ANNUAL REPORT ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS.                                       5

several ascertained causes which were believed to have produced mental aber-
ration:—

Amongst known moral causes the most frequent were grief, religious excite-
ment, family quarrels, and nervous shock ; and amongst physical the most prominent
were narcotic drugs, congenital mental deficiency, hereditary influence, epilepsy and
privation or starvation.

8.  THE PROFESSIONS OR OCCUPATIONS of the 207 insanes admitted in the year
were ascertained, except in 22 instances ; and full details are given in table No. IV
of Appendix. The largest number of admissions, viz., 37, under one head appears
against " no occupation," the fact probably being that most of the individuals in
this class were from feeble intellect unable at any period of their lives to engage in
regular occupation. Of the 30 private soldiers admitted, 16 were Europeans and
14 Natives of India.

9.  TYPES OF INSANITY.—Table VI of Appendix gives full details under this
head, the ailments being designated and cases grouped according to the revised
" Nomenclature of Diseases." The most prevalent types were mania (363 cases),
dementia (240) and melancholia (51).

10.  SICKNESS AND MORTALITY.—The general health of the inmates of the Madras
Asylum was not satisfactory, the daily average sick from intercurrent ailments having
been 18.97, and, therefore, greater than in any preceding year since 1880-81.
The death-rate too was unfavorable, having been 8.87 per cent. of daily average
strength against 6.68 in 1886. In the febrile group of diseases, there was a fatal
case of typho-malarial fever and 2 cases of the eruptive fever (chicken-pox). Of
specific constitutional ailments, there were 7 cases of syphilis and 2 of tubercular
leprosy. The more frequent nervous complaints, apart from mental diseases, were
meningitis (3), apoplexy (4), hemiplegia (4) and epilepsy (10). There was a
singular absence of diseases of the circulatory system, the only cases recorded
having been 2 of fatty heart, both of which were fatal. As usual, amongst the
insane, respiratory diseases were common and serious. The more important admis-
sions were for chronic bronchitis (8), asthma (4), lobular pneumonia (4) and
chronic pneumonic phthisis (18). Intestinal diseases were very prevalent, there
having been 29 cases of dysentery and 28 of diarrhœa. As usual, there was a
number of local injuries, including 10 wounds of head and face, 2 dislocations of
the lower jaw, 2 fractures of the forearm and 2 of the phalanges, and 1 dislocation.
The largest number of deaths (13) resulting from any one disease was due to
chronic pneumonic phthisis. Consumption is very common amongst insanes, and
very insidious in its progress, as the usual more prominent symptoms are often

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