(250-1.)

SAVINGS' BANKS. Return of the Weekly and Total Increase or Decrease of Sums paid or withdrawn by the Trustees of Savings' Banks between 20th November, 1863, and 20th November, 1864, with the Amount of Stock purchased or sold by the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, and Amount of uninvested Balances in the hands of the said Commissioners on account of Savings' Banks, during the same period. (Sir Henry Willoughby.) 3rd May, 1863. DURING the year the excess paid in by Savings' Banks beyond the sums drawn out was 15,4167. 19s. 3d.; the excess drawn out by Savings' Banks beyond the sums paid in, including interest 1,973,445l. 11s. 8d. The sums paid for the purchase of stock was 1,554,8431. 19s. 5d.; the sums received for sale of stock was 2,084,5491. 16s. 11d. The incidental expenses defrayed by the Commissioners, 5531. 4s. 2d. The dividends received by the Commissioners, 1,402,9897. 12s. 8d., leaving a balance of 312,0227.. 15s. The amount of interest credited to Savings' Banks in Great Britain and Ireland during the year ending the 20th November, 1864, was 1,285,5877. 12s. 8d.

SUGAR.

A Return of the Quantities of Sugar imported and retained for Home Consumption, with rate of Duty charged and Revenue therefrom, from 1844 to 1864 inclusive. (Mr. Moffatt.) 28th April, 1865. (235.)

THE total quantity of unrefined sagar imported into the United Kingdom in 1844 was 4,880,075 cwts.-viz., from British West Indies, 2,452,778 cwts.; Mauritius, 540,620 cwts.; British East Indies, 1,101,261 cwts.; and foreign, 785,416 cwts. And of refined sugar and sugar candy the quantity imported was 31,525 cwts. The quantity of unrefined sugar retained for actual consumption was 4,129,443 cwts., and of refined 6 cwts. The net revenue from duties on sugar of all sorts was 5,203,2701. The average prices per cwt. of Muscovado sugar, exclusive of duty, was, British West India, 17. 13s. 8d.; Mauritius, 1l. 12s. 10d.; British East India, 17. 15s. 1d.;

Havannah sugar, 11. 1s. 8d. In 1864 the total quantities of unrefined sugar imported into the United Kingdom was 10,754,453 cwts., viz., from British West Indies, 3,268,696 cwts.; Mauritius, 1,054,556 cwts.; British East Indies, 873,595 cwts.; foreign, 5,558,433 cwts. The quantity retained for consumption was, unrefined sugar, 8,987,313 cwts.; refined sugar and sugar candy, 799,344 cwts. The net revenue was 5,157,083l. . The average price per cwt. was, British West Indies, 11. 7s. 9d.; Mauritius, 17. 8s. 9d.; British East Indies, 11. 2s. 8d. Average price of Havannah sugar, 1l. 7s. 10d.

The sugar duties in 1844 were those fixed in 1840 with additional 5 per cent., viz., 11. 5s. 23d. per cwt. on British West India and Mauritius; 1l. 5s. 23d. per cwt. on East India sugar within certain limits, and 11. 13s. 74d. per cwt. on the same beyond those limits; 31. 6s. 14d. per cwt. on foreign sugar; 81. 16s. 44d. per cwt. on refined sugar, foreign; and 5l. 17s. 74d. per cwt, on brown sugar candy, foreign. A small difference was introduced in 1844 between foreign sugar not of slave labour and other foreign sugar; but in 1845 the new law was enacted which reduced the duty to 16s. 4d. per cwt. for equal to white clayed, and 14s. per cwt. not equal. The duty on slave labour and other foreign sugar being reduced from 3l. 6s. 1d. to 31. 38. per cwt. In 1846 a further reduction was made in the duty on such sugar to 21. 2s. per cwt. And in 1848 the duties were all reduced, and by gradual relaxation the difference between slave labour and other foreign sugar was abolished. In 1864 the duties were made uniform on all sorts at 11s. 8d. per cwt. for equal to white clayed, and 10s. 6d. per cwt. not equal to white clayed, and 9s. 4d. and 8s. 2d. per cwt. on equal and not equal to brown Muscovado; refined sugar being charged 12s. 10d. per cwt. In 1845 there were imported from the British West Indies and British Guiana 887,705 cwts. of sugar; from the Mauritius, 716,233 cwts. ; from the East Indies, 1,335,435 cwts.; from Ceylon and Singapore, 5,233 cwts.; total, 4,914,594 cwts. In 1864 we imported from the British West Indies, 3,260,262 cwts. ; from Mauritius, 1,054,429 cwts.; from the East Indies, 711,126 cwts.; from Ceylon and

