36
REPORT ON THE
Operations.
Remedies.
have had their resources so crippled by the long sickness of one of their num-
bers that the burden can no longer be borne, and the invalid is brought to the
hospital in the last stage of disease to avoid the expenses of cremation or
burial.
" The foregoing table shows the number of persons regarding whom there
was but small hope of recovery on their admission and who are here shown as
'moribunds.' The official definition of the 'moribunds' has its use no doubt,
but it does not include one half of the cases that may be considered dying on
admission.
" At present there is no special provision for the accommodation of this
class, and. the small out-house in the hospital enclosure, devoted to moribunds,
is always overcrowded. An appeal is being made to the public for funds to
provide additional accommodation for the native department of the hospital
generally, and claims for this class will not be overlooked."
7. The operations performed in this hospital during the year show 54
major with eight deaths, and 1,346 minor operations with no fatal cases. The
chief operations have been amputations of various limbs, which operation was
rendered necessary from railway accidents. The mortality was heavy though
perhaps to be expected from the nature of the injuries which required surgical
interference.
During the year seven European and one native woman were confined.
The filtered water supplied to Calcutta has been used for drinking and
cooking purposes.
The drainage is satisfactory. Sewage is disposed of under municipal
regulations, so also is conservancy, and the arrangement is said to be working
well though expensive. The new latrine, urinals, and bath-rooms are a great
improvement in the European portion of the hospital, being conveniently placed
in a detached building which is reached by a covered way. The native latrine
is kept in good order.
"The compounders have not given satisfaction. They are a class of men
about which there is very general complaint. It would be a benefit to the
province, or at any rate to the larger hospitals of the province, if these men
were taught their duties and placed in a better position with regard to pay and
pension."
8. In reference to remedies Mr. Pilcher writes as follows :—" The further
use of the cinchona alkaloids proves them to be of almost equal value to
quinine. They are no doubt more irritating to the stomach, and doses of more
than eight or ten grains can rarely be borne without exciting vomiting ; doses of
five grains often nauseating ; but there is no doubt in my mind that in the low
form of intermittent fever, common in Howrah, that the cinchona alkaloids
given with ether have yielded better results, at all ages, than was formerly
obtained with quinine.
The remedy for dysentery, introduced by Assistant Surgeon Umirto Lall
Deb, has also been extensively tried in both departments of the hospital. I
have no reason to change my opinion, which is the same as that of my prede-
cessor, Dr. Bird, and is confirmatory of the very great value of the Ixora in
acute dysentery. A separate report with a very large number of cases will be
submitted for the information of Government shortly, and I would merely
remark here that Assistant Surgeon Umirto Lall Deb deserves some substantial
recognition for the valuable and painstaking researches which he has carried
on with much patience and perseverance over a serious of years, regarding
the medical qualities of this indigenous drug."
Municipality.—In the Municipality much valuable work has been done in
reference to sanitation generally. The annual grant for vaccination has been
continued, and the subscription to the hospital will be shortly increased.
Although no large and expensive sanitary works have been carried out in the
town, at almost every meeting of the Committee, some question or other bearing
on sanitation has been discussed, and always with the view to remedy defects
as far as funds would permit.