Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7Thurston, Edgar
History
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
Writing concerning the prevalence of insanity in different classes,
the Census Commissioner, 1891, states that "it appears from the
statistics that insanity is far more prevalent among the Eurasians
than among any other class. The proportion is 1 insane person in
every 410. For England and Wales the proportion is 1 in every 307,
and it is significant that the section of the population of Madras,
which shows the greatest liability to insanity, is that which has
an admixture of European blood. I have no information regarding the
prevalence of insanity among Eurasians for any other province or
State in India except Mysore, and there the proportion is 1 in 306."
For the following tabular statement of admissions into the Government
Lunatic Asylum, Madras, I am indebted to Captain C. H. Leet-Palk,
I.M.S.:--
======+=================+=================+================
| Eurasians. | Natives. | Europeans.
-- |-----------------|-----------------|----------------
| Male. | Female. | Male. | Female. | Male. | Female.
------+-------+---------+-------+---------+-------+--------
1893 | 6 | 7 | 110 | 55 | 15 | 4
1894 | 8 | 6 | 104 | 28 | 19 | 1
1895 | 10 | 6 | 113 | 18 | 11 | 4
1896 | 2 | 4 | 82 | 17 | 5 | ...
1897 | 3 | 3 | 84 | 18 | 14 | 1
======+=======+=========+=======+=========+=======+========
Leaving out of question the Europeans, in whom, owing to the
preponderance of the male sex in Madras, a greater number of male than
female lunatics is to be expected, and considering only Eurasians
and Natives, the far higher proportion of female as compared with
male lunatics in the Eurasian than in the Native community, is
very conspicuous. Taking, for example, the numbers remaining in the
Asylum in 1894. Whereas the proportion of Eurasian males to females
was 33:31, that of Natives was 30.6:6.8; and the high proportion of
female Eurasian inmates was visible in other years. The subject seems
to be one worthy of further study by those competent to deal with it.
G
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