2
tion is situated. Dr. Rice had suggested that perhaps the proximity of the asy-
lum led to patients being too readily sent to it; and the Chief Commissioner directed
that the propriety of admissions should be carefully tested. Dr. Rice now reports
that "all cases from the Jubbulpore district are sent to him in the first
" instance, which so far guards against unnecessary admissions." The figures
given in Statement III. now show that the Jubbulpore and Nagpur districts
supply respectively only two-fifths and about one-fourth of the admissions to
their asylums for 1879.
6. Statement V. shows that of the 46 persons admitted to the asylums,
39 were from 20 to 40 years of age. This appears to be the period of life at
which insanity, if it occurs at all, is likely to develop itself. Dr. Rice says,
" amongst pauper lunatics, such as we are now treating of, the circumstances of
" life are not such as would be likely to postpone the outbreak. In the three cases
" where the age was over 40, they were second and third attacks." In the
Nagpur Asylum there were one case under 20, and two over 40, years of age.
It is not stated whether the two last were first attacks.
7. As regards the types of insanity, there would appear to be considerable
difference in the systems of classification observed. "Chronic mania" and
" chronic dementia" are credited with nearly two-thirds of the cases treated.
In Nagpur 59 are set down to the former, and 35 to the latter, while in Jubbul-
pore the figures are 22 and 62 respectively. Similarly for " acute mania " and
" acute dementia" the figures for Nagpur are 21 and 5, and those for Jubbul-
pore 7 and 11. Again " idiotcy," of which no cases are recorded at Nagpur,
has 39 in the Jubbulpore Asylum, while " melancholia " and " insipientia " have
far more cases in the former than in the latter institution.
8. The causes of insanity have been, as usual, very difficult to ascertain.
The Superintendent of the Nagpur Asylum has apparently been more success-
ful than Dr. Rice, in tracing these causes. He returns only 8 out of 21 cases,
and Dr. Rice 16 out of 25, as " unknown." Grief and religion are alleged as the
cause of insanity in two cases at each asylum ; and all the rest of the known
cases are physical. Of these ganja is credited with 7 cases at Nagpur and 5 at
Jubbulpore. There is no apparent reason to doubt the accuracy of these con-
clusions.
9. Dr. Rice writes very favourably of the health of the inmates of the
Jubbulpore Asylum : there were only 31 admissions to hospital ( as against 88
for 1878 ) and 5 deaths during 1879. In Nagpur the admissions to hospital were
121 and the deaths 8. Last year Dr. Brake attributed the numerous admissions
to hospital (128) to the unhealthiness of the year; but he describes this year
as a "healthy one," and there is no explanation of the prevalence of sickness.
10. The total expenditure is shown in Statement IX. to have been
Rs. 11,025 for the Nagpur Asylum, and Rs. 10,657 for that at Jubbulpore. The
annual cost per head was Rs. 85-14-1 and Rs. 83-13-5, respectively. The total
expenditure on both institutions has considerably decreased as compared with
1878 ; but the average cost per head is slightly higher at Jubbulpore, owing to
the smaller daily average of inmates, over whom the cost was distributed. It is
unnecessary to follow you through your criticisms of the financial statements ;
but I am to say that the Chief Commissioner concurs with you in regretting that
the clothing for the inmates of the Jubbulpore Asylum should not have been
made up by themselves as usual, so as both to save expense and afford a suitable
means of employment.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
A. H. L. FRASER,
Asst. Secretary.