Hemp Drug cases admitted during 1892—contd.
Name, race, occupation, district, age, and register number of lunatic. |
Alleged cause of insanity (Statement VII.) |
Type of in- sanity (State- ment VI.) |
State of health on admission. |
Facts ascertained from the papers. |
Asylum history and facts ascertained from registers and from inquiry from Superintendent. |
| 8. Dhuman;
Musal- man; Weaver; Kar- nal; 30; 242. |
Ganja |
Toxic insanity. |
Bad |
His Descriptive
Roll shows that this is the first attack and of four months' duration. The "suppos- ed cause" is "by association with a faquir, named Gul Mahom- ed." "The mother of the lunatic was affected with in- sanity." The medical certificate shows that he "is unable to answer questions rationally. When asked his residence, names at different times different villages while he is actually a resident of Panipat. When asked his brother's name points to his blanket, keeps mut- tering and twisting his fingers and burst out laughing without ap- parent cause. Is sleepless and noisy at nights, considers dogs fit to eat. He pointed to a pass- ing dog and said it was good eating. He has not, while under observation, been abusive or noisy. The police report that he tried to set fire to a thatched house, and that he threatens people and is abusive and mis- chievous." Admitted, 2nd September 1892. |
There is no Asylum
history of this man. The type is entered in the register as "mania," yet the case is included under "Toxic in- sanity" in Statement VI. This man was before us violent and in- coherent, but said he used to take ganja. |
| 9. Adhan; Hindu;
La- bourer; Karnal; 28; 243. |
Charas |
Toxic insanity. |
Bad |
The statement shows that
this is a second attack, that the duration is three years, that the patient has been "for six months in the Meerut Dispensary and for one year in the Delhi Dispensary." The supposed cause is "drinking and smoking charas." Not sub- ject to epilepsy. No hereditary history. The medical certificate shows that "he at times does not know his own name or resi- dence . . . . or what caste he belongs to. Sits silent for hours or keeps moaning. Is filthy in his habits and goes about naked when he gets the chance. He has not been violent while under observation. The police say he throws stones at people and threatens to strike people and that he wanders into the jungle, also that he is a drunkard, and that he smokes charas which has affected his brain." Admitted, 2nd September 1892. Discharged "improved," 1st April 1893. |
This case is entered as
"demen- tia" in the register, but in State- ment VI under "Toxic insanty." The register entries are said to be made after diagnosis in the Asylum. There is no Asylum history. |
| 10. Nand Lall;
Hindu; Cultivator; Delhi; 22; 246. |
Charas |
Toxic insanity. |
Indiffer- ent. |
The "statement" shows
that the attack was of ten days' duration and the cause "not known." His relations reported at the Naugloi Police Station that he was in- sane. The medical certificate of 22nd November 1892 says: He is very noisy and abusive, tears up his clothes, and is quite in- coherent in his language. Admitted, 23rd September 1892. |
There is no Asylum
history. But the register shows that he had been admitted on 6th August 1892 and discharged "cured" on 27th August 1892. The cause is entered as "unknown" and the type as "mania." He was re- admitted on 23rd September 1892 with the disease described as "mania," but now attributed to charas. He was discharged cured on 10th July 1893. |
The number of admissions in 1892 (Statement VII) is 54 as follows:—
| Criminal |
Males |
4 |
|
| Females |
1 |
||
| Non-criminal |
Males |
43 |
|
| Females |
6 |
||
| TOTAL |
54 |
||
Of these the above 11 are
shown as due to hemp drugs; but as the eleventh case is merely a
re-admission or re-capture of an escaped lunatic, the figures
should
really be 53 and 10 respectively.
The 6th October
1893.