Buildings, &c.
Establishment.
CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
39
THE ALIPORE DISPENSARY.
ASSISTANT-SURGEON CHUNDER SEKUR HALDAR has been in medical charge during the
past year, and ever since the institution was opened in 1852. Regarding the Assistant
- S u r g e o n
' s p r o f e s s i o n a l q u a l i f i c a t i o n s , t h e C i v i l S u r g e o n o f t h e 2 4 P e r g u n n a h s r e p o r t s a s .
follows:—
"His reputation is well known, and his care and attention to the sick extend not only to
his dispensary patients, but also to the poorer classes of Europeans who are located in the
suburbs."
2. The building and out-offices (which are dispensary property) are reported on as
being in good repair. Ten or twelve in-door patients can be accommodated conveniently.
The establishment, which entails a monthly expenditure of Rs. 39, is as follows:—
Medical Officer in
charge.
1 Compounder, Rs. 10 per mensem.
1 Dresser,
„ 7
"
1 Durwan,
„ 5
"
1 Cook,
,, 5
”
1 Shop coolie, Rs. 4 per mensem.
1 Bhistee,
" 4
"
1 Sweeper,
" 4
"
3. The statistics of the in and out-door patients treated during the past year are shown
in the following table, and those of 1875 are also given for the sake of comparison:—
Statistics.
OUT-DOOR.
IN-DOOR.
CLASS.
R e m a i n e d f r o m l a s t y e a r .
N e w c a s e s t r e a t e d .
Tot al .
R e m a i n e d f r o m l a s t y e a r .
N e w c a s e s t r e a t e d .
Total
DI SCHARGED.
Di ed.
R e m a i n i n g .
Cu r e d o r r e l i e v e d .
Un k n o wn .
Mussulmans ...
Males
...
...
12
1,006
1,018
3
29
32
25
2
3
2
Females ...
...
7
484
491
...
3
3
3 ...
...
...
Children ...
...
5
248
253
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
Hindoos
...
Males ...
...
19
1,633
1,652
4 52
56
48
...
8 ...
Females ... .
...
10
599
609
...
17
17
13
...
4
...
Children ...
...
7
465
472
...
2
2
2
...
... ...
Total in 1876 ...
60
4,435
4,495
7
103
110
91
2
15
2
Total in 1875 ...
39
5,929
5,968
5
114
119
72
2
38
7
Out-door patients.
Daily average number
of sick.
Males
...
... 16·42
Females ... ...
10·30
Children ...
...
6·20
Total
...
32·92
In-door patients.
Daily average number
of sick.
Males ...
... 2·00
Females ...
... 1·00
Children ...
...
·38
Total
...
3·38
Daily average
number of sick.
4. In the out-door department of this dispensary there has been a marked decrease of
1,494 in the number of new cases treated, as compared with 1875. The Assistant-Surgeon
attributes this falling off in the attendance to two causes—viz. firstly, to healthiness of the
year, and secondly, to the out-door department established at the General Hospital.
Dr. French records his opinion on this point as follows:—"The first cause is the establish--
ment of the large out-door dispensary in the General Hospital during 1875 and 1876;
and ever since it was opened, the attendance at the Suburban dispensaries has gone on
steadily decreasing, while that of the General Hospital has been increasing. These dispensaries
cannot vie with the General Hospital, where the patients have greater facilities for speedy
attention, and where they receive drugs and medicines in which they have more faith. While
in the dispensaries the supply of Europe medicines is supplemented with the issue of native
drugs, in the General Hospital the Natives receive English drugs only, and these they value.
The name of the General Hospital also sounds much better in Native ears than the much less
pretending one of doctor-khana,' or dewai-khana.' The fact is, that with the General
Hospital, the Alipore, Bhowanipore, and Russapugla dispensaries, the wants of the population
are more than supplied, and diminished attendance at the less popular ones, or at the most
inconveniently situated one, must be the result." Dr. French does not coincide with the
opinion of the Assistant Surgeon that the falling off in the attendance was due to the
comparative healthiness of the year as compared with 1875; but he considers it to be solely
due to the cause just stated by him, and accordingly suggests the transfer of the Bhowanipore
dispensary out-door department to the General Hospital, as has already been done with the
in-door department; but he states that "the Municipality at Bhowanipore does not wish to
do this or lose their dispensary, no matter how little it does."
Decrease in number
of out-door
patients.