4
Colába ...
Ratnágiri
...
Poona
...
Dhárwár ...
Ahmedabad ...
Sir Cowasji Jehangir,
Hyderabad.
Total
...
1892 ... ...
1893 ... ...
1892 ... ...
1893 ... ...
1892 ... ...
1893 ... ...
1892 ... ...
1893 ... ...
1892 ... ...
1893 ... ...
1892 ... ...
1893 ... ...
1892 ... ...
1893 ... ...
Average
daily
strength.
300.0
285.5
81.9
84.7
94.0
96.0
35.5
36.0
104.8
105.9
121.6
108.0
737.8
716.1
Total
population.
443
452
98
99
133
138
42
43
122
116
161
140
999
988
Number
of deaths.
49
44
7
2
19
13
2
...
8
2
27
16
112
77
RATIO OF DEATHS
PER MILLE TO
Average
daily
strength.
163.3
154.1
85.5
23.6
202.1
135.4
56.3
...
76.3
18.9
222.0
148.1
151.8
107.5
Total
population
110.6
97.3
71.4
20.2
142.9
94.2
47.6
...
65.6
17.2
167.7
114.3
112.1
77.9
From the above it will be seen that the death-rate was everywhere much less dur-
ing the year under review than in the year 1892. At Colába about one-third of the
deaths occurred amongst the native patients who were committed to the asylum
under Section IV of the Lunacy Act and who were either exhausted by priva-
tions or suffering from grave bodily ailments prior to admissions to the asylum,
rendering successful treatment almost impossible. Others had been long resident
in this institution and their mental and physical state being much reduced they
succumbed to the prevailing diseases, viz., dysentery, debility, ague, chronic
pneumonic phthisis and diarrhœa. The total number of deaths was 44 (5 less
than in the previous year), viz., 4 Europeans and 40 natives. Amongst the Euro-
peans there were 2 cases of chronic pneumonic phthisis, 1 of pneumonia and 1
of old age, giving a ratio of 56.3 per mille compared to 84.5 per mille in the
preceding year. Those who died of chronic pneumonic phthisis had been about
10 years in the asylum suffering from chronic dementia. The case of pneumonia
was an epileptic insane, both the lungs being affected ; the disease ran a very
rapid course and terminated fatally in 6 days. The case of old age was a woman
of about 84 years of age who died from exhaustion. Amongst the natives the
ratio of deaths was 105.0 per mille against 115.6 in 1892. The chief causes of
death were dysentery, chronic pneumonic phthisis, old age, paralysis and epilepsy.
At Ratnágiri the mortality was very small, only 2 deaths having occurred,
1 from tubercle of lungs and 1 from paralysis of the insane against 7 in the previ-
ous year, giving a ratio of 20.2 per mille compared to 71.4 per mille of the year
1892. At Poona there were 13 deaths showing a decrease of 6 over the previ-
ous year. The causes were debility 6 cases, anœmia 2, and old age, remittent
fever, paraplegia, diarrhœa and Bright's disease 1 each. Of the 7 deaths
ascribed to debility and old age several occurred in patients who had been
in the asylum for many years. The death-rate per mille was 94.2 during the
year as compared with 142.9 per mille in 1892. At Ahmedabad also the mor-
tality was very low, there being 2 deaths against 8 in the preceding year. Both
the fatal cases were in a bad state of health when admitted to the asylum. The
ratio of deaths per mille was 17.2 against 65.6 in 1892. The Cowasji Jehan-
gir Lunatic Asylum at Hyderabad shows also a decrease in the number of deaths
as compared with the previous year, 16 against 27—especially so, considering
the fact that the last cold season from November 1892 to February 1893 was very