ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
5
Previous occupation was ascertained in 210 cases out of a total admission of
211. The improvement made in this direction is very satisfactory. Of the known
cases 39 were coolies and 21 mendicants or beggars; 18 insanes had no special
calling or profession.
159 of the admissions or 75.35 per cent. were between the ages of 20 and 40,
when the struggle for existence is comparatively great and the brain most active ;
the physical and moral causes that tend to produce insanity are known to be gene-
rally met with at this age.
Under 20 and above 60 years, the two extreme limits of age given in the table,
the admissions have always been small. The causes have been fully explained in
previous years, and need no recapitulation here.
6. TYPES OF INSANITY.—The annexed table gives the various forms of insanity
under treatment with the results obtained during the year.
Type.
Mania ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Melancholia ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Dementia ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Idiocy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Epileptic insanity ... ... ... ... ... ...
Taxic insanity ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Insanity with morbid changes in the brain ... ... ...
Other types of insanity ... ... ... ... ... ...
Not yet diagnosed
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total ...
Remained.
336
74
75
23
34
8
1
1
...
552
Admitted.
160
13
5
8
7
15
...
2
1
211
Total.
496
87
80
31
41
23
1
3
1
763
Recovered.
49
8
...
...
3
5
...
1
...
66
Improved.
15
8
...
...
1
...
...
...
...
24
Died.
39
6
14
1
6
...
...
...
...
66
It will be seen from the above table that the insane population of the asylums
consisted greatly of maniacs ; next in the order of numerical greatness were those
affected with melancholia and dementia. Under dementia there were no recoveries,
while the percentage of deaths was largest on record for any one form of mental
derangement.
7. CAUSES OF INSANITY.—Out of a total population of 763, the previous history of
255 insanes afforded no clue as to the cause of their mental aberration. Of the
known causes 160 are ascribed to moral and 348 to physical causes, which latter have
always been in excess of the former.
8. SICKNESS AND MORTALITY.—The insanes treated during the year for diseases
other than lunacy increased to 772 from 534 in the preceding year, with a rise in
the daily average sick from 53.78 in 1892 to 108.08 in 1893. This increase cannot
be construed as an indication of the low health of the insanes during the year, but
was due to the Superintendents having in their anxiety to exercise utmost super-
vision over obviously weakly cases removed them to the weakly gang, where they
could be closely observed, or to the hospital where they can be treated in the earliest
stages of their diseases.
9. CRIMINAL INSANES.—The criminal population of the asylum consisted of 150
males and 28 females, of which 145 were old cases and 33 new admissions. Of
the newly admitted cases 16 were tried and acquitted on the grounds of insanity, 9
were insane on admission and found incapable of making a defence, while 8 were
affected with insanity during imprisonment.
10. FINANCE.—The total receipts during the year amounted to Rs.1,44,969-12-0.
Deducting the remittances to the Treasury, the value of articles in store on the
last day of the year, and the charges on account of work done by Public Works
Department, the expenditure on other heads amounted to Rs. 1,03,087-2-11, the
details of which are as follows :—
(1) Establishment including the pay of Superintendents ...
(2)
Diet
...
...
...
...
...
...
(3) Clothing and bedding
...
...
...
...
...
(4) Medicines
...
...
...
...
...
...
(5) Contingencies ... ... ... ... ... ...
(6) Miscellaneous charges
...
...
...
...
...
RS.
37,154
45,590
7,172
1,336
4,516
7,316
A.
1
7
8
10
13
9
P.
4
7
6
10
6
2
2