22                                       LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN BENGAL.

The Matron continues to give satisfaction, and 1st class Hospital Assistant Ali Mahomed,
who was appointed to the asylum, is favorably reported on by the Superintendent.

The Dacca Asylum.

Excellence of annu-
al report and
care employed in
drawing up re-
turns.

                                                                  STATEMENT No. 14.

39. Dacca.—Dr. Wise's report is a most excellent one, full of interesting information about the
institution and its inmates The
report illustrates also how usefully
the new tabular forms can be
employed for discussing exhaustively
and intelligently the events of the
year. Dr. Wise has submitted his
returns in a more complete and
correct state than any of the other
Superintendents, and his report was
received before those of the remain-
ing asylums, and would have been
received sooner had the forms been
issued earlier. This is but one
illustration among very many of the

scrupulous care and thoroughness with which this officer performs every duty connected with
the very important charges which he holds.

General statement
of results.

Causes of high
death-rate.

Effect of a long
journey.

Orders issued on
the subject.

40. The population of the asylum has been smaller during the past year; the admission
rate low and less than the discharge rate ; the recovery rate small, and the death-rate excessive.
Dr. Wise submitted in December a special report on the large mortality of 1870, which he
attributed to (1) the bad physical health of the lunatics on admission ; (2) the long and
tiresome journey they underwent before arrival at the asylum ; (3) the sudden alternations
of temperature they are exposed to during the cold season, and (4) the insufficient accom-
modation provided for them in the asylum. The mortality of 1871 has been still greater,
and the Superintendent attributes it to the same causes. It is very remarkable that 52 per
cent. of the deaths occurred during the last three months of the year. This circumstance
alone, which is moreover supported by the experience of former years, demonstrates the potent
effect of season in causing or accelerating the death of these poor people. There can be no
denying that a long journey from a distant locality must act prejudicially, and Dr. Wise
adduces in his report facts to illustrate this in addition to those submitted in his special
report. In the mouth of November the Superintendent made a special representation on the
subject, and Government was moved to issue orders to district officers with a view to prevent
the transmission of aged or weakly lunatics from long distances. It was ruled (Bengal
Government letter No. 4, dated 5th January 1872,) that the instructions issued in 1868
regarding the transmission of lunatics to asylums, put it in the power of medical officers to
prevent the transmission of sickly lunatics to asylums, by declining to certify their fitness
to travel ; but that, as the law stood, there was no other way of disposing of lunatics whose
friends were unable or unwilling to receive them than sending them to asylums, which are
the fittest places for them ; for " the utmost that can be done," the letter concludes, " is that
when harmless lunatics are in charge of their friends and decently kept, they need not
unnecessarily be sent to an asylum."

A circular was issued to medical officers enjoining great care in examining lunatics
about to be sent to asylums before certifying their fitness to travel.

Revision of estab-
lishment.

41. In consequence of the representations made in previous reports regarding the
inefficiency of the establishment of the asylum, the Super-
intendent was directed to submit a scheme for reorganizing
it on the principle of a fixed establishment with a higher rate
of wages. After some correspondence the scale marginally
noted was sanctioned (Bengal Government letter No. 632, dated 15th February 1872).
This scale was to be considered a fixed one.