7
was an extremely violent epileptic maniac who remained on the sick list from
the previous year and was under treatment for repeatedly recurring fits of
epilepsy combined with general ill-health. Pneumonia supervened and he died
within 5 days. The patient suffering from debility was nearly 13 years in the
asylum for melancholia. He persistently refused nourishment and died of
exhaustion after being on the sick roll for one month. The case of epilepsy was
that of an inmate of the asylum for nearly five years. He was subject, since his
admission into the asylum, to violent fits of epilepsy and died on the 11th May
1896 during one of these fits. The last fatal case was that of an idiot, aged 45,
who was an inmate of the asylum for nearly 21 years. He died from fever and
diarrhoea one month and 10 days after his admission into the asylum hospital
The Sir Cowasji Jehángir Lunatic Asylum at Hyderabad shows a decrease
of 2 deaths over the previous year. The mortality was due to debility and
pneumonia 2 each and diarrhœa 1. Most of these cases were in an extremely
emaciated condition on their admission into the asylum. The ratio of deaths
per mille to the total population was 34.5 as compared with 50.0 in 1895. The
small death-rate was, in a great measure, owing to the past year having been
an exceedingly healthy one generally. There were no inundations, and the rain-
fall was very scanty and the temperature, as a rule, much higher than that of
the preceding year. The improvement may also be attributed to some extent
to the fact that the inmates have been made to wear their clothing which they
do now in most cases very willingly. This doubtless accounts for the small
number of cases of pneumonia as compared with former years.
With reference to paragraph 10 of the Note by the Director-General of the
Indian Medical Service on the reports of the lunatic asylums under local
Governments and Administrations for the year 1895, forwarded with the Bom-
bay Government Resolution No. 4470 dated 9th October 1896, General Depart-
ment, I beg to state, for the information of Government, that the suggestion
made regarding the issue of prophylactics in the unhealthy seasons was carried
into effect in all the asylums of this Presidency. Malarial fevers of intermit-
tent type are rife mostly during the monsoon and a few cases during the cold
weather. Quinine and cinchona alkaloids are freely used during these seasons,
and quinine and ferruginous preparations given usually to those who are
debilitated and anæmic with advantage.
As regards paragraph 15 of the Note above referred to, I may add that no
cases of injuries of a "major" kind were treated in the Colába, Ratnágiri, Poona
and Hyderabad Asylums. At Dhárwár there was only one case of " major"
injury (burns and scalds), which was due to an accident but not to laxity of
supervision or want of vigilance on the part of any of the establishment. This
case (that of a female) was caused by the sudden bursting of a lamp at night,
which set fire to her clothing, and the greater part of her body was burnt, death
resulting from tetanus on the second day.
Statement No. IX is the cash account of the asylums during the year
under review. The total income amounted to Rs. 1,52,550-10-2. Of this
Rs. 1,18,437-15-10 were received from the Treasury, Rs. 14,142-12-1 from
paying patients, Rs. 2,697-14-6 from the Manufacturing Department, being
the value at the market rates, less cost of raw materials, of articles supplied to
the asylums and sold to the public and labour of insanes on trees, and
Rs. 17,226-14-3 were book receipts on account of works done by the Public
Works Department and supply of stationery, forms and Europe medicines ; the
corresponding figures for the preceding year being Rs. 1,09,208-7-6,
Rs. 13,908-2-10, Rs. 2,372-5-8 and Rs. 10,650-7-6 respectively. Rs. 45-1-6 were
got from miscellaneous sources against Rs. 60-10-6 in 1895.
The total expenditure amounted to Rs. 1,52,550-10-2 as compared with
Rs. 1,36,135-15-1 in the previous year. The establishment cost Rs. 53,273-0-3
against Rs. 48,691-1-11 in 1895, the increase under Superintendence being due
to the promotion of the Superintendent of the Colába Lunatic Asylum from the
rank of Surgeon-Major to that of Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel and also to the
payment of the salary and allowances of his substitute, Surgeon-Major J. P.
Barry, for the period the former was on privilege leave. That under the head
of "Establishment " can be ascribed partly to the payment of substitutes for the
Senior Assistant Surgeon and the Matron of the Colába Lunatic Asylum during