23
CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
by deputing the duties of a compounder and of a dresser to native medical pupils,
as it may be naturally presumed that youths who are attached to a hospital for the purpose
of receiving instruction in compounding medicines and dressing wounds, &c., will be perhaps
f o r a c o n s i d e r a b l e t i m e b u t i l l - a d a p t e d f o r t h e p r o p e r p e r f o r m a n c e o f t h e s e d u t i e s .
3. The new hospital at Cossipore, which was completed two years ago at a cost of
Rs. 20,000, has not as yet been occupied, as owing to want of funds a residence for the
medical officer and the other necessary out-offices have not yet been built.
New hospital at
c o s s i p o r e s t i l l u n o c c u p i e d .
It is stated that a sum of Rs. 10,000 will be required for the erection of these buildings,
but as Rs. 7,000 of this sum has been collected, principally through the exertions of
M r . W . W e l l s , l a t e O f f i c i a t i n g M a g i s t r a t e o f t h e 2 4 - P e r g u n n a h s , a n d M r . L a m b e r t , D e p u t y
Commissioner of Police, Calcutta, I trust that in my next report I shall be able to state that
the new hospital at Cossipore is in full working order.
4. The hospital is under the management of a committee of European and native gentle-
men, who are either resident or hold property in the suburbs, the Magistrate of the
24-Pergunnahs being ex officio the chairman of the committee.
Committee of
management.
5. The North Suburban Hospital is centrically situated with respect to the neighbour-
ing villages of Cossipore, Paikpara, Sinthee, &c., and from them, as well as from other
distant places, such as Dum-Dum, Manicktollah, &c., poor people apply to the hospital for
medical and surgical relief. The hospital has proved eminently useful to the artisans
and labourers who work in the gun foundry, the Cossipore sugar-works, the Barnagore jute
factory, and other jute screw-presses and factories in its vicinity, in which, owing to the
extensive employment of machinery, severe accidents are of rather frequent occurrence,
and the assistant surgeon reports that from the valuable surgical aid afforded in such cases
the popularity of the institution has been much increased.
Situation, central.
6. The hospital is still located in the shed mentioned in previous reports. This shed
is large and commodious; has pucca walls on three sides, the front being open; and the
patients are protected from sun and rain by large canvas purdahs. However, owing to the
floor being on a level with the surrounding ground, the place is damp, and but ill-suited for
the treatment of the sick.
Hospital shed still
in use.
7.
The Government contributes the pay of the assistant surgeon in charge and the
cost of the European medicines and surgical instruments. The remaining expenses are
defrayed from the monthly subscriptions and donations.
Hospital expenses
how met
.
8. The following table exhibits in a general form the working of the hospital during
the year under review:—
Table showing
admissions, &c.
CLASSES.
R e m a i n e d .
A d m i t t e d .
T o t a l .
D I S C H A R G E D .
D i e d .
R e m a i n i n g .
REMARKS.
C u r e d o r
r e l i e v e d .
U n k n o w n .
E U R O P E A N
Men
2 2
2
Daily average number of
Women
in-patients.
Children
Men
9 87 96 67
5 21 3 Men 2 7 · 5 4
NATIVES
Mussulmans
W o m a n
6 6
3
2
1 Women
7 · 6 0
C h i l d r e n
4 4
1
2 1 Children ·61
Men
17 368 385 258
20 85 22
Hindoos
Women
11 114 125 89
6 24 6
T o t a l 3 5 · 7 5
Children
7 7
2
1
4
Total
37 588 625 422
3 4 136 33
9. The year 1875 is stated to have been unusually unhealthy owing to the prevalence
of remittent fever of a low type and of epidemic cholera.
1875 an unusually
unhealthy year.
10. The total number treated (625) was less than that of 1874 by 96, and this decrease
is stated to be owing to the unusual length of time occupied in the treatment in hospital of
a large number of cases of remittent fever and cholera.
Total number of
patients treated
.
11. The daily average number of sick during the year was 35·75. It is reported that
there were numerous applications for admission into hospital, but in order to prevent over-
crowding it was impossible to comply with them in every instance.
D
aily average
number of sick.
12. The death-rate, 21·76 per cent., was considerably higher than that of 1874, but
this excess is accounted for by the admission of 24 moribund cases (those who died within
24 hours after admission,) and of five patients with cholera who died within four hours after
admission. Excluding these cases the death-rate would be reduced to 17·44 per cent. The high
mortality is also stated to have been due to a large number of cases of diarrhœa, dysentery,
and anasarca brought into hospital in the last stage of emaciation, when medicine and
medical skill were of little avail.
Death-rate
.