24
REPORT ON THE
Cooking arrangements .—The cooking arrangements were very primitive, and were exactly
the same as during the previous year. An improvement contemplated could not be carried
out on account of the caste prejudices of the Hindoo members of the police force.
Income .—The only income besides that paid out of the Police funds was Rs. 171-11-6—
Rs. 130-11-6 obtained by the sale of old and useless articles found in the store godown, and
Rs. 41 by the sale of the grass of the hospital compound. These amounts were paid into
the office of the Commissioner of Police, Calcutta.
Expenditure.—The following table shows the expenditure incurred during the last two
years, and the increase and decrease under the various heads:—
Account of—
1877.
1878.
Increase.
Decrease.
Rs. A. P.
Rs. A. P. Rs. A. P.
Rs. A. P .
Establishment
8,646 0 0
8,700 4 0
54 4 0
. . . . . .
Bazar medicines
416 5 0
93 4 9
. . . . . .
323 0 3
Europe ditto
1,777 13 4
973 13 2
.. . . . .
804 0 2
Diet
10,294 11 6
7,215 12 1
.. . . . .
3,073 15 5
Miscellaneous charges
1,396 7 9
566 3 1
. . . . . .
830 4 8
Building repairs
1,270 0 0
331 13 3
. . . . . .
938 2 9
From the above it will be seen that there was an increase of Rs. 54-4 during the year.
This arose from the resident assistant surgeon being allowed the full pay of the post,
Rs. 175 per mensem, which his predecessor was not allowed on account of misconduct
in the year 1875. Under all the other heads there was a decrease, which amounted to
Rs. 5,974-7-3.
This large decrease I ascribe to the able and efficient supervision exercised by the resi-
dent assistant surgeons attached to the hospital during the year, and more especially to
Baboo Madhub Chunder Ghose, L.M.S., and Assistant-Surgeon Zuhuruddeen, who were
attached to the hospital during the greater part of the year.
Cost of diet per head per annum .—In 1877 the average cost of each diet, including extras,
was Rs. 6-13-9 per month and 3 annas 6 pies per diem, while during 1878 it was only
Rs. 5-6-8 per month and 2 annas 10 pies per diem.
European Police Force.—There was no separate hospital for the accommodation of the
European portion of the Calcutta police force. Whenever any men suffered from slight
ailments they were treated by the Police Surgeon in their own barracks, but when they
became seriously ill, they were sent to the General and Medical College Hospitals for
treatment.
There was a daily average of 50 European constables in the police force during the
year. Of these, 47 or 94 per cent. were sent to hospital: 33 to the General Hospital and
14 to the Medical College Hospital.
The prevailing diseases were malarious fevers, diarrhœa, and dysentery.
There was only one case of small-pox during the year: the man was transferred to the
General Hospital with fever. Here the characteristic eruption having manifested itself, he was
transferred to the small-pox hospital, where he suffered from the confluent variety of the
disease, and succumbed during the maturative stage of the disease.
Recruits.—Thirty-three recruits were sent before the Police Surgeon during the year for
examination, and 31, or 93.94 per cent., were passed; while only two, or 6.06 per cent., were
rejected.
NORTH SUBURBAN HOSPITAL.
This institution, which is situated in Cossipore, has during the past year been in medical
charge of Assistant Surgeon Unnoda Churn Kastogree. The number of out-door patients
treated amounted to 3,935 and of house-patients to 641. Out of these, 68 are known to have
died among in-door patients; but the deaths among out-patients are not known. The diseases
most commonly treated were fever, dysentery, diarrhœa, enlarged spleen, rheumatism, and
syphilis. There was no epidemic, but a few cases of cholera came under notice, in all 28,
with seven deaths. There were fewer cases treated in 1878 than in 1877 by 215.
The hospital is in the neighbourhood of a number of jute, iron, lac, and sugar factories
and of chemical works. Accidents are not uncommon in these large works, and the cases
are commonly brought to this hospital, where there has been a considerable amount of
surgical practice during the year, some of the operations having been of an important nature.
The assistant surgeon gives a list of 35 operations, all of more or less importance, with two
deaths.
This hospital is not classified, and the whole of the assistant surgeon's pay is received
from Government. During the year the funds received a donation of Rs. 10,000 from Baboo
Kalikissen Tagore of Calcutta. Local funds and the Municipality contributed Rs. 2,570.
Europeans subscribed Rs. 1,600, and natives Rs. 920. It is said that the building is out of
repair, and the assistant surgeon's quarters are said to be damp and uncomfortable.