured.
11.12
28.04
7.6
Died.
14.69
6.23
9.5
* Idiot establishments are excluded.
obtained outside the Presidency proves that the sanitary conditions of the Madras
asylums are generally satisfactory and
that the proportion of patients discharged
as cured is not especially low. This will
be apparent from the marginally-noted
figures. If the statistics in respect of
cures are to be trusted, the results of
treatment in the Madras asylums would seem to be more successful than those
obtained even in England, for, while the Madras asylums show as cured 42.05 per cent.
of the total admissions during the decade ending 1889, the corresponding proportion in
the English asylums for the ten years
ending 1888 is only 39.91* per cent.
There is little doubt that the apparent
superiority of the Madras asylums is due partly to the greater caution exercised in
England in regard to release and partly to the larger number of cases of toxic
insanity—a form which yields readily to treatment—in the Indian asylums. The
average death-rate in the Madras asylums during the decade ending 1889 was 7.53
per cent. of the daily average strength—a result which must be regarded as satisfac-
tory, seeing that the average proportion- in similar English institutions in the ten years
ending 1888 was 9.55 per cent. The cause of this decided difference in favor of Madras
is not obvious.
4. The death-rate among the female patients in the Madras asylum is noticeable
as being the highest that has occurred for several years; the mortality in the preceding
year was also heavy. The Superintendent, it is observed, finds the cause in a contami-
nated water-supply, but it has not been stated when and how the contamination took
place; it is presumed that the water has been analysed and the well closed for drinking.
Considering the large percentage of deaths among the female inmates of the Madras
asylum, it is somewhat remarkable that the daily average sick should have been only
4.66.
5. A large proportion of the admissions into hospital are ascribed to intestinal
complaints. In this respect there is no very marked difference between the various
asylums, all alike exhibiting high percentages; thus diarrhœa and dysentery accounted
for 34. per cent. of the admissions into hospital in Madras, 36.3 per cent. in Vizaga-
patam, and 43.2 per cent. in Calicut. In other respects, however, there seems to be a
considerable difference between the asylums as regards the health of the inmates, for
in Madras no fewer than 3.7 per cent. of the average strength was daily on the sick
list, while in Vizagapatam the proportion was only .8 per cent.; Calicut occupied an
intermediate position with 2.9 per cent.
6. The criminal lunatic population continued to rise, the average daily strength
during 1889 being 140.97 against 139.09 in 1888; it has more than doubled since
1879-80, when the figure was 61.77. The increase over 1888 took place entirely in
the Calicut asylum, the average daily strength of lunatics in the Madras and
Vizagapatam asylums having declined. It is thus obvious that no steps have yet been
taken in view to carrying out the policy of concentrating insane criminals in the
Madras asylum. Until increased accommodation has been provided in that institution
concentration cannot be effected, and the Surgeon-General is requested to expedite
the estimate called for in G.O., dated 13th January 1890, No. 34, Judicial.
7. Out of a total number of 145 lunatics admitted during the year under review,
17 are entered as persons of unknown occupation ; this figure is considerably lower
than that (54) in the preceding year, but the decline cannot be regarded as evidence of
improving registration, for the number returned as " unknown " fluctuates largely,
being, for example, 22 in 1887, 14 in 1886, and 60 in 1885. As usual,. the largest
number of admissions appears under the classes of "coolies," "private soldiers " and
" persons of no occupation "; as usual also the great majority of the patients admitted
were of or below the age of 40, the actual proportion to the total number of admissions
being 69 per cent. against 81 per cent. in 1888 and 78 per cent. in 1887.
8. The Surgeon-General has failed to comply with the instructions of the Govern-
ment of India communicated to him in G.O., dated 29th May 1890, No. 906, Judicial,