Annual Report on Lunatic Asylums in the Bombay Presidency for 1885.
No. 1612.
GENERAL DEPARTMENT.
Bombay Castle, 6th May 1886.
Letter from the Surgeon General with the Government of Bombay, No. S.B.—130, dated
31st March 1886—Submitting the Annual Administration and Progress Report of
the Lunatic Asylums in the Bombay Presidency for the year 1885.
RESOLUTION.—There are 5 Lunatic Asylums in the Bombay Presidency,
viz., those at Colába, Poona, Dhárwár, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad in Sind. A
new asylum will soon be opened at Ratnágiri: and, as arrangements have
recently been made both for using a part of the jail in that town when necessary
and for increasing the size of the Dhárwár Asylum it seems probable that the
accommodation provided will in future be amply sufficient for the wants of the
Presidency.
2. During the year 1885 the total number of persons treated at the
asylums was 899, as against 920 in the previous year. At the end of 1884 the
number of inmates was 668. Two hundred and twenty-one were discharged
during the year, 48 died—as against 59 in 1884—and there were 231 new
admissions. The number of inmates at the end of the year was consequently
630. The daily average strength was 653.2 as compared with 626.4 in 1884.
3. Of the 231 persons admitted during the year 213 were males and 18
were females. Ninety-four were Christians—91 of these being Europeans—77
Hindus, 59 Mahomedans, 6 Pársis and 1 of another caste. European soldiers
alone numbered 79.
4. The cause of insanity was known in 415 cases only out of the 899.
Physical causes—chiefly excess in the use of gánja—account for 344 cases and
moral causes—chiefly grief—account for 71.
5. Of criminal lunatics there were 94 at the beginning and 91 at the end
of the year. The total number confined during the year was 114 as compared
with 116 in 1884. The daily average strength was 90.2 as against 87.6 in 1884.
Twenty-four of the criminal lunatics had been charged with theft and 46 with
murder.
6. The net cost to Government on account of the five asylums was
Rs. 1,21,888-7-2 or Rs. 186-9-7 per head as compared with Rs. 1,15,908-13-7 or
Rs. 185-0-7 per head in 1884. The figures for 1884 as given in the report
under review do not correspond with those given in the report for 1884 but the
difference is explained satisfactorily. The cost per patient was lowest at Hyder-
abad (Rs. 111-10-2) and highest at Dhárwár, where it rose from Rs. 233-5-4 in
1884 to Rs. 249-12-1 in 1885. No reasons have been assigned by the Surgeon
General for this increase, though in the report of the Superintendent of the
Dhárwár Asylum a part of the increase is stated to be due to the expenses in-
curred during the out-break of cholera and the higher average price of grains
consumed in the asylum. The net cost per patient at Colába compared with the
net cost at Ahmedabad and Poona seems excessive. The fees obtained from
paying patients rose from Rs. 7,108-14-0 in 1884 to Rs. 8,814-14-4 during the
year under review, while the net profits realized by the sale of articles manu-
factured at the asylums fell from Rs. 3,733-0-9 in the previous year to
Rs. 3,383-10-0 in the year under review.
7. The Governor in Council notices with satisfaction the commendation
bestowed on the various Superintendents by the Surgeon General and is glad to