New building.
Management.
Statistics of the
year.
Death-rate.
Cholera.
Surgical
operations.
Finances.
REPORT ON THE NORTH SUBURBAN HOSPITAL
For the year 1873.
A. NEW house for the hospital is in coursed of erection on a site situated at Cossipore.
The house will be a two-storied building, and will accommodate the patients and the dispen- -
sary. A separate house for the resident surgeon, and out-offices, are required, for which
there are at present no funds, and which the committee hope to raise. An application has
been made by the honorary secretary to the government for a suitable grant in money to
supplement their effort, and I earnestly trust that his application will meet the approval of
the authorities.
The hospital is under the management of a committee of influential Native and
European gentlemen, the Magistrate of 24-Pergunnahs being its ex-officio president.
Although the weather was hot and trying during a greater portion of the last year,
owing to the insufficient rains, yet the past year was comparatively healthier than any
previous. There was no epidemic cholera, neither any bad types of fever.
The total number of patients treated during the year was 682. Of these 396 were
discharged cured, 78 had some relief, 3 incurable, 132 died, 12 ceased to attend, 22 no better,
and 39 remained under treatment on the 1st January 1874.
The daily average number of sick treated during the year was 35.652. A larger
number of patients would have been treated had there been sufficient accommodation for them.
The shed can comfortably accommodate 36 beds ; but from June to December, when the season
was unhealthy, at times 45 patients were treated in the hospital, and accommodation was
provided for them by extra beds. For fear of overcrowding I was compelled to send away
patients to other hospitals.
The percentage of deaths to the number treated during the last year was 19, against 26
in the previous year. This includes 29 moribund cases which proved fatal within 24 hours
after admission. Excluding these, the death-rate is reduced to 14 per cent. The result is
encouraging ; but still the mortality is high, and is attributable to a large number of low
cases of diarrhœa, dysentery, and fever, admitted into the hospital in an advanced stage of
disease and emaciation. The North Suburban Hospital being a pauper hospital, I have no
option but to admit them.
There were 31 cases of cholera treated last year ; 4 came from Calcutta, 12 from suburbs,
and 15 from suburban towns. Of the total number treated 18 died. The mortality from
cholera alone is 58 per cent. to the number treated.
The total number of capital operations performed was 12 ; of these 2 died. One of
these was a case of amputation of arm. The patient on whom the operation was performed
met with an accident at the Cossipore Gun Foundry, and had not only the left arm smashed
but sustained also compound fracture of tibia and fibula. He died from exhaustion. The
Other was a case of amputation at the shoulder-joint. The patient met with an accident at
the Hossipore sugar-works in the month of May, when the weather was hot and trying. An
attempt was made to save his arm, as there was not much laceration ; but mortification set
in, and in consequence his arm was removed at the shoulder-joint. He died from exhaustion.
The number of cases of injuries treated during the year was 97. Several of them were
cases of accident received from the neighbouring factories, where machinery is employed,
Their details will be found in the return. The percentage of deaths from injuries was 4.13.
With the exception of one solitary instance, there was no surgical fever, tetanus, or
gangrene among the injuries treated, which speaks highly of the cleanliness enjoined at the
hospital.
The total balance at the credit of the hospital on the 31st December amounted t
o F i n a n c e R s . 1 , 4 8 3 - 3 - 0 . T h e r e c e i p t s f r o m a l l s o u r c e s , w i t h t h e c o s t o f E u r o p e m e d i c i n e s , d u r i n g t h e
year were As. 8,305-4-8, the disbursements under different heads being Rs. 8,594-14-10 ; the
balance on the 1st January 1874 was Rs. 1,193-8-10. The subscriptions and donations have
fallen off from Rs. 4,495 to Rs. 3,799. This is owing to the withdrawal of some of the subscribers,
whose places have not been supplied since. There is a surplus fund of Rs. 17,882-1-6 invested
in municipal debentures and set apart for the construction of the new hospital building.