4
ANNUAL REPORT OX TTIE LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
labourers including cultivators, 23 carriers, 6 beggars, 26 without occupation and
19 whose occupation was unknown, the remainder in small numbers belonging to
various occupations. This shows that the majority of cases were admitted for
causes other than mental overstrain. With regard to ages 19 were under 20 years
on admission, .120 were from 20 to 40 years, 38 from 40 to 60 years, and 3 above
60 years.
6. STATEMENTS Nos. VI AND VII.—The numbers admitted for the chief recognized
forms of mental diseases were for mania 126 (6 epileptics included), dementia
26 (4 epileptics included), melancholia IS, idiocy 5, mental stupor 2, and
declared to have recovered, but not yet diagnosed 2. Specific causes were assigned
in 97 cases, i.e., 53*89 as compared with 47*11 per cent, of the previous year.
Of the known causes, 74 were ascribed to physical causes as epilepsy, ganja-
smoking, spirit-drinking, heredity or congenital, fever and other physical causes and
23 to moral causes.
The number under " unknown cause " was So—from the difficulty, of course,
of obtaining a proper history of the individual patients.
7. ESCAPES.—There were 2 escapes during the year in the Madras Asylum,
one civil male, who was captured the following day—the other a civil female, a
transfer from Rangoon, who has not been caught. No escapes at Calicut—1 male-
escaped at Vizagapatam, but was captured immediately.
8. MEDICAL—(a) Sickness and Us causes.—The average daily sick in the three
asylums was 56*69 against 41*66 in the previous year. The general health of the
patients of the asylums was fairly good.
As usual, the largest number of admissions to hospital was for catarrhal
enteritis, diarrhoea and dysentery, fever, tubercle of the lungs, mania, and other
causes.
(b) Mortality and its causes.—One hundred and three deaths occurred in the
three asylums against seventy-two deaths in the previous year. The percentage
mortality on daily average strength was 16*30 against 11*87 of the previous year.
(c) Tuberculosis is by far the most important cause of death. In Madras
Asylum alone there were 20 that succumbed to this disease.
9. EPIDEMICS—Prevailed only in the Madras Asylum—cholera made its
appearance on the 11th September 1907 with 17 attacks and 14 deaths. The first
three cases occurred among the Europeans and Eurasians in the so-called " Soldier's
Blocks "—the infection could not be traced definitely ; then it broke out among
the hospital inmates on the 3rd October 1907, when it took an epidemic form—
probably infection was carried by flies—as, in spite of rigid precautions taken in
regard to disinfecting discharges, clothes and buildings, the cases continued to
occur first in one part of the asylum and then in another.
Ohicken-pov,—A few cases of a very mild type prevailed in the Madras
Asylum only.
10. STATEMENT VIII.—The Financial statement shows an increase in expendi-
ture of Rs. 29,003-0-8 during 1907 as compared with 1906.
This is due to increased expenditure in the Madras Asylum amounting to
Rs. 27,571-15-1, Calicut Rs. 686-12-4 and Vizagapatam Rs. 744-5-3.
In the Madras Asylum, the increase is largely due to the construction of
certain quarters of the staff and repairs executed by the Public Works Department;
to the additional menial staff employed on account of increased population ; to the
higher rate of pay drawn by the Superintendent and to some extent to the higher rate
paid for food-grains; and to increase in the water-tax paid to the Corporation of
Madras.
IN CALICUT—the increase is due to the purchase of more European drugs
during the year and also to enhanced cost of provisions.
IN Vi/ACiAPATAM—the increase is due to the posting of a second-grade Hospital
Assistant in lieu of a third-grade one, to the purchase of asylum requisites, and to
the construction of a cat tleshed and a water-reservoir.
11. DIETS.- -The total expenditure on diets during the year excluding book
adjustments is Rs. 47,718-0-11 as compared with Rs. 41,376-5-8 in the preceding
year—an increase of Rs. 0,341-11-3 due to the rise in prices of foodstuffs, and also-
to an increased number of inmates.