Singapore, 96,638 cwts.; total, 5,122,455 cwts. The importation of sugar from Trinidad, Demerara, St. Lucia, and Barbadoes has increased, but from all other colonies decreased, from 1845 to 1864. The importation of molasses in 1845 was, 517,629 cwts.; in 1864, 220,080 cwts. The importation of rum in 1845, 4,670,879 galls.; in 1864, 5,380,432 galls. There was a great increase in the importation from Demerara from 1,535,794 galls. in 1845 to 2,115,928 galls. in 1864; but a decrease in the importation from Jamaica from 1,745,685 galls. in 1845, and 2,209,214 galls. in 1862, to 1,480,908 galls. in 1864. The importation of coffee was 28,097,161 lbs. in 1845, and 89,887,597 lbs. in 1864. The great increase was on coffee from Ceylon and from India. West India coffee decreased from 6,355,949 cwts. in 1845 to 2,491,392 lbs. in 1864, the principal decrease having taken place in Jamaica coffee. Of cocoa there were imported 3,351,602 lbs. in 1845, and 4,019,216 lbs. in 1864. Of cotton wool, 59,832,148 lbs. in 1845, and 549,960,880 lbs. in 1864. West India cotton increased from 1,394,447 lbs. in 1845 to 43,340,528 lbs. in 1864. Of foreign sugar there were imported 1,128,054 cwts. in 1845, and 6,483,427 cwts. in 1864. Of refined sugar, 226,757 cwts. in 1848, and 945,663 cwts. in 1864. Of British refined there were exported 219,117 cwts. in 1844, and 119,571 cwts. in 1864.

sugar

TAXES (GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND). Return showing the Estimated Amount of Taxes imposed in Great Britain and Ireland respectively in each year from 1816 to 1864 inclusive, showing also the Proportion of addition to the Taxation of each country up to the year 1864. (Sir Stafford Northcote.) 15th May, 1865. (286.)

FROM 1816 to 1864 there were imposed in Great Britain 6,228,3061. of custom duties, 7,982,2841. in excise, 2,217,2381. in stamps, 915,011. in assessed taxes, 18,387,000l. in property and income tax; total, 35,729,8891. In Ireland the amount imposed was, custom duties, 535,6187.; excise, 2,503,9251.; stamps, 464,4801.; assessed taxes, nothing; property and income tax, 1,477,000l. ; total, 4,981,0237.

Total, Great Britain and Ireland, 40,710,862., or in the proportion of 87-76 per cent. on Great Britain, and 12.24 per cent on Ireland. The relative proportion of Great Britain to Ireland's proportion of contribution under the Act of Union was, Great Britain, 14.3 per cent.; Ireland, 2 per cent.

LUNACY (SCOTLAND).

Seventh Annual Report of the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland. "On the 1st January, 1864, the total number of insane in Scotland, exclusive of unreported lunatics in private dwellings and maintained. from private resources, was 6,359, of whom 2,942 were males, and 3,417 females. Of these 1,039 were private, and 5,320 pauper lunatics. In public and district asylums there were 2,919; in private asylums, 872; in parochial, 498; in lunatic wards of poorhouses, 420; and in private dwellings, 1,658. On the 1st January, 1863, the number of lunatics was 6,327, or 37 less than in 1864.

