REPORT ON THE CALCUTTA LOCK HOSPITALS
For the year 1873.
I HAVE the honor of reporting on the operation of Act XIV of 1868 in the town and
suburbs of Calcutta during the year 1873.
2. It would be in strict accordance with rule if I confined myself to statements concern
-
ing the management of the Lock Hospitals only, reserving all information respecting the
health of the town under the Act for my report to government through the commissioner o
f
police It seems to me, however, that the effect of the work on the town, that is, the manner
,. po .
1 0 i n which the object of the Act is effected, is a question of much departmental interest, and
., both in your office and that of the surgeon-general a full report will be acceptable. I make
3 •;. 1 the present paper therefore as complete as that submitted to government through the
'r ! commissioner of police.
3. In the month of November orders were received to vacate the Sealdah Lock Hos-
' 3
,3'' 'N.. pital by transferring all native patients to Alipore and providing other accommodation for
: Europeans and . Eurasians, and about the same time the resident medical officer at Bow
n`' Bazar resi g ned his appointment The examining depot at Bow Bazar was placed under
0
04,
A the charge of the medical officer at Sealdah in addition to his own duties, and a considerable
•
,
...A, money saving was effected.
N 4. The figures in table I show a reduction of 327 in the number of registered women
:" during the year. They have fallen from 6,782 to 6,455. The proportion of those who,
' , : 4 remainin o. on the list, have evaded examination, has been somewhat smaller than before, as
4k remaining
N,:, shown in the column of defaulters reported. The new registrations, as reported in the police
;r. t. returns, have been nearly the same as in 1872.
i, .
Transfer of
patients from the
Sealdah to the
Alipore Hospital.
Number on
register.
Table I.
1873.
Registered.
Examined.
Difference.
Total of
Examinations.
Mean daily
number of
Examination s.
Defaulters
reported.
January ...
...
...
...
6,782
6,249
533
12,075
480'5
528
February...
...
...
...
6,730
6,180
544
11,559
482'8
487
March ...
6,758
6,157
601
12,424
477'8
575
April
...
...
...
...
6,711
6,170
544
12,347
474'5
541
E
flay
6,706
6,146
500
12,695
470'1
506
June
...
...
...
...
...
6,692
6,028
661
12,215
489'4
433
6,614
6,058
5S5
13,118
424'1
398
August ...
...
...
...
...
6.599
6,048
551
12,758
490'6
453
C. eptember
...
...
...
...
6,613
5,997
616
10,592
407'3
445
October.. .
...
...
...
...
6,545
5,981
561
9,306
311'6
786
"November
...
...
6,404
5,961
533
11,S80
4752
174
:' December
.. .
...
....
...
6,455
5,978
477
12,638
468
389
,,,..F
5. Home Examination.-The number who have chosen the home examination is the
same as in 1872, and insignificant. It was 39 in, January and the same in December.
6. The prevalence of disease is set forth in table II.
II.
Primary
...
•••
...Table
Examinations.
Venereal Cases.
Rate per cent. diseased.
2:55
70
271
Periodic... ...
...
139,635
2,200
1'5
Home
...
...
...
787
4
'5
Defaulter;
...
...
3,897
320
8'2
Unregistered.
...
..•
...
23
23
100
Heine
examination.
Amount of disease
detected.
EAnd it presents no material differences from the figures of the previous year,-a high preva-
elt Mlenee of clisease detected on primary examination, an almost nominal rate among women
uuder regular surveillance, and a figure among defaulters that shows the consciousness of
{:di sease to be one of the causes which lead to default. The percentage of disease among
1 4, (1
,(u nregistered women voluntarily resorting to the hospitals for cure has of course
arith-
etical meaning.
F OC:
7. I returned this year to the former practice of detaining for treatment only such
. -'wornen as sheaved evidence of being venereally affected. There was a mean daily number
z
2 n
to persons in hospital- . The admissions were 2,617 against 2,941 in. 1872, being much
]creased by the non-venereal admissions of the first four months in my absence ; and this,
,o#4 . •
Ith. the large number of similar cases remaining on 1st January, renders the return fallacious
O il respect of actual venereal disease as it was also in 1872. There remained at the close of
01 ::Ohe year, 198 cases only in hospital.
. 8. The severity of syphilitic disease, as measured by mean detention in hospital, has a
less favorable appearance this year in consequence of greater discrimination between true
A*-4,
Detention in
hospital.