There were treated in all the hospitals 2,621 patients daily, composed
of 1,015 in and 1,606 out patients. The corresponding figures in 1881 were
2,889, 1,044, and 1,845 respectively. Of the in-patients, 296 were Europeans
and Eurasians and 719 natives. The former figure shows an increase of 17
and the latter a decrease of 45 on the numbers of 1881. The daily number of
out-patients, both European and native, fell considerably in 1882 as compared
with the preceding year. The total expenditure on the sick, exclusive of the
salaries of commissioned officers and the amount spent on buildings, amounted
to Rs. 2,91,418 against Rs. 2,90,106 in 1881. The net cost to Government
was Rs. 2,38,224 against Rs. 2,74,388.
70. This account of the Calcutta hospitals in 1882 would be very incom-
-plete if I should omit to mention the reform which has been brought about in
the work of the nurses during the past year. I desire the more to offer my
personal testimony regarding the great change that has taken place on this early
opportunity, because in former years I have not concealed from the Government
my opinion that there was a want of reality in the work of the nurses, which
left bedside ministration in the wards practically in the same hands which had
rendered it before professional nurses were introduced. Early in 1882 under
arrangements made by the committee of the nurses institution, the control of
the ward nursing at the medical college and general hospitals passed into the
hands of Ladies of the Clewer sisterhood. From the date of their arrival to the
present time improvement has made rapid progress. Having been accustomed
in England to minister with their own hands to the wants of sick people, to
prepare appliances, and use all the means required at the bedside, these ladies
could not fail to notice, at once, faults which indicated difficulties before them
greater than any they had anticipated, for they had to contend, not only
against defects arising from want of skill and knowledge, but against the fixed
belief that manual work by the bedside, with few exceptions, was unworthy
of the nurse, whose duty it was to summon a native servant when a sick man
called. The ladies, however, though unused to this kind of pretentiousness,
perhaps, had been accustomed to organize and govern as well as to work, and
did not shrink from the task of inculcating the dignity of nursing, while
they taught the skilful performance of it and enforced order and discipline.
How far they are yet satisfied with results I cannot pretend to say, but I
think they are much more hopeful of approaching to their own high standard
than they were at the outset, and I know that the improvement they have
already effected has exceeded all that had seemed possible to the medical
officers whose patients have benefited by their exertions.
71. Although the patients in hospital are the first and chief consideration
in such a matter as this, the advantages derived from the constant presence, in
the wards, of ladies whose knowledge of every detail is complete, are not felt
solely by the sick. The medical officer is in regular attendance, and is
summoned at irregular hours when he is specially required, but the wants of the
sick are constant, and, if they are not supplied, published complaints appear.
It is often impossible to detect the defaulter, and a common result of such
complaints has been that subordinate officers have made demands for increase
of establishment when there has been only culpable neglect on the part of
servants already too numerous. The superintendent of the hospital has now
a strong ally in the sister, who will know all that occurs and the causes of
shortcomings, and if at any time it should appear that alteration of system or
establishment is desirable, the controlling officer, and finally the Government,
will be well assured that the grounds for it are good and sufficient.
72. I would here guard against any error that may arise from the
remarks which have been made on the unsatisfactory nursing in the Eden
hospital. The subordinate nurses here were the civil and military pupils. It
was intended that these should be placed, with the others, under the command
of the sisters; but, apparently from some confusion of educational and
medical control, this was not done, and it was not until quite the end of the
year that the mistake was rectified. The orders of Government were not made
known to the Ladies' committee earlier, and therefore the Sister Superior was
in ignorance of their existence. Already the advantage of their intervention
has been manifested, for it has lately become quite clear that the nursing