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charges for dieting, for medical comforts, and for " miscellaneous charges "
show a decrease; while the increase in the gross expenditure is due to expendi-
ture on repairs. This hospital receives no medicines free from Government ;
yet its expenditure is well within its income. Mr. Eden has very strong
grounds for believing that the expenditure on European medicines and medical
comforts in most of the. Calcutta hospitals is excessive, and that charges are
thrown upon Government which, by careful management and a proper con-
trol of issues, might be avoided.
7. The Lieutenant-Governor cordially endorses the encomium passed by
Dr. Beatson upon the ladies of the Nurses' Committee, and the lady nurses of
the Canning Home. Careful and gentle nursing is often of more importance
than expensive medicines, and the ladies who devote their time to the support
and superintendence of this good work deserve the gratitude of Government
and of the public. .
S. Medical College Hospital.—Of the 3,818 in-door patients treated in this
hospital, 1,795 were Christians and 2,023 were natives. The death-rate was 13.61
per cent.—7.18 for Christians and 19.32 for natives ; excluding moribund cases,
however, the mortality was only 10'35 per cent. of the total number treated.
The death-rate among Christians was higher than in any of the preceding five
years. The maximum death-rate of that period was 6.18 in 1872. The very
satisfactory decrease in hospitalism has already been noticed. Deaths from
this cause were only 5 per cent. of the number operated on in 1876, against
25.80 per cent. in 1875 and 31.06 per cent. the average of the six preceding
years. The hospital authorities have not offered any explanation of this
remarkable circumstance ; but Mr. Eden understands that it is partly due to
a new method of treating surgical cases. The Lieutenant-Governor wishes
to have a special report on the out-door dispensaries at this hospital.
The gradual falling off in the attendance, which has been noticed for
some years, is apparently attributable in some measure to the want of
accommodation. There has been a satisfactory increase in the number of minor
surgical operations performed, as well as in the attendance at the ophthalmic
dispensary. The question of enlarging the Medical College Hospital, so
as to provide separate accommodation for surgical and obstetric cases, has
long engaged the attention of Government, and Mr. Eden hopes that the work
will be begun during the current year.
9. General Hospital.—The in-door patients admitted during the year num-
bered 3,805, including 409 natives. The death-rate of the Christians was
4. 48, and that of the natives 13.96 per cent. Nearly one-third of the deaths
among the former class resulted from cholera, 51 out of 101 cases treated
ending fatally. It appears that 15 of these persons were moribund when
they reached hospital. No less than 91 of these cases came from the
shipping, and Dr. Elliot remarks on the difficulty of treating successfully
patients who are frequently suffering from the depressing effects of previous
intemperance or exposure. Another circumstance which militates against
the successful treatment of these cases is the delay which generally occurs in
sending the sufferer to hospital. The Lieutenant-Governor has now arranged
for doolies, with relays of bearers, to be constantly in attendance at selected
points on the river bank, for the prompt removal of cholera-stricken seamen
to the hospital. Government have recently sanctioned the addition of an operat-
ing theatre to the surgical ward, and a lying-in-room to the women's and
children's wards, and these works are now under construction. Dr. Elliot
bears testimony to the excellent service rendered by the two lady nurses—Miss
Huband and Miss Best, and specially acknowledges the benefit reaped by the
cholera patients from Miss Best's nursing. It seems to the Lieutenant-
Governor, however, that more permanently good results would be obtained if
these ladies were to devote less of their time to personal attendance on the sick,
and more to training the large body of nurses now employed in the Hospital.