"The number of criminal lunatics in the Central Prison at Perth on 1st January, 1864, comprised 20 males and 12 females, making the total number of lunatics, of whom we have official cognizance, at that date, 5,350. Since 1858, the number of private and pauper lunatics, of whom the commissioners had official cognizance, at 1st January of each year was as follows:-In 1858 the number of pauper lunatics was 4,737; the number of private insane 1,032. In 1864 the number of pauper lunatics was 5,320; and of private insane, 1,039. There appears, on the whole, great steadiness in the extent and occurrence of lunacy; but the tendency in most counties, even as regards pauper lunacy, has latterly been rather towards a diminution than an increase. Indeed, in only one county-that of Lanark has an increase of any magnitude taken place; and the increase here, which in 1863 comprised 39 patients, was more than equal to the total increase for the whole country in that year.

"If we seek to determine the relative tendency of males and females to insanity from data referring exclusively to private patients, we find that, on an average of 7 years, from 1858-64, the proportion of males to females

resident in asylums at 1st January was as 100 to 103.6; and that the relation when deduced from the returns of patients placed in asylums is as 100 to 105-6. But in determining the value to be ascribed to these comparisons, it must be borne in mind that the first will be affected by the proportionally greater mortality of male patients; and that the second must be modified to an unknown extent by the various influences which relatively determine the placing in asylums of males and females. In the proportion of pauper lunacy to the population, some remarkable differences occur in different counties. For instance, in Argyllshire, in a male population of 38,928, we find 101 pauper lunatics; and in Ayrshire only 100 in a male population of 96,994.

"The admissions are most frequent in the months of May, June, July, and August; there is a general preponderance of female admissions, which, however, is subject to considerable fluctuations; as a rule, the male recoveries are rather above a third of the admissions; the proportion of female recoveries is considerably higher; and the number of recoveries for both sexes, is, on the whole, lowest in the colder months. In some months the number of male deaths is greater than that of male recoveries. A corresponding result is rarely found on comparing the female recoveries and deaths. On the contrary, there is very generally a large excess of recoveries.

"The proportion of deaths, calculated on the admissions, is, on the whole, much higher for males than for females. Indeed, as a rule, the absolute male mortality considerably exceeds the absolute female mortality, notwithstanding the excess of female admissions. The causes which determine the higher male mortality seem to act most powerfully from December till April, both months inclusive; in the remaining months the male mortality, considering the predominance of female admissions, is not disproportionally high. The mortality of both sexes is lowest in August and September.

"These facts must not, however, be regarded as conveying any very accurate information concerning the influence of the seasons on the production and cure of insanity, for, in the first place, the occurrence of the malady and the admission into the asylum are very far from being always contemporary; and, in the

second place, the discharge of the patient, notwithstanding his recovery, is frequently delayed until the expiry of his quarter.

"On comparing the mortality of private and pauper patients, the ratio is found to be nearly alike. Thus, in the seven years 1858-64, the percentage of deaths in public asylums was 8.2 for the former, and 8.0 for the latter, on the average numbers resident. The totality of the private patients under our cognizance is to that of the paupers very nearly as 1 to 5; and the mortality of the two classes is almost exactly in the same proportion.

"There are many points of statistical interest, embracing, among others, the civil condition of the patients, their occupations, their ages at the period of attack, the causes and forms of their mental affections, the duration of the malady on admission, and the intervals between successive attacks, which we would gladly have brought under review, had the materials at our command permitted us to do so to any useful purpose.

"The expenditure for pauper lunatics in each year since 1858 is as follows:-In 1858, 80,6521. 2s.; 1859, 88,145l. 5s. 3d.; 1860, 92,5471. 13s. 2d.; 1861, 97,3321. 11s. 4d.; 1862, 98,1867. 12s. 7d.; 1863, 99,9107. 14s. 21d.; the expenditure in public asylums having been 50,4251. in 1858, and 49,8531. in 1868; that in lunatic wards of poorhouses, 10,8777. in 1858, and 16,2431. in 1863.

