TRIENNIAL REPORT

ON THE

TEZPUR LUNATIC ASYLUM

FOR THE YEARS

1900, 1901, and 1902.

INTRODUCTORY.—-Major E. A. W. Hall, M.B., CM., i.m.S., was in charge of the Asylum from ist January to 20th April 1900, Assistant Surgeon Narayan Chandra Basu from 21st April to 5th June 1900, Captain Asher Leventon, I.M.S., from 6th June to 23rd September 1900, and Lieutenant-Colonel Macnamara from 24th September 1900 to the end of the year 1902. First-grade Hospital Assistant Girish Chandra Das was insubordinate charge, both medical and executive, for the whole period.

2. Admissions and discharges.—The total of admissions during the triennium was 105, excluding 3 re-admissions, against 75 in the previous triennium, excluding 3 re-admissions. During the years under review, there were 43 discharges, against 61 during the previous three years ; of these 43 discharges, 34 were discharged as cured, 2 were made over to their friends as mentally improved, and 7 escaped from the Asylum, none of whom were recovered.

3. Admissions classified.—One of the total of the 108 admissions during the trien-mum was received from the Rangoon Asylum viz., in the year 1902. Out of the remaining 107 (including the re-admissions), 37 were received from Darrang district, which is the highest number from any district. Sibsagar comes next with 26, then comes La-khimpur with 20, Kamrup, Nowgong, and the Khasi and Jaintia Hills each sent 5. The Garo Hills, Naga Hills, and Goalpara gave us 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

4. Criminal and non-criminal lunatics.—Out of the 108 admissions during the uiennium, 35 were criminal, including 1 re-admission, and 73 were non-criminals, against 22 criminals and 56 non-criminals during the previous three years.

5- Nationality, religion, sex, and residence.—Out of the total admissions during

tne last three years, 50 were natives of the province, 34 imported tea-garden coolies,

and 24 free immigrants, against 37, 31, and 10, respectively, during the previous three

years. Eighty-seven were Hindus, 4 Muhamrnadans, 1 Native Christian, and 16 were

pother castes, against 63, 8, 1, and 6, respectively, during the previous triennium. Of

^ne_#total admissions, 92 were males and 16 females, against 61 and 17, respectively,

P^rirJg the previous three years; finally, of these patients 50 belong to various

,^lstncts in Assam, and 58 to districts beyond the province, against 39 and 39, respect-

^^ely, during the previous three years.

6. Previous occupation.—The previous occupations of the inmates were as follow, , ⁸-t 4° cultivators, 44 tea coolies, 1 cook, 1 chaprasi, 4 sepoys, 3 shop-keepers, 5

anT^^arS) ^! ^c^^er^> ^l priest, 3 servants, 1 schoolmaster, 1 pandit, 1 student, 1 boatman, ^rina I unknown,

rev Causes of insanity.—Of the total 108 admissions during the triennium under

₀pj'^ew» ^tne insanity in 10 cases was believed to be due to ganja-smokxug, in 1 to

epil ^m"^eatni£> ¹ to spirit-drinking, 5 to fever, 1 to dysentery, 7 were connected with

wlf ,P^syj 7 were due to hereditary causes, 1 to pneumonia, a to deaths of children, 2 to

c_aue^S ^misconduct, 1 each to syphilis, injury to head, and separation from wife. The

tainlj⁸ ^,nsam^y of the remaining 68 patients were unknown, and could not be ascer? ⁶⁽¹ on enquiry.