16
REPORT ON THE
34. Surgical operations. —The total number of major operations performed
was 2,221 in the year under report against 2,080 in 1890, but the list of the
former has been prepared according to the new classification adopted by
the Government of India. The effect of this revision has been to increase the
number of major operations at some of the institutions and to diminish them at
others. For instance, at the Mayo Native Hospital the number of major opera-
tions performed was 451 against 189 in 1890, which the Superintendent explains
to have been due to the radical cure of hydrocele having been placed in the list
of major operations, while it was merely considered a minor operation
previously. At the Medical College Hospital there were performed 1,235
major operations against 1,447 in 1890. Dr. Birch explains the reduction
to be due to cases of removal of foreign bodies from the cornea being
placed under the minor category. The minor operations show an increase
of 319 as compared with the pre vious year, the figures being 20,275 against
19,956 in 1890.
35. Among the major operations there were 107 deaths, or a rate of 4.5 per
cent., against 88 deaths and 3.9 per cent. in 1890. The death-rate, though
somewhat increased in the past year, still compares very favourably with what
it was 10 years ago, when it stood at 8.6 per cent.
36. Looking at particular institutions, we find that at the Medical College
Hospital there were performed 1,235 major operations, against 1,447 in the
previous year. Most of these occurred, as usual, in the wards of the First and
Second Surgeons and of the Ophthalmic Surgeon. The following are some of
the most important:—
Cataract extraction
. . .
. . . ... 248
Lithotomy
. . .
...
. . .
8
Litholopaxy
. . .
. . .
. . .
16
Abdominal section
. . .
. . .
...
23
Operation for strangulated hernia with opening of sac
24
Enterectomy
...
...
. . .
. . .
1
Radical cure of hernia
. . .
. . .
...
24
Trephining
. . .
. . .
. . .
6
Larger amputations
. . .
. . .
. . .
24
Delivery by forceps
...
...
...
60
Turning
. . .
...
. . .
10
O variotomy
. . .
. . .
. . .
11
The operators were Brigade-Surgeons McLeod and Raye, Surgeons-Major
Sanders and Joubert, and Surgeons Brown, Adie, Bell, Drury, Edwards, and
Walsh. The number of operations allotted to the House Surgeons was 31
against 32 in the previous year. The death-rate after operations at the Medical
College Hospital was 5.1 per cent., against 2.9 in the previous year, and
Dr. Birch explains this increase to be due to the fact that many operations had
to be performed to relieve urgent cases that were very low. He adds that the
patients who died from operation for strangulated hernia were admitted
in a moribund state, and that others died of complications arising after
the operations, owing to some constitutional defect in the patients them-
selves.
37. Presidency General Hospital. —At this institution the number of major
operations was 67 against 51 in the previous year. The principal operator was
Dr. Walsh. Dr. Crombie and Dr. Clarke also performed a few of the major opera-
tions.
38. At the Campbell Hospital there were performed 185 major operations
against 169 in 1890. These were principally performed by Assistant Surgeon
Zuhuruddin, but 77 of the total number were performed by the Resident
Assistant Sergeons, viz, Asutosh Ghose 24, Annada Persad Ghose 23, Kali Prosono
Banerjee 16, Akhoy Kumar Nundi 11, Khetra Pal Chackravarti 2, and Sasanka
Mohun Mookerjee 1. The death-rate of the hospital after operation was
3.8 per cent. against 8.4 in 1890, which is a great improvement. There were
30 cases of cataract performed in 1891 against 21 in the previous year. Of the
36 cases altogether treated, 19 were cured, or a rate of 52 per cent. It is hoped that
now that the out-door department has been opened, there will be an increased
number of operations.