"The total number of days of relief to lunatic paupers during the year 1863 was 1,886,837, which is equivalent to the maintenance of 5,169 patients during the whole year. The total number of days of relief was 1,900,550 in 1861, and 1,895,428 in 1862. There was thus in 1862 a decrease of 5,122 days, equivalent to a saving during the year of the maintenance of 14 patients; and in 1863 a further decrease of 8,591 days, equivalent to a saving of the maintenance of 23 patients. It thus appears that although the number of patients under treatment had increased from 5,288 at 1st January, 1863, to 5,320 at 1st January, 1864, the average number during the year had been 23 less. But, notwithstanding this decrease in the number of days of relief, there was nevertheless an increase of 1,7441. 1s. 7d. in the expenditure of 1863 over that of 1862. This increase is chiefly dependent on

and, lastly, those who, through the avarice or penuriousness of relations, are detained at home, apart from the consideration whether they are capable or not of receiving benefit from asylum treatment.

"Provision against the maltreatment of patients in private dwellings is made by the 43rd sect. of 20 and 21 Vict. c. 71; but the power of interference is restricted to those cases in which the patient has been kept for more than a year after the malady has become apparent and confirmed, and in which, during any part of that period, coercion or restraint has been required. We are, however, without any special means of discovering the existence of such cases, and are, accordingly, dependent for a knowledge of them on such haphazard communications as may be made to us.

"The table in p. 348 shows the number of pauper patients chargeable to each of the statutory districts on 1st January, 1864; the relative numbers placed in asylums and private dwellings; and the proportion which pauper lunatics bear in the different districts to the entire number of paupers, and to the general population. It appears from it that the most pauperised county of Scotland is that of Argyll, and that this county and that of Perth contain the largest proportion of pauper lunatics to the population. The counties least pauperised, and which contain the smallest proportion of pauper lunatics to the population, are generally those in which manufacturing or agricultural industry has been most developed.

"The general principles on which the treatment of the patients in Scotch asylums is conducted are in a great degree purely hygienic. Little reliance appears to be placed on any specific action of drugs, and the use of counter irritation is sparingly resorted to. The leaning of medical superintendents seems to be to avoid active interference, whether by physical or moral agents; and to trust for success more to the removal of the patient from the sources of mental irritation and the causes of bodily disease, and to placing him in circumstances where his bodily wants will be properly supplied, and where he will be trained in the exercise of self-control. Mechanical restraint is seldom resorted to, except to control the movements of the body where there are fractured bones, or to prevent mutilation or onanism.

The superintendent of the Perth Royal Asylum, however, expresses, in his last annual report, a very decided opinion that restraint by the strait-waistcoat or polka might with advantage be more frequently used. The use of seclusion has undergone a very considerable diminution since we entered on our functions, and, we have no hesitation in saying, with very beneficial results. The application of the douche seems never to be resorted to either for treatment or discipline, and the use of the showerbath for the latter purpose is not extensive. Considerable attention is paid in the public and district asylums, and in some of the private and parochial establishments, to supplying means of occupation and amusement; but the visiting commissioners have had to comment in several houses on the large proportion of patients habitually restricted in their exercise to the airing-courts. The liberty accorded to the patients in the Elgin Asylum, and the extent to which they engage in agricultural labour, afford an example which may be studied with benefit by more ambitious establishments. Pleasing recreation is afforded to the patients of most asylums, at stated periods, by theatrical entertainments, dancing parties, concerts, and lectures; but it seems to us that, as a rule, more pains might fitly be taken by more common means to break the monotony of the every-day routine.

66

Among the dangers to which asylums are exposed, that of fire is perhaps the most to be dreaded, especially in those of recent construction, in which the extensive fire-proof arrangements adopted in the earlier buildings have been abandoned. Vaulted roofs are no longer introduced; and, indeed, the only structural precaution on which reliance is placed to check the spread of a conflagration, is usually the provision of stone partition walls, with sliding iron doors. But even this mode of isolation has not always been adopted, and, in such a case, in the event of fire once fairly gaining head, the risk of the whole building being destroyed would be exceedingly great.

"During the past year, the asylums of Edinburgh and Montrose have very narrowly escaped being burnt down. Fire broke out in both during the night; in the former, in a closet which served as a place of deposit for ashes; and in the latter, in one of the store