STATISTICAL RETURNS

                                             OF THE

                           LUNATIC ASYLUMS

                                             IN

                           EASTERN BENGAL AND ASSAM

                                             FOR THE YEAR

                                             1909,

                  WITH BRIEF EXPLANATORY NOTES.

                           INTRODUCTORY.

         1. Lieutenant-Colonel E. A. W. Hall, I.M.S., held charge of the Asylum at Dacca
throughout the year except from the 19th July to the 19th October, when Captain
H. Innes, I.M.S., officiated. Major H. S. Wood, I.M.S., was in charge of the Tezpur
Asylum except during his absence on privilege leave from the 20th September to the
29th October, when 1st grade Assistant Surgeon Shasanka Mohan Mukherji acted.

                                                      GENERAL.

         Admissions.
Statement No. I.

         2. At the commencement of the year, the number of lunatics under confinement

was 486 against 474 in 1908. During the year there were
165 new admissions including re-admissions. Of these, 143
were males and 22 females. The total number of admis-
sions, both of criminal and non-criminal lunatics, into the Tezpur Asylum, was larger
than in any previous year. The districts of Sylhet, Dacca, Mymensingh and Faridpur
sent the greatest number of lunatics to the Dacca Asylum and the districts of
Darrang, Lakhimpur and Sibsagar to the Tezpur Asylum. The daily average number
rose from 480.33 in 1908 to 510.68 in 1909.

         Re-admissions.
Statement No. I.

         Re-admissions numbered 12 against 10 in the preceding year, and of these, 4

were criminals and 8 non-criminals. The criminal luna-
tics were re-admitted after trial and the non-criminal
lunatics, at intervals of 2 to 3 years after discharge.

         Discharges.
Statement No. I.

         The number of discharges (excluding 3 escapes) was 57 against 63 (excluding

2 escapes) in 1908, 42 or 8.22 per cent. of the daily
average number being discharged cured, and 15, who had
improved being made over to friends.

         Escapes.
Statement No. I.

         Three lunatics, 2 males and 1 female, escaped from the Tezpur Asylum and are

still at large. One male lunatic escaped while at work
in the sugar cane field and the other from inside the
stockade, when the lunatics were being locked up after
their evening meal. The female lunatic, who was a criminal, made her escape from
the night latrine through the hole below the seat which, being old and corroded, she
managed to widen. In every case a careful search was made by the Asylum servants
and the escapes reported to the District Magistrate ; where the keepers were in fault
they were punished with fine. No escapes were reported from the Dacca Asylum.

         Admissions classified according
to (a) criminals and non-criminals.

         3. The year opened with 244 criminal lunatics confined in the two asylums

against 248 in 1908. The numbers admitted and re-ad-
mitted during the year were 66 and 4, respectively, against
39 and 7 in the previous year.

         (b) Nationality, religion, sex and
residence.

         Statement No. III.

         Out of a total of 165 admissions and re-admissions, 112 were natives of the pro-
vince, 35 belonged to other provinces and the residences of
the remaining 18 could not be ascertained. As to caste,
106 were Hindus, 53 were Muhammadans and 6 were of
other castes. The proportion of males to females was

6.5 to 1.