HOWRAH GENERAL HOSPITAL.
71
Cholera during the year has been scarce, and of a mild type. It is also to be recorded
that 13 of the whole number occurred in the first half of this year.
Cholera.
Hepatitis has been unusually prevalent, and of an unusually mild type. Remittent
fever has been prevalent, and many of the cases exceedingly obstinate. Of the deaths entered
as caused by other diseases, 4 are attributed to infantile convulsions, 1 to apoplexy, 1 to
sciatica, 2 to albuminuria, 1 to aneurism of the aorta, 1 to paralysis, and 1 to premature
birth.
The following statement shows in detail the chief causes of sickness and mortality
amongst Natives :—
Sickness and
mortality among
Natives.
DISEASES.
Treated.
Died.
RATIO OF DEATHS PER MILLE TO
Treated.
Total treated
from all causes Total deaths.
Fever, intermittent
90
5
55·55
6·03
21·73
remittent
43
13
302·32
15·70
56·08
Cholera
46
28
583·33
33·81
121·73
Phthisis
16
5
312·50
6·03
21·73
Pneumonia
9
3
222·22
3·62
13·73
Dysentery
196
106
540·81
128·01
460·86
Diarrhœa
19
6
325·78
7·24
26·08
Hepatitis
47
8
170·21
9·66
34·78
Other causes
360
56
155·55
67·63
243·04
The chief cause of mortality amongst Natives, as exhibited in the table, has been dysentery,
inasmuch as nearly half of the deaths in the Native ward during the past year are attributed
to this disease. It need scarcely be added that the great majority of the fatal cases of
dysentery took place amongst moribunds, in whom the disease had been induced by privation
and hardship, as shown in my remarks on moribunds given further on. Considering the
number of the population from whom the sick are drawn, it cannot be said that either cholera
or remittent fever were prevalent amongst Natives during the year. Of the deaths recorded
in the table as caused by other diseases, 2 are attributed to hospital gangrene, 3 to chronic
rheumatism, 1 to syphilis, 1 to cancer, 1 to anæmia, 2 to paralysis, 1 to fibrous tumour, 1 to
apoplexy, 1 to epilepsy, 1 to hydrophobia, 2 to pericarditis, 1 to valve diseases, 1 to croup,
1 to asthma, 1 to bronchitis, 3 to cancrum oris, 4 to splenitis, 3 to ascites, 1 to jaundice, 1 to
peritonitis, 1 to hemorrhage from rectum, 2 to gangrene, 1 to abortion, 1 to retained placenta,
1 to caries, 2 to compound fracture of leg, 1 to fracture of spine, 2 to cut throat, 2 to ulcer,
and 10 to general dropsy.
Causes of mortality.
The following shews the admissions and deaths from cholera during the 10 years ending
1873:—
Admissions and
eaths from cholera
during the
past 10
years.
Treated.
Died.
RATIO OF DEATHS PER MILLE TO
Treated.
Total treated from
all causes.
Total
deaths.
YEARS.
E.
N.
E.
N.
E.
N.
E.
N.
E.
N.
1868
3 2
80
16
21
500
262·51
24·61
23·62
301·88
250
1865
47
55
18
14
387·97
154·54
23·16
20·28
339·62
116·66
1866
68
67
32
22
270·58
328·35
38·41
37·73
542·37
226·80
1867
1 7 33
8
15
470·58
454·54
12·61
34·56
181·81
227·27
1868
3 2 43
15
13
468·75
302·32
21·69
26·36
312·50
135·41
1869
54
31
15
11
277·77
354·83
17·46
19·89
348·83
144·73
1870
21
18
7
5
333·33
277·77
10·41
9·63
212·12
83·33
1871
8
31
2
9
250
290·32
2·60
15·05
54·05
132·35
1872
13
45
4
15
266·66
325
4·21
25·59
68·96
114·03
1873
19
46
6
28
315·78
583·33
9·02
33·81
222·22
121·73
It is to be remarked, on looking over this table, that cholera has in the last five years been
less prevalent on the whole than in the first five years of the decade. In this respect the
experience of Howrah corresponds with that of Calcutta. The two should be studied together,
as they are corrective of each other. The freedom of Calcutta from cholera in recent years
has sometimes been attributed to the introduction of good water ; but Howrah, which has not
b e e n s i m i l a r l y b e n e f i t e d , h a s , e q u a l l y w i t h C a l c u t t a , e n j o y e d i m m u n i t y f r o m c h o l e r a .