MEDICAL & MUNICIPAL DEPT.
MEDICAL.
DARJEELING, THE 22ND JUNE 1882.
RESOLUTION.
READ—
The Report on the Calcutta Medical Institutions for 1881.
The public health of Calcutta during the year under review presents no
unusual features. The following statement shows the number of deaths from
the principal diseases recorded in each of the last seven years :—
Cholera.
Diarrhoea
and
dysentery.
Fevers.
Small-pox. Other causes.
Total.
Ratio per
mille of
population.
1875
1,674
1,579
5,328
720
4,785
14,086
32.7
1876
1,851
1,864
4,361
71
4,817
12,964
30.1
1877
1,418
1,683
5,151
67
5,385
13,704
31.9
1878
1,338
2,010
6,086
1,495
5,467
16,396
38.1
1879
1,186
1,516
4,796
772
4,774
13,044
30.3
1880
805
1,267
3,797
114
5,698
11,681
27.1
1s81
1,693
1,491
3,765
133
5,948
13,030
30.0
The general death rate was 30 per 1,000, which is higher than that recorded
for 1880, but lower than, the normal rate. The most remarkable fact made
apparent by the above figures is the large increase in the number of deaths
from cholera. These were more than twice as numerous as in 1880, and are
among the highest recorded in the Town since the introduction of filtered
water. The number of deaths from fever was 3,765. This is slightly less
than in 1880, and falls considerably short of the number registered in any
previous year. The total number of fever patients treated in the hospitals
during the year was 4,417, of whom 365 died, giving a proportion of 82 . 6 per
1,000. In 1880 the number of fever cases treated was 5,021—330 died—and
the death-rate was 65 . 72. Dr. Payne points out that there is some apparent
variance as regards fever between the record of the hospitals and that of the
Town generally. The former shows the mortality from this cause to be above,
and the latter shows it to be below, the average rate. The deaths recorded in
Calcutta are no criterion of the salubrity of the Town. Sick natives, who do
not speedily recover or die, betake themselves to their homes in the mofussil.
This practice, however, prevails to a larger extent among the upper and
middle classes, than among the lower ranks of the population from which the
majority of hospital patients is drawn. It is true that the hospital figures of
mortality are included in those of the Town at large, but they are relatively
so small that they do not materially affect the total. The Surgeon-General
considers the hospital death-rate is a truer test of the mortality from fever than
that to be deduced from the Town registers ; and having in view the epidemic
character of the disease in Nuddea and the surrounding districts, he inclines to
the opinion that there was, during 1881, a larger amount of fatal fever in
Calcutta than before.
2. The following statement shows the number of patients treated in each
of the Calcutta hospitals:-
N u m b e r
MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
1881.
1880.
TOTAL TREATED.
Died per
mille of
treated.
TOTAL TREATED.
Died. per
mille of
treated.
In-door.
Outdoor.
Total.
Indoor.
Out-door.
Total.
1 Medical College Hospital
5,381
59,085
64,466
129.89
5,089
57,875
62,964
128.58
2 General Hospital
2,863
. . . . . .
2,863
47.85
3,168
......
3,168
32.19
3
m a y o H o s p i t a l a n d D i s p e n s a r i e s
2,125
183,354
185,479
153.87
2,130
180,257
182,387
143.19
4 Campbell Hospital
6,074
......
6,074
237.4
6,881
......
6,881
230.78
5
Municipal Police Hospital
2,681
......
2,681
13.05
2,723
......
2,723
11.01
Total Calcutta Hospitals
19,121
242,439
261,583
138.31
1 9 , 9 9 1
238,132
258,123
134.17
6 Howrah General Hospital
1,640
12,511
14,151
192.07
1,557
13,345
14,902
188.18
GRAND TOTAL
20,764
254,950
275,714
142.8
21,548
251,477
273,025
138.17