( 5 )
excluding absolute moribunds. Of the 1,518 deaths among the 5,467 persons
under treatment, 303 died within twenty-four hours, and 494 more within a week
of admission. Most of the cases when they come in are chronic and beyond all
medical skill. Half the admissions are cases rejected by the other hospitals and
then brought to the Pauper Hospital, and a large proportion of the remainder
are picked up by the police in the streets. Everything has been done that can
be reasonably expected to reduce the death-rate and increase the chances of
these poor creatures, but without much perceptible effect. The attention of the
Justices will be invited, through their Chairman, to Dr. Woodford's represent-
ations as to the necessity of enclosing the building and grounds of the hospital.
The Lieutenant-Governor also, as intimated in paragraph 4 above, wishes to
have full and exact report as to the present practice of the other large
hospitals in rejecting cases or sending them to the Pauper Hospital.
The Lieutenant-Governor agrees with the Surgeon-General that the present
designation of Resident Apothecary is more appropriate than the proposed
one of House-Surgeon for the apothecaries attached to the Pauper and Police
Hospitals.
23. The Police Hospital. —The Municipal Police Hospital returns show
that the Calcutta Police is, as a body, healthy, the sick-rate being
only 3 per cent. on strength, and the death-rate 2.14. The Chairman
of the Justices will again be asked how the work of improving the drainage
in the neighbourhood of the hospital is progressing, and his attention will
be asked to Dr. Woodford's complaint that the refuse of the adjoining houses is
emptied into the hospital compound. The Commissioner of Police will be
requested to consider whether sufficient power to maintain proper order and
discipline among the patients should not be delegated to the medical officer of
the hospital. The Lieutenant-Governor awaits the report promised on the
menial establishment of this institution.
24. The Sukea Street Dispensary has been treating a daily average of
101.85 out-door and 7.41 in-door patients. It has been decided to make it
over to the Governors of the Native Hospital.
25. The North Suburban Hospital treats only in-door patients. It
received 726 during 1872. The mortality rate was high, 26 per cent.,
accounted for by its being in the main a pauper hospital. The Surgeon-
General should communicate with the Committee in order to the opening, if
possible, of an out-door dispensary, which is much wanted in this quarter.
26. The Sumbhoo Nath Pundit Hospital has formed the subject of corre-
spondence during the year. It treated 178 in and 6,379 out-patients during
the year—a considerable advance on 1871; but the funds will be more usefully
applied under the arrangements recently sanctioned, transferring the in-patients
to a ward in the General Hospital and maintaining the separate institution as
an out-door dispensary only.
27. The Alipore Dispensary is supported almost entirely by Govern-
ment—a fact not very creditable to the charity of the neighbourhood in
which it stands. It relieved 6,038 out and 175 in-patients during the year.
28. The Arratoon Apcar Dispensary at Garden Reach was established
and is mainly supported by the liberality of a gentleman of well-known
benevolence, Mr. T. Apcar. It relieved 8,402 sick during the year.
29. The Howrah Hospital. —The Howrah General Hospital is an
important institution. The average daily sick was—
In-door ...
European 29.18
Native
22.11
Out-door ...
European 13.92
Native
93.20
The total treated amounted to 13,058, and the death-rate, including moribunds,
to 218.5; excluding them, to 119.9. The Lieutenant-Governor begs again that
the Surgeon-General will issue instructions to all hospitals as to a uniform
mode of showing moribunds and cases in the returns. There is evidently from
Dr. Elliot's report much uncertainty at present. The death-rate in this