2
The second, Govind æt 35, a Gond cultivator from Raipur, accused of the
murder of a child, is said to have been insane for three years and kept by his
relatives; no cause is assigned for the present attack, but the man himself attri-
butes his condition to the wrath of his god Burha Deo for neglect of worship.
The third, Ramchandra æt 36, a Hindu cooly from Nagpur, a man of weak
intellect and confirmed ganja and madak smoker, accused of stealing 2 mangoes
and some bamboos, was sent to the asylum as incapable of making his defence.
The fourth, Sakhia æt 19, a dak runner, was received from Chanda on
August 10th, in bad health, accused of the murder of an infant without any
apparent reason. The murder was seemingly committed by him whilst delirious
from fever. The man has gained 31½ lbs. in weight since admission to the
asylum, and is quite quiet and sane, Recommendations for his release have been
submitted.
The fifth, Sheodyal æt 48, a Hindu Brahmin from Bilaspur, a ganja smoker,
was accused of murdering a man without cause or quarrel His relatives state
that he has been insane for 7 years and has been an inordinate smoker.
One female, æt 20, was received from Nagpur accused of house-trespass but
not insane, and discharged at the first meeting of the committee of visitors, 18
days after admission,
6. The criminal re-admitted was Birsha Gond, æt 31, from Chanda. He
had murdered his wife in 1877 and been sent to the asylum as incapable of
making his defence. On October 8th, 1881, he was sent back to Chanda sane,
to be tried for the offence ; he was then acquitted on the ground of insanity and
received back on April 1Ith under order of the Chief Commissioner.
7. Of the 12 discharged, 8 were cured, 2 made over to their friends im-
proved, 1 not improved, and 1 escaped.
Of the 8 cured, 2 were non-criminals, 1 male and 1 female, the former a sowar,
and the latter Sohodra, mentioned in paragraph 4. The rest were criminals, 4
males and 2 females. Of these 1 male Nanapergasam, a murderer, was sent to
the Central Jail by order of the Chief Commissioner, the others made over to
their friends on these giving security for good behaviour of those released.
Of the two non-criminal males discharged improved, one Gopala Patel had been in
the asylum since 1871, was quite quiet and harmless, though still subject to
hallucinations about money. The other, Sukhya, was made over to his father very
much better. The female discharged not improved, was taken away by her
husband, a Native Christian in Nagpur, with the consent of the visitors of the
asylum.
8. Non-criminal lunatic Dhonsai æt 30, a beggar from Raipur, quite quiet
and harmless, escaped from a gang working on the farm on April 10, having been
11 months in the asylum and much improved. An Eurasian female, wife of a
Railway guard, was under observation for 26 days pending her removal to Colaba
Asylum on the 16th December.
9. Statement III. gives the religion and sex of those admitted as well as the
districts from which they were received. As usual the Hindus out-number the
Mahomedans, and three Gonds are included "under other castes." 5 were admitted
from the Nagpur district, 4 from each of the districts, Chanda and Raipur, and
1 from each—Bilaspur and Wardha.
10. Statements IV. and V. call for little remark. Cultivators and coolies or
common laborers form the bulk of those admitted, and the general age is the prime
of life, from 20 to 40 years. Those returned as under 20 are put down as 18 and
19 respectively; these are only approximations, and they may both have
completed 20 years.
11. Statement VI. requires explanation. The cases admitted, have been
classed after careful consideration of histories received and behaviour since under my