16
REPORT ON THE .
Articles composing Diets of Native sick.—(B.)
HALF.
FULL.
Low.
Pice in lieu of diet for
Ordinary.
Milk.
pregnant women.
REMARKS.
Rice or flour
... 16 oz. Rice or flour
... 12 oz. Rice or flour
... 12 oz. Sago
...
... 3 oz. Pice 3 annas.
There are to be no ad •
Dal
.,.
... 2 „ Dal
...
.., 2 „ Sugar
...
. . 21- „ Soojee ...
... 6 „
tions to these diets.th
Salt
...
.„ I „ Salt
..,
... / „ Milk 2 pts. and 6 „ Sugar
.
„. 2 „
Ghee
...
.., I „ Ghee
...
... 1 „ Soojee
...
... 2 , Milk 1 Pts. and 6 ,
If another be required
Mustard
...
... 1 „ Mustard oil
... 1, „ Firewood ...
... 1 lb. Firewood
... 1 lb.
new diet is to be LuYi
Curry-stuff ...
.., 3 drs. Curry-stuff
... 2 drs.
out and charged for
Fish or kid. ..
... 6 oz. Fish
,„
.., 4 oz.
"extra."
Potatoes
...
... 4 „ Vegetables ...
... 4 „
Vegetables ...
... 6 „ Potatoes ...
... 3 ,,
Milk
..,
.., 6 „ Milk
Flour or soojee
... 2 ., Soojee or flour
... 2 „
Sugar
...
... 1 „ Sugar
...
... 1 „
Firewood ,..
... 2 lb. Firewood ...
... 2 lb.
PRESIDENCY GENERAL HOSPITAL.
SURGEON-MAJOR J. JONES, M.D., was in medical charge during the year, and reports as
follows.
I beg to send the annual returns of the General Hospital for 1878.
2. The number of patients admitted during the year was 4,164, the average for ten
years having been 2,987. Out of this number 2,748 were sailors, the average for five years
having been 1,378. The paying patients numbered 363, the women 343, and the children
148. The proportion of sailors to other patients has been increasing for some years. The
ratio per thousand of seamen to total treated in 1873 was 450 ; in 1878 it was 660.
3. The daily average number of sick was 167, that for the last ten years 169, so that
the daily average for 1878 was slightly less than the average for ten years, notwithstanding
that the number of patients treated was much larger. This is accounted for by the men
having been kept a shorter time in hospital, possibly from their complaints having been of a
milder character. The daily average of sailors was 130, women 15, children 2.
4. With regard to the diseases prevailing, the largest number of admissions was from
fever. It amounted to 1,347, the average for the preceding five years having been about 700.
From this it would appear that fever was exceedingly rife during the year. The type was,
however, mild, as there were only 14 deaths from this cause, against 18 last year.
5. There were 40 cholera cases. In 1877 there were 73, and the average for ten years
has been 76, so that there has been a considerable fall. The fatality was great, the deaths
were 30. Most of the sufferers were brought in in an advanced state of collapse. There were
only three cases from the European and Eurasian community of the town, the remainining 37
were from the shipping. The moorings from which they were received were as follow :-
Garden Reach, 2 ; ICidderpore, 1; Hastings, 6 ; Prinsep's Ghât, 6 ; Fort, 4; Esplanade, 8;
Jetties, 9 ; Sailors' Home, 1. There were four from one ship, the Majestic, and two from
each of four ships. The Majestic was moored at Fort Point.
6. Small-pox became manifest in six patients after their admission into hospital.
They were at once transferred to Sealdah, and the disease did not spread in the wards.
7. Dysentery and diarrhoea were less prevalent than in the preceding year, the
numbers having been 370 and 328 for 1877, and 245 and 264 for 1878. There have been
fewer admissions from diseases of the liver also.
8. There were 36 cases of labour ; two difficult, in which instruments had to be used.
9. There has been a considerable falling off in phthisis and in respiratory affections ;
also in diseases of the heart and in syphilitic and rheumatic affections, but an increase in
gonorrhoea.
10. There were 26 important operations, and 184 minor : 43 fractures were treated.
11. The deaths were 138.33 per thousand of the total treated, including cholera.
Excluding cholera, 26 per thousand. The corresponding numbers last year were 40 and 31.
The diseases which caused the largest number of deaths were cholera, phthisis, remittent
fever, pneumonia, bronchitis, diseases of the heart, dysentery, diarrhea, apoplexy,
sunstroke, and hepatitis. There were only six deaths from dysentery—a ratio of 24 per
thousand treated. The corresponding numbers in 1876 and 1877 were 59 and 37, so that
the eases were of a milder character, or earlier application was made for treatment. There
seems to have been a gradual improvement in the nature of the cases of dysentery admitted,
as the average death-rate from 1867 to 1877 was 68 per thousand. The deaths from
diarrhoea were seven, or 27 per thousand. The deaths from fever were only a little over one
per cent., but the cases were chiefly simple, continued, and intermittent. The fatality from
phthisis was great-262 per thousand. Many of the cases were admitted in a mori-
bund state.
12. The gross cost of the hospital in 1877 was Rs. 1,56,468, and the net cost (after
deducting the amount received from paying patients and from the Port Funds, for seamen,
&c.) Rs. 1,28,073. The corresponding amounts for 1878 have been Rs. 1,02,640 and Rs. 48,060.