No. 332, PUBLIC, 9TH MAY 1905.
GOVERNMENT OF MADRAS.
PUBLIC DEPARTMENT.
BEAD—the following paper :—
From the Surgeon-General W. R. BROWNE, M.D., I.M.8., Surgeon-General with
the Government of Madras, to the Chief Secretary to Government, dated
12th April 1905, No 303.
I have the honour to submit, for the information of Government, the Annual
Report on the Lunatic Asylums of the Madras Presidency for the year 1904 with
brief notes thereon.
2. STATEMENT No. I—Asylum Population.—This refers to the three asylums
in the Presidency—Madras, Vizagapatam and Calicut.
{a) There were 165 admissions or 5 less than last year into the three
asylums and 27 of them were females, while against the 13 readmissions of the
previous year there were only 6 in this year. The percentage of males and females
to total admissions was 83*64 and 16*36 respectively.
(b) The admissions combined with those remaining from 1903 gave a popu-
lation of 578 males and 174 females or a total of 752, exceeding the population of
the preceding year by 8. The daily average number confined was 598*77 (450*86
males and 147*91 females) against 593*98 (442*85 males and 151*13 females) in
1903.
(c) The maximum number confined at any one time in the year under report
was 448 in Madras, 80 in Vizagapatam and 100 in Calicut with accommodation for
689, 96 and 147 inmates respectively.
(d) The total discharges among all lunatics amounted to 110, of these
85 were cured, 15 transferred to friends and 10 discharged from the criminal list
on expiration of sentences passed upon them and shown as fresh admissions in civil.
The number of deaths was 56, leaving in residence at the 6nd of the year 586 (44d
males and 145 femalos). The percentage of cures on daily average strength was 14*20
against 13*97, but in Madras it was 14*77 against 12*64 in 1903, in Vizagapatam
11*77 against 9*14 and in Calicut 13*56 against 22*65. The percentage of deaths
on daily average strength was 9*35 as against 6*90 of the previous year. In the
Madras Asylum it was 11*02 against 7*73 in the preceding year, in Vizagapatam
5*23 against 3*92 and in Calicut 5*21 against 5*66. The increase in the mortality
in Madras was marked among the criminal lunatics, and the chief cause was tubercle
of the lungs in both classes of inmates.
3. STATEMENT No. II.—In the above asylum population are included criminal
lunatics who are confined only in the Madras Asylum; the number was, during the
year, as follows :—
(a) There remained from the previous year 135 males and 18 females and
there were admitted during the year 43 males and 4 females including 4 males
who were readmitted, giving a total population of 178 males and 22 females or
200 in all. Of this number, 39 were discharged and 26 died leaving 135 at the end
of the year.
(b) The daily average strength was 150*06 as against 146*82 in the preced-
ing year and the percentage of criminals to total population was 26*60 against 24*33
in the year previous. The percentage of mortality on the daily average strength
was 17*33 against 4*09. This high rate of mortality among the criminal population
was due mainly to the fact that nearly half the number of deaths occurred among
old inmates who had been in the asylum for long periods.
4. STATEMENT No. III.—Of the 165 admissions, 107 were returned as Hindus,
19 as Muhammadans, 19 as Native Christians, 16 as Europeans and Eurasians and