16            ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.

The causes of death were—

Of the 32 deaths—

Thirteen died within one year of admission.
Three were above ten years of admission.
Sixteen from one to seven years of admission.

Sixteen were in "bad" or "very bad" health on admission, and only four in
"good health." The death-rate of the criminals has been nearly three times as
high as that of the ordinary patients.

Percentage of deaths to average strength—

Of the 13 criminals who died the health on admission is as follows :—

The criminals are treated in every way as ordinary patients, except that they
occupy the criminal enclosure. Their food is the same as that of the other patients,
and they have regular morning and evening exercise in the grounds of the asylum.
When sick they are treated in hospital with ordinary patients. The high death-
rate must be attributed to the bad state of health in which so many of them are
admitted.

The death-rate of the criminals has always been high compared with the
ordinary patients as the following table shows :—

One patient died from swallowing small stones and sand. He appeared to be
quite well when locked up for the night, but at 4 A.M. was found to be purging
and vomiting. He died 12 hours after admission into the hospital. At the post
mortem a quantity of small sharp stones and sand was found in the small intestines
mostly in the cæcum. He had on a former occasion swallowed a quantity of
cocoanut fibre.

The death from drowning was that of an ordinary patient who drowned herself
in the well in the female enclosure. Three ayahs were engaged at the well at the
time, but were probably chatting instead of attending to their work.