M U N I C I P A L D E P A R T M E N T .
MEDICAL.
CALCUTTA, THE 2ND AUGUST 1883.
RESOLUTION.
READ―
The Report on the Calcutta Medical Institutions for 1882.
Read also
―
The Report for 1881, and the Resolution recorded upon it.
The year 1882 was marked by a large increase of cholera in the town
of Calcutta. The previous year had shewn a considerably larger number of
deaths than 1880, and this increase was more than maintained during the year
under review. The following statement shews the mortality from the most
important diseases in each year since 1873:—
YEARS.
Cholera.
D i a r r h œ a
and
dysentery.
Fevers.
Small-pox. Other causes.
Total.
Ratio per 1,000
of population,
census 1881.
1873 ... ... ... ...
1,105
1,351
4,632
33
3,235
10,356
23.8
1874 ... ... ... ...
1,245
1,358
4,461
1 2 0
4,343
11,527
26.6
1875 ... ... ... ...
1,674
1,579
5,328
720
4,785
14,086
32.5
1876 ... ... ... ...
1,851
1,864
4,361
71
4,817
12,964
2 9 . 9
1877 ... ... ... ...
1,418
1,683
5,151
6 7
5,385
13,704
31.6
1878 ... ... ... ...
1,338
2,010
6,086
1,495
5,467
16,396
37.8
1879 ... ... ... ...
1,186
1,516
4,796
772
4,774
13,044
30.1
1880 ... ... ... ...
805
1,267
3.797
114
5 , 6 9 8
11,681
20.9
1881 ... ... ... ...
1,693
1,491
3,765
133
5,948 . 13,030
3 0
1,341
1,548
4,727
354
4,742
12,714
29.3
Mean number ...
1882 ... .. . ...
2,240
1,454
3,618
17
5 , 8 4 8
13,177
30.4
4 8 7
921
38
1,422
3.434
31.7
1883, first quarter ... ...
560
1873-82, first quarter ... ...
440
430
1,107
145
1,206
3,330
30.8
The figures for cholera shew that the mortality from this cause steadily
increased from 1873, the first year of the series, to 1876. From that year
the wave of disease began to recede, and the number of deaths continued to
fall till it reached a minimum of 805 in 1880. During 1881 there was a large
and sudden rise to 1,693, and this number has further increased during 1882
to 2,240, which is considerably the highest recorded during the past decade.
There was, on the other hand, a remarkable decrease in the number of deaths
from small-pox, and a slight, though sensible, diminution of fevers, diarrhœa, and
dysentery. The total death-rate of the town from all causes was 30.4 per mille
against 30 in 1881 and 29.3, the average of the previous 10 years. After
allowance made for the inevitable disturbing elements, these figures are reflected
with tolerable accuracy in the hospital returns. The following statement shews
the number of deaths from the principal diseases in each of the Calcutta hospitals
during the year, together with the number of cases treated:—
Cholera.
Diarrhea and
dysentery.
Fevers.
Small-pox. Other causes.
T o t a l .
Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died.
Medical College Hospital
...
182
77
330
63
541
41
. . . . . .
. . . . . . 3,894
420 4,947 601
General ditto . . .
62
34 375
19
6 5 9
14
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
2 , 1 9 9
81
3 , 2 9 5 148
Mayo
ditto
. . . 279
143
238
32
377
42
. . . . . .
. . . . . . 1,231
152 2,125
369
Campbell ditto
...
1 8 6 134 1,141 585 1,281
239
25
3 3,036
444 5,669 1,405
P o l i c e d i t t o
. . .
18
7
460
7
1 , 0 0 9
5
3 ......
9 4 8
14 2,438
33
Howrah ditto
. . .
132
73
379 158
289
25
. . . . . .
. . . . . . 804
64 1,604 320
Total ... 859 468 2,923
864 4,156 366
28
3 12,112 1,175 20,078 2,876
The number of cholera cases treated during the year rose from 589, with 304
deaths in 1881, to 859 cases, with 468 deaths during the year under review,
the death-rate per mille rising at the same time from 516 to 544. The fluctua-
tions in the mortality from fever in the town and in the hospitals were slight.
The record of the town is, for reasons that have been stated on previous