REPORT AND RETURNS
OF THE
Lunatic Asylums in the United Provinces of Agra & Oudh
FOR THE YEAR 1906.
No. 2167/ 2R—2
FROM
THE HON'BLE COLONEL R. D. MURRAY, M.B., I.M.S.,
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF CIVIL HOSPITALS,
UNITED PROVINCES,
To
THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
UNITED PROVINCES,
JUDICIAL (CRIMINAL) DEPARTMENT.
Dated Lucknow, the 5th March 1907.
*Paragraph 6 of G. G. O. [H. D.],
No. 21—31, dated the 12th January
1904.
† During 1905 and 1906 255 luna-
tics were transferred from Lucknow.
The 205, however, represents the num-
ber actually present on the 1st Jan-
uary 1906. The 20 had either been
discharged or had died in 1905.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to submit the annual statistics relating to the Lunatic
Asylums in these Provinces for the year 1906. As
the year under report is an intermediate one only brief
notes relating to the figures under report, compared
with those of the preceding year, are necessary.*
2. The Lucknow Asylum was closed on the 30th June 1906, and the statistics
relating to this institution are up to that date. The 50 lunatics shown as
transferred to Agra were transferred on the 25th and 30th June in two batches
of 25 each.
3. The total admissions fell from 483 in 1905 to 328 in 1906, and the total
population from 1,686 to 1,537. While the daily average strength rose from
1,199.47 to 1,215.86, the daily average sick fell from 92.82 to 90.18. There was a
slight decrease in the number of cures, and although no marked difference is
noticeable against the percentage of cures to the daily average strength the
percentage of cures to admissions rose from 10.73 to 13.33.
4. The total number of deaths during the year under report was 130 or 25
more than in 1905. The percentage of deaths to daily average strength rose from
8.75 to 10.69, while the percentage of deaths to admissions fell from 6.56 to 4.93.
As regards deaths Bareilly reported 18 in 1905 against 15 in 1906, Benares 41 in
1905 and 30 in 1906. This is satisfactory. The number at Agra however, rose
from 34 to 85, and some remarks are necessary with reference to this large increase
of 51. As there was no epidemic, no overcrowding or other insanitary conditions the
high death-rate (12 per cent. of the total, 705, under treatment) cannot be ascribed
to a specially unhealthy condition of the inmates and to insanitary conditions.
Of the 705 patients 235† were received on transfer
from Lucknow during 1905 and 1906 and these show
a death-rate of 14.46 per hundred while among the 470
who were directly admitted into the Asylum only 10.85
per cent. died. Of the 85 deaths epilepsy accounted
for 7, maniacal excitement for 5 and 20 were due to extraordinary causes [heat-
stroke 18, small-pox 1, and accidental rupture 1], while 9 were due to general
debility and 9 to old age. Dysentery accounted for 13 deaths which represent 1.8
per cent. of the total population, and the patient who died of tubercle of the lungs
had been in the Asylum since 1899. Deducting the 20 deaths due to extraordinary
causes the death-rate becomes 12.3 per cent. of the daily average strength and 9
per cent. of the total under treatment.
5. The question of the appointment of a Deputy Superintendent at the Agra
Central Asylum is under consideration. In December 1906 the administrative
approval of the Government of India was accorded to the scheme for the establish-
ment at Ranchi of a central asylum for the reception of European lunatics
I have the honour to be,
SIR,
Your most obedient servant,
R. D. MURRAY, COL., M.R., I.M.S.,
Inspector General of Civil Hospitals,
United Provinces.