30
REPORT ON THE
B H O W A N I P O R E D I S P E N S A R Y .
Tins dispensary has no accommodation for in-door patients : it is not classified. Assistant
Surgeon Baney Madhub Tagore held charge to 4th January, and Assistant Surgeon Ram
Chunder Sen from 5th January till the end of the year.
The building is in excellent repair and there is ample furniture. The Dispensary Com-
mittee met twice, viz. on the 15th. July and 6th November. During the year 12,802 cases
were treated, chiefly of fever, rheumatism, syphilis, dysentery, diarrhoea. Small-pox was
very prevalent in Bhowanipore from April to the end of June, and there were a few cases of
cholera. The attendance of patients had increased considerably during the year, there
having been only 7,465 in 187-7. The average daily attendance was 115.8 in 1878, against
67.4 in 1877. The increased attendance was no doubt chiefly owing to the closing of the
out-door department of the General Hospital. An in-door department would be of great
advantage, and supply a want felt in the large and populous suburb of Bhowanipore. The
sum of Rs. 6,000, which had been transferred to the General Hospital in order to found
the Sumbhoo Nath Pundit's ward for Indians in that hospital, having been re-transferred
to the Bhowanipore Dispensary, it was hoped that the Committee might see its way to start
an in-door patient department. I make the following quotation from the Annual Report of
Assistant Surgeon Ram Chunder Sen :-
" A hospital in addition to the out-door aid undoubtedly would have been a great
boon to the poor public ; but this could not be effected without a large capital. I may here
mention briefly the opinion of the Committee on this point with reference to a Bengal Gov-
ernment letter No. 2307, dated 22nd June 1878, regarding the transfer of Sumbhoo Nath
Pundit's ward from the General Hospital to Bhowanipore Dispensary.
" The Committee is of opinion, with regard to the money at its disposal, it cannot open
any in-door dispensary as a substitute for the Sumbhoo Nath Pundit's ward, as its current
income is only sufficient for its present wants, and the Rs. 6,000 in securities, and Rs. 50 a
month which it would obtain by the abolition of the ward, are not nearly sufficient for the
purpose.
"2nd. — The Committee would regret the closing of the Sumbhoo Nath Pundit's ward
in the Presidency General Hospital, as there is no other hospital within a convenient distance
of the southern suburbs; but it is not in a position to offer any objection to such a measure,
for the amount for the land taken up for the out-door dispensary in Bhowanipore having
been much in excess of the estimate, it would not be in a position to meet its liabilities with-
out receiving back the securities referred to.
" It was resolved in the last November monthly meeting that the cost of acquiring land
for the new building, as decreed by the High Court with cost and interest, be paid from the
funds at the disposal of the committee. Next, letter No. 1077 of the 23rd September last,
from the Civil Surgeon of 24-Pergunnahs, was read, asking whether the Rs. 6,000 returned
to the Committee by the General Hospital could be assigned. to the Alipore Dispensary.
Resolved that the Civil Surgeon of 24-Pergunnahs be informed that the Rs. 6,000 applied
for is not available. Further, that the Committee doubts whether the funds of the hospital
can be diverted in the way proposed. Enquiry, however, will be made on this point, and a
further communication be sent for the information of the Civil Surgeon. The Committee
reserve the consideration of the question whether the whole of the dispensary funds are not
required for its own purposes."
The Assistant Surgeon is a very good surgeon and occasionally operates, maintaining
the patients till cured at his own expense. The Government pays the full salary of the
ssistant Surgeon of this dispensary. Rs. 1,300 were received from the Municipality, and
Rs. 113-1-5 as interest on money invested. Rs. 728 were spent on law charges incurred in a
dispute over the land on which the dispensary was built.
The dispensary was visited several times by the Civil Surgeon, 24-Pergunnahs, and also
by the Surgeon-G eneral.
ALIPORE DISPENSARY.
Tins small dispensary, which is not classified, can receive eight male and two female
house-patients. During the past year it was in medical charge of Assistant Surgeon
Chunder Sikur Haldar, and 5,372 out-door and 112 house-patients were treated. Of the latter
25 died. The daily average number under treatment was house-patients 2.8 and out-patients
38.5. It is said that in the year 1875 the attendance of out-patients amounted to 4,188, and
house-patients 113. The most prevalent diseases were fever of a malarious type, dysentery,
diarrhoea, and rheumatic affections. There were 2,302 cases of fever in 1878, against 1,687 in
1877. Several cases of cholera occurred in Alipore and its neighbourhood during the year.
In January, out of 12 cases seven deaths occurred. In March there were 12 cases and 10
deaths, and in December there were 39 cases.
The Dispensary Committee met on the 20th August, 21st September, 6th November,
and 14th December. The Civil Surgeon visits the dispensary daily. The Surgeon-General
inspected it once during the year. The large sum of Rs. 2,868 was received from Govern-
ment as salaries. The Municipality has commenced to subscribe its. 30 a month, European
subscriptions amounted to Rs. 230, and native subscriptions came to Rs. 664. There was also
a sum of Rs. 71-4-8 received as interest on invested money. During the year the sum of
Rs. 1,114-3-1 was invested in Rs. 1,200 of Government paper. •