MEDICAL.
CALCUTTA, THE 4TH AUGUST 1884.
RESOLUTION.
READ—
The Report on the Calcutta Medical Institutions for 1883.
Read also
—
The Report for 1882 and the Resolution recorded upon it.
Judged by the death-returns, the public health of the town underwent some
improvement compared with 1882. Mortality from cholera was again far above
the average, although the number of deaths was not quite so great as in 1882.
The following statement shows the mortality from the most important diseases
in each year since 1873:—
YEAR.
Cholera.
Diarrhœa
and
dysentery.
Fever.
Small-pox. Other causes.
Total.
Ratio per
mille of
population.
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
29.9
1877 ... ... ... ... ...
1,418
1,683
5,151
67
5,385
13,704
31.6
1878 ... ... ... ... ...
1 , 3 3 8
2,010
6 , 0 8 6
1,495
5 , 4 6 7
16,396
3 7 . 8
1879 ... ... ... ... ...
1,186
1,516
4 , 7 9 6
772
4,774
13,944
3 0 . 1
1880 ... ... ... ... ...
805
1,267
3,797
114
5,698
11,681
2 6 . 9
1881 ... ... ... ... ...
1,693
1,491
3,765
133
5,948
13.030
30
1882 ... ... ... ... ...
2 , 2 4 0
1,454
3,618
17
5,848
13,177
3 0 . 4
Mean number
... ... ...
1,455.5
1,557.3
4,599.5
3 5 4 2
5,030
12, 996. 5
29.96
1883 ... ... ... ... ...
2,037
1,307
3,442
73
5,466
12,325
28.4
The general death-rate of the town was 28.4 per mille against 30.4 in the preced-
ing year. The number of deaths from cholera was 2,037 against 2,240 in 1882,
and 1,368 the average of the nine years ending with 1881. On the other hand,
there was a considerable increase in the number of deaths from small-pox, the
deaths having risen from 17 in 1882 to 73 in 1883. There was a falling off in the
number of deaths from dysentery and diarrhœa. The mortality from fever was
lower than in any year of the series;but, for reasons stated in previous Reports,
any inference drawn from the statistics furnished of this disease would be
misleading. The following table shows the number of patients treated during
the year for the principal diseases in the different hospitals in Calcutta,
together with the number of deaths from each:—
MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
Cholera.
Diarrhœa and
Dysentery.
Fever.
Small-pox.
Other causes.
Total.
Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died.
Medical College Hospital
... 194
93
246
55
537
61
2 ...... 4,053
355 5,032
5 6 4
Presidency General Hospital ...
77
41
338
11
611
17
2 ......
2,093
8 0 3,121
1 4 9
Mayo Hospital
... ...
2 9 4 148
175
24
349
38
1
. . . . . . 1,393
154 2,212
364
Campbell ditto
... ...
188
127
940
509 1,226
163
103
35 3,042
453 5,499 1,287
Police ditto
... ...
18
9
399
3 1,078
13
3 ......
879
3 2,377
28
Howrah ditto
... ...
161
92
330
132
340
31 .....
...... 800
72 1,631
327
Total ...
932
510 2,428
734 4,141
323
111
35 12,260 1,117 19,372 2,719
The total number of cholera cases treated was 932 against 859 in the preceding
year, thus showing an increase of 73 cases. Of these, 510 cases proved fatal.
The death-rate per mile was 547 against 544 in 1882. The number of persons
treated for fever was 4,141 against 4,156, of whom 323 died against 366 in 1882.
There was thus a slight falling off both in the number of cases treated and in
the number of deaths.