22
REPORT ON THE CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
small-pox in the year under report. There were no such cases in 1887. There
were treated 122 patients from venereal diseases, against 121 in 1887. The
total number of deaths in 1888 was 30, against 23 in 1887, or a rate of 1.09
and .84 per cent. respectively in the two years. The cause of this increment
in the death-rate was due, it is said, to a larger number of admissions and deaths
from cholera during the year.
62. The hospital buildings were in good order throughout the year. Petty
repairs to the buildings were executed, and a new bathing platform, supplied
with unfiltered water, was erected in the compound for the use of the sick.
A verandah was built to both cook-houses of the hospital, and two doors were
opened in the east wall of the Hindoo cook-house for the purpose of giving
light and air to the cooks when employed in preparing the patients’ food. There
is no regular out-door department in this hospital, but by order of the Deputy
Commissioner of Police, 18 European constables and 1 Sikh Sergeant, who were
suffering from slight ailments, received medicines from the hospital on prescrip-
tions given to them by the Police Surgeon. Besides these, 53 native police
sepoys belonging to Burmah Police Force were treated in the hospital by the
order of the Deputy Commissioner. Dr. Mackenzie reports that these men were
the worst cases of the sick and wounded who had returned to India on leave, and
who, on arrival at Calcutta, were found to be too ill to proceed to their homes.
A few were recruits and men returning after expiry of their leave to Burmah.
There was only one case of cholera. The patient recovered. Of the 53, 24
patients died, or a rate of 45.28 per cent.
63. Howrah General Hospital.—Brigade-Surgeon J. G. Pilcher was in
charge of the hospital from 1st January to 15th February 1888, and Surgeon-
Major R. G. Mathew from 16th February to the end of the year.
64. There were treated a total number of 11,910 patients, against 12,585
in 1887. The number of Europeans was 3,647 and of natives 8,263, against
4,106 and 8,479, respectively, in the previous year. The total number of
in-door patients treated was 1,385, consisting of 500 Europeans and 885
natives. The corresponding number in 1887 was 1,502, viz. 653 Europeans
and 849 nat i ves. Out -pat i ent s numbered 10, 525, or 3, 147 Europeans and 7, 378
natives against 11,083, or 3,453 Europeans and 7,630 natives, in the preceding
year. The falling off in the total number of out-patients is ascribed partly to
the general healthy character of the year as far as malarious disease is con-
cerned. Dr. Mathew explains the decrease in the number of European out-
patients to be due in the first place to the general healthiness of the year, also
to his having given it to be understood that medical out-door relief would be
no longer provided at the expense of Government for people who were in
a position to pay for treatment. Cholera was rather more prevalent in the year
under report. This disease is said to be endemic in Howrah, and cases are met
with at all seasons of the year. The heavy mortality among the native cholera
cases is said to be due to the moribund condition of most of the patients at
the time of admission into hospital.
65. A piece of land belonging to the jail will shortly, it is said, be made
over to the Hospital Committee. The long-condemned moribund ward has been
dismantled, and the construction of a new building on its site is nearly com-
- p l e t e d . B y t h i s a r r a n g e m e n t t h e c o n d i t i o n o f t h e n a t i v e h o s p i t a l w i l l b e
materially improved, and it will then be possible, Dr. Mathew states, to
segregate the cholera-stricken from the other severe cases, and with the increased
building space the sanitary arrangements can be placed in a much more
satisfactory condition.
I have the honour to be,
SIR,
Your most obedient servant,
A. HILSON,
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Bengal.
E. D’S. R, D’R.—Reg. No. 1189J—150—17.7.89.