THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
232
living
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN VICTORIA. of Lunatic
The
Report by Mr. E. Payley, Inspector Asylums, for the year 1877 gives an interesting statistical account of lunatic asylums in the Colony of Victoria.
There
five lunatic
are
in
asylums
are
not
-[October 1,
specified.
258 recoveries
and
The facts
85 out
are
of 197
1878.
that 202 out of deaths occurred
who had not completed one year's reThe admissions of the years which may be
among persons
sidence.
the taken under
roughly
to
represent
the number of
persons
year's residence constituted 22 per cent, of colony, which contained on the 31st of December 1877 the population. Of the 197 deaths, 104 were due to 2,719 lunatics?1,573 males and 1,146 females. In of the brain and spine, 57 to diseases of the diseases addition to these there were 15 males and 13 females chest (27 of these being phthisis) and 16 to diseases house and a total lunacy wards, giving
'in
a
of
licensed
2,747 registered Junatics.
colony
is said to be
The population of the The number of registered
860,804.
insanes thus constitutes 3-1 per 1000 of the population, or 1 in 313. The report does not state the
one
of the abdominal
organs?dysentery and diarrhoea actwo cases ; only counting only six cases are attributed to general debility and old age, and one death was for
due to suicide.
As
regards causation the information constitutes the prinIntemperance proportions of the sexes in the population, so that, or known causes, eighteen case^ of item assigned although male lunatics exceed female lunatics in cipal and twelve to puerperal number, it does not follow that the excess is real. The are attributed to sunstroke is
unsatisfactory.
six are noted as hereditary. The average are that there is a considerable excess of causes. Only males in the colony, and that the proportion of male and cost of maintenance was 14s. 2a week reduced female lunatics to population is about equal. The by recoveries for maintenance to 13s. 6^. The detailed reports and returns of the several average number of lunatics resident in asylums show that industry is a conspicuous feature asylums the was during 2,541?1,484 males and 1,056 year in their management. Physical restraint is sparingly and or 41*6 58-4 cent. females, per The admissions amounted to 552?334 males and 218 resorted to, and it is evident that the humane principles females?and 11 males and 7 females were re-admitted. of the day are fully realized in the management of
probabilities
"258
(142
males
and 3
cured, (134
193
(2
and 116
males and 63
The recoveries bore
a
were discharged female) improved, and
females)
males and
1
females)
died
during the year. admissions,
ratio of 45-79 to
the rate being higher among women than men (52 and the deaths amounted to 7-45 per cent, of the average number resident, the death rate
against 41-74), among women
being considerably higher (9-03 against 5'96). Taking
men
than
among
the ten years admissions 'were 47-4
1868-77, the recovery rates on (43-1 among males and 54-1
among
and the death rates
strength
on
average
females), 7*3
(9-0
among males and 4-9 among females.) These results are favourable as contrasted with English statistics. As
compared
with the statistics of Indian
asylums
the most remarkable contrasts are, the larger ratio of lunatics to population in Victoria, the much larger
proportion of females in the asylum population (41-6 against 23'4), the lower recovery rates as compared with Indian asylums, (where however men recover in higher proportion than women), and the much lower death rates than in India, where insanity is a more
fatal disease among women than among of admissions took
men.
The
place
between the ages of majority 30 and 40. Most men were, however, admitted between 40 and 50. Most recoveries and deaths also took place between 40 and 50, but the numbers living The great at the several ages are not specified. majority of recoveries took place during the earlier of asylum residence, and these also appear to
periods
be the most critical
as
regards death,
but numberg
these
asylums.
232
living
LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN VICTORIA. of Lunatic
The
Report by Mr. E. Payley, Inspector Asylums, for the year 1877 gives an interesting statistical account of lunatic asylums in the Colony of Victoria.
There
five lunatic
are
in
asylums
are
not
-[October 1,
specified.
258 recoveries
and
The facts
85 out
are
of 197
1878.
that 202 out of deaths occurred
who had not completed one year's reThe admissions of the years which may be
among persons
sidence.
the taken under
roughly
to
represent
the number of
persons
year's residence constituted 22 per cent, of colony, which contained on the 31st of December 1877 the population. Of the 197 deaths, 104 were due to 2,719 lunatics?1,573 males and 1,146 females. In of the brain and spine, 57 to diseases of the diseases addition to these there were 15 males and 13 females chest (27 of these being phthisis) and 16 to diseases house and a total lunacy wards, giving
'in
a
of
licensed
2,747 registered Junatics.
colony
is said to be
The population of the The number of registered
860,804.
insanes thus constitutes 3-1 per 1000 of the population, or 1 in 313. The report does not state the
one
of the abdominal
organs?dysentery and diarrhoea actwo cases ; only counting only six cases are attributed to general debility and old age, and one death was for
due to suicide.
As
regards causation the information constitutes the prinIntemperance proportions of the sexes in the population, so that, or known causes, eighteen case^ of item assigned although male lunatics exceed female lunatics in cipal and twelve to puerperal number, it does not follow that the excess is real. The are attributed to sunstroke is
unsatisfactory.
six are noted as hereditary. The average are that there is a considerable excess of causes. Only males in the colony, and that the proportion of male and cost of maintenance was 14s. 2a week reduced female lunatics to population is about equal. The by recoveries for maintenance to 13s. 6^. The detailed reports and returns of the several average number of lunatics resident in asylums show that industry is a conspicuous feature asylums the was during 2,541?1,484 males and 1,056 year in their management. Physical restraint is sparingly and or 41*6 58-4 cent. females, per The admissions amounted to 552?334 males and 218 resorted to, and it is evident that the humane principles females?and 11 males and 7 females were re-admitted. of the day are fully realized in the management of
probabilities
"258
(142
males
and 3
cured, (134
193
(2
and 116
males and 63
The recoveries bore
a
were discharged female) improved, and
females)
males and
1
females)
died
during the year. admissions,
ratio of 45-79 to
the rate being higher among women than men (52 and the deaths amounted to 7-45 per cent, of the average number resident, the death rate
against 41-74), among women
being considerably higher (9-03 against 5'96). Taking
men
than
among
the ten years admissions 'were 47-4
1868-77, the recovery rates on (43-1 among males and 54-1
among
and the death rates
strength
on
average
females), 7*3
(9-0
among males and 4-9 among females.) These results are favourable as contrasted with English statistics. As
compared
with the statistics of Indian
asylums
the most remarkable contrasts are, the larger ratio of lunatics to population in Victoria, the much larger
proportion of females in the asylum population (41-6 against 23'4), the lower recovery rates as compared with Indian asylums, (where however men recover in higher proportion than women), and the much lower death rates than in India, where insanity is a more
fatal disease among women than among of admissions took
men.
The
place
between the ages of majority 30 and 40. Most men were, however, admitted between 40 and 50. Most recoveries and deaths also took place between 40 and 50, but the numbers living The great at the several ages are not specified. majority of recoveries took place during the earlier of asylum residence, and these also appear to
periods
be the most critical
as
regards death,
but numberg
these
asylums.
