( 27 )
–
1S84-85 .. ..
1885 (9 months) ..
1886
..
..
1887 .. ..
1888
..
..
Causes of Insanity.
Physical.
151
155
175
240
255
Moral.
71
65
60
97
123
Unknown.
485
507
533
460
417
Total.
707
727
768
797
795
of cases traced to physical causes was 255, as compared with 240 in 1887. Moral
causes, of which the chief seems to be
" grief," are shown as producing 123, and
in 417 cases the cause is altogether un-
known. The figures in the margin show
that considerable progress has been made
in the registration of the supposed causes
of insanity. Many of the so-called moral
causes are capable, doubtless, of a physical
explanation. Thus "Foreign service"
does not throw much light on the history
of the cases to which such an explanation
is attached. The entry of " vicious habits " among moral causes seems to be an error,
especially as a head " irregular habits " occurs among causes classed as physical.
5. As in previous years, there was a large number of soldiers admitted.
Twenty-nine per cent. of the male admissions were British soldiers or sepoys, this
high proportion being doubtless due to the fact that insanity occurring in the army
is speedily detected and at once subjected to treatment. The number of male patients
whose previous occupations were unknown rose from 21 to 30, that of females from
20 to 29—an unsatisfactory feature. Referring to Table III, it is observed that in
1887 the " district" of 17 of the Europeans and East Indians was shown as " England,"
while in the present report one case only is entered against this head. Changes in
classification such as this detract from the value of statistics and should be avoided,
if possible. The decrease in the percentage of female admissions which was noticed in
the review of last year's report has not continued, the ratio in 1888 (22.9) being
about the average.
––
1884-85
..
..
..
1885 (9 months) .. ..
1886 .. .. .. ..
1887 .. .. .. ..
1888 .. .. .. ..
Criminal insanes.
Admitted.
30
14
14
54
22
Remaining
at end of
year.
109
110
108
134
142
6. Owing chiefly to the absence of
accommodation, fewer criminal insanes
were admitted than in 1887, and the
population of this class remaining at the
end of the year was 142, against 134 at
the beginning. The Government has
under its consideration the expediency
of concentrating all criminal lunatics at
Madras, by which step a large amount of
accommodation would be made available
at the mofussil asylums. What propor-
tion of the 142 criminal lunatics is now in the Madras institution does not appear.
_
Madras ..
Vizagapatam.
Calicut ..
Total ..
1886.
RS.
64,438
7,511
12,978
84,928
A.
3
11
5
3
P.
2
1
2
5
1887.
RS.
67,999
6,276
13,973
88,248
A.
1
6
1
9
P.
2
9
9
8
1888.
RS.
65,975
5,715
14,772
86,463
A.
4
3
8
0
P.
9
3
2
2
7. Statement IX of the appendix to
the report shows the financial results of
the year. Excluding manufacturing and
public works charges and taking only the
totals of columns 16, and 29 to 31, the
actual cost of the three asylums during
the last three years has been as shown in
the margin. It will be seen that, as a
whole, the three institutions cost Rs.
1,786 less than in the preceding year and
Rs. 1,535 more than in 1886.
8. The principal cause of decreased outlay in the asylum is doubtless the absence
of the special arrears which were included in 1887. But the decrease in Madras and
Vizagapatam is counterbalanced by a rise in cost at Calicut, as exemplified by the
following figures of average monthly cost per head:—
1886 .. .. .. ..
1887
..
..
..
..
1888 .. .. .. ..
Madras.
RS.
12
12
11
A.
6
8
11
P.
2
11
6
Vizagapatam.
RS.
12
10
8
A.
7
0
14
P.
8
4
11
Calicut.
RS.
10
9
10
A.
5
14
0
P.
0
1
6
The cause of increase at Calicut is not explained by the Surgeon-General. It
seems to have occurred mainly under diet; clothing and bedding and European