2
Statement No. V—Shows that 204 of the 266 insanes were between 20
and 40 years of age; this period of life might with advantage be divided into
periods of 5 years. 9 were under 20, and 53 over 40 years of age.
Statement No. VI.—This statement shows the various types of insanity.
As might be anticipated, the majority, or more than a third, suffered from acute
mania,—334 out of 949 ; 107 of the 266 admitted during the year suffered from
acute mania. Chronic mania and chronic dementia give almost the same number
of cases, 199 and 182 respectively of the total under treatment during the
year. 44 acute maniacs were cured, 42 improved, and 28 died, giving 13.1 per
cent. recoveries and 12.5 improved, as compared with 6.0 per cent. recoveries
and 3.5 improved from chronic mania, and 3.8 per cent. recovered and 12 im-
proved amongst the cases of chronic dementia. I may remark that the classifi-
cation of the different forms of insanity is in accordance with the old nomencla-
ture of diseases, the Government of India not having yet ordered the adop-
tion of the classification of the 1885 Edition of the Nomenclature of Diseases. I
would suggest the attention of the Government of India should be called to this.
Statement No. VII.—In this statement we have the different causes of
insanity classified in accordance with the recent orders of the Government of
India contained in Government Resolution No. 4118, dated 22nd November
1888, General Department. Of the 949 cases treated during the year 388 cases
were attributable to physical causes, 94 to moral causes, and in 467 instances
the causes are unknown. Of the physical causes 212 cases were due to various
forms of intoxicants, 30 to fever, 26 to epilepsy, 10 to effects of the sun, and the
others to various causes. 46 cases are traceable to hereditary taint, and in 13
instances the patients had previous attacks.
Statement No. VIII—Shows the number of sick treated in the hospitals
attached to the Lunatic Asylums and the diseases from which they suffered.
The diseases in this statement are classified in accordance with the revised
Nomenclature of Diseases (1885 Edition).. The most prevalent diseases were
diarrhœa, debility, ague, dysentery, abscess, and epilepsy. Cholera broke out in
Colába and Ahmedabad Asylums—13 cases and 8 deaths in the former and 2
cases and 2 deaths in the latter institution. 48 cases and 24 deaths from diarrhœa,
and 21 cases and 5 deaths from dysentery occurred in Colába. All the diarrhœa
cases at Colába occurred amongst natives and 5 cases with 1 death from
dysentery amongst Europeans. The death-rate in Colába has been very high,
51 against a mean of 27.4 on the previous ten years. I am unable to assign any
reason for the heavy death-rate at Colába and the extraordinary number of
deaths from diarrhœa. The deaths from diarrhœa did not occur during any
particular period of the year but were spread pretty equally over the 12 months.
The existence of cholera as an epidemic is usually supposed to predispose to
diarrhœa, but at Colába fewer cases of diarrhœa occurred during May and
June when cholera existed. It may be that a greater number of debilitated-
patients were admitted, as suggested by Surgeon-Major Parker, but this expla-
nation is not entirely satisfactory. Surgeon-Major Parker's attention has been
specially directed to this matter, and I hope that during next year such a heavy
mortality will not occur. The water-supply of Colába is extremely unsatis-
factory and is a source of much anxiety to the Superintendent in the hot
months, but there appears to be no practicable remedy until the water-supply of
the city of Bombay is improved.
Statement No. IX—Is the financial statement. The total expenditure,
in round figures, was Rs. 1,29,920, as compared with Rs. 1,23,336 in 1887, and
Rs. 1,33,858 in 1886. Establishment cost Rs. 27,283, showing a slight increase on
the previous year. Superintendence shows an increase of Rs. 1,968 on 1887,
having cost Rs. 21,401 ; this increase is due to the Superintendent of Colába's
pay having risen on account of promotion. Diet shows a small saving, as com-
pared with the previous year, Rs. 46,338 against Rs. 46,760 in 1887. Cloth-
ing and bedding cost somewhat less in 1888 than in 1887, Rs. 3,082 against
Rs. 3,259. Contingencies cost about Rs. 86 more than in 1887. Allowing for
Rs. 10,130 received from paying-patients, the net cost to Government was
Rs. 1,09,658 against a net cost in 1887 of Rs. 1,05,130 ; the increase of Rs. 4,528
is accounted for by the increased pay of the Superintendent, Colába, and the
construction of padded cells at the same institution. Allowance should be made