10
REPORT ON THE
persons affected with this disease in Calcutta, and it is impossible at present to
say with any approach to accuracy how far it is prevalent among the community;
but probably some information on this point will be furnished by the returns of
the recently taken census, when they are available. In my triennial report of
the Bengal dispensaries, published in 1890, I gave my views on the nature of
this disease as regards its contagiousness and the extent to which a system
of segregation of lