( 2 )
It appears from this statement that, notwithstanding the general decrease
in the number of patients, there was an increase of 2,377 in the number
Mahomedans treated, and of 2,247 in the number of persons classed as
'Other castes.' Of the total number treated, 62.13 per cent. were adul
males, 14.42 per cent. adult females, and 23.44 per cent. children, the proportioi
of adult males being higher and of adult females lower than in any of the
previous five years. While there was an increase of 4,613 in the number of adul
Mahomedan male patients and of 718 in the number of adult Hindu male
patients, there was a fall of 368 in the number of adult Mahomedan female
patients and of 2,908 in the number of adult Hindu female patients.
4. The following table shows the health of the town and suburbs during
1878 and the previous ten years, as exhibited in the hospital returns :—
YEARS.
ALL DISEASES.
CHOLERA.
Death-rate
excluding
cholera.
Nu mb e r o f d e a t h s r e g i s t e r e d b y t h e Mu n i c i p a l - i t y . Rate per mille of
population.
Treated.
Died,
Died
per
mille.
Treated.
Died,
Died
per
mille.
1868
16,996
3,386
199
1,224
563
460
179
13,736
32
1869
18,035
3,043
169
1,144
558
487
147
12,795
29.8
1870
15,816
2,250
142
605
258
426
131
10,462
24.4
1871
17,325
2,288
132
255
112
439
127
10,299
24
1872
2,805
2,761
132
488
217
484
125
11,923
27.8
1873
18,896
2,706
143
492
264
536
132
11,558
26. 9
1874
2,331
3,197
157
666
339
509
145
12,641
29.4
1875
22,806
3,815
167
787
405
515
154
15,069
35
1876*
21,832
3,226
147
740
399
539
134
12,964
30.2
1877* -
24,822
3,308
133
574
294
512
124
13,704
31.9
1878*
28,661
4,611
160
603
335
555
152
16,396
38.1
The returns of deaths registered by the municipality show that the town
was exceptionally unhealthy during the past year, the mortality being 38.1 per
thousand of the population, against an average of 27.9 for the preceding ten
years. Not only was the mortality higher than the average, but it was higher
than in any one of the years from 1868 to 1877. The hospital statistics of
mortality correspond, as might be expected, very closely with those of the
general population. The mortality from all diseases was 160 per thousand of
those treated, against an average annual hospital death-rate of 152.1 per thousand
during the previous ten years. The hospital death-rate of 1878, although
very high, was not, however, like the death-rate of the general population,
higher than in any of the previous ten years, as it compares favourably with
the death-rates of 1868, 1869, and 1875. Excluding cholera cases, the mortality
among patients was higher than in any of the preceding ten years, except 1868
and 1875.
5. The statement of the principal diseases among house-patients shows that
there were 8,412 cases of malarious fever with 660 deaths, against 6,706 cases and
483 deaths in 1877. There were 603 cases of cholera and 335 deaths as compared
with 574 cases and 294 deaths in the previous year. Small-pox was very pre-
-valent, and 319 cases treated resulted in 135 deaths, while there were only 19
cases and 2 deaths from this disease in 1877. From dysentery and diarrhoea
there were 1,816 deaths out of 5,386 cases, against 1,131 deaths out of 4,060 cases
in the previous year. In all 832 important surgical operations were performed
as compared with 916 in 1877 and 669 in 1876. The total mortality in 1878
was only 59 or 7.09 per cent. of those operated on, against 77 deaths or 8.4
per cent. in 1877 and 74 or 11.06 per cent. in 1876. The results of the
24 most important and difficult surgical operations were even more
satisfactory than those just given. There were in 1878 467 operations belong--
ing to these classes, and the death-rate was only 4.92 per cent., against corre-
-sponding death-rates of 7.25 and 12.01 in 1877 and 1876 respectively. The
number of operations on the eye was 318-the same number as in the previous
year, but not a single case ended fatally in 1878. There were 35 cases of
lithotomy in 1878 with only 2 deaths, against 24 cases and 5 deaths in 1877,
and 18 cases and 4 deaths in 1876. The returns furnished by the Surgeon-
General are a record of continually increasing success in the performance of
surgical operations in the Calcutta Medical Institutions.
*Exclusive of cases treated in the Eye Infirmary.
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