8
REPORT ON THE
18. At the General hospital in 1882 there were 83 important operations
with 6 deaths. In 1881 there had been 61 cases with 4 deaths ; but the
operations were much less severe and included none of the test cases, of which
7 occurred in 1882, accounting for 2 deaths. In 1880 there had been
71 operations, also without test cases, but with 9 deaths. The past year
therefore shows very favourably here.
19. At the Mayo hospital 260 operation cases were treated during the
year, of which 245 were new. Of these, 208 were cured, 13 relieved, 1 dis
charged otherwise, and 22 died. Sixteen cases remained in the hospital at the
close of the year. Major amputations numbered 26 with 8 deaths. There
were 26 operations for scrotal tumours, whereof 21 were new cases. Of these,
19 were cured, 2 died, and 5 remained at the end of the year. The total
number of operation cases treated in 1881 was 278 with 21 deaths.
20. At the Campbell hospital there were 118 operations in 1882 with 12
deaths. In 1881 there had been 132 cases with 12 deaths ; but the number
of test cases, all severe, rose from 13 in 1881 with 3 deaths to 21 in 1882
with 6 deaths, of which 5 were of the most fatal kind. Deducting these, we
find 119 operations in 1881 with 9 deaths, and 97 cases in 1882 with 6 deaths.
21. At Howrah there were 54 cases of operation in 1881 with 8 deaths, and
29 in 1882 with 3 deaths ; but there were fewer severe cases in the latter year.
22. It must be admitted, I think, that the year was, from some unknown
cause, favourable to surgical work ; but it cannot be said that the other hospitals
have given evidence which refutes the opinion of the college surgeons on the
greatly reduced mortality after operation in their wards. If on the other hand
this opinion be adopted, it will not explain increased fatality in test cases in
1882, nor the fact that, in these cases, results as good, if not better, are obtained
elsewhere with less elaborate and costly appliances. The antiseptic method is
apparently the best that has yet been invented, but the measure of its superi
ority has yet to be taken, and the advantage of strict Listerism seems doubtful
in hospital practice; while, as a system to be taught exclusively to pupils, it is not desirable.
STATEMENT NO. VII.
ENTERIC FEVER.
REMITTENT FEVER.
1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881.
1882.
1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882.
Medical college hospital
9 5 6 6 1
. . .
2 . . . . . . ... 86 58 125 95 124 152 164 180 196 150
Presidency general hospital
6 11 12 17 18 9 11 6 11 12 22 10 48 27 39 38 34 49 32 40
Howrah hospital
... ... ...
.
. . . 4 2 4 2 3 3
8 8 146 172 210 359 393 228 107 77 73
Mayo hospital
2
1 5 6 ... ... ... ... 1 ... 13 22 35 36 174 224 130 208 221 143
Campbell hospital
28 2 ... . . . ... ... . . . ... ... ... 212 495 466 438 432 466 333 354 309 301
Police hospital
8 11 ... 14 11
2 1 ... ... ... ... ... 1 ...
...
11 29 28 58 41
Total
53 30 23 43 34 13 18 8 15 15 421 731 847 806 1,128 1,284 918 926 893 748
23. Enteric fever. —The number of cases of typhoid fever shows no in
crease. The disease was confined to Europeans and to the General and
Howrah hospitals. Of those in Calcutta Dr. Birch uses some words of doubt
as to the specific character. Those which occurred in Howrah are distinctly
recorded as enteric.
24. Dental practice.— The following figures show the working of the
dental dispensary in the two last years :—
1882.
1881.
Extractions
...
...
...
1,310
1,264
Stoppings
...
...
...
169
111
Miscellaneous cases
...
...
...
339
291
Total
...
1,818
1,666
25.
Obstetric practice.—In 1882 the obstetric physician treated 802 Euro
pean and 521 native patients. Of the former 24 and of the latter 51 died.
There was thus a total of 1,323 patients with 75 deaths in 1882, against 1,008
with 76 deaths in 1881. The comparison is not quite just in respect of
obstetric cases, for in 1882 a number of women were treated in the new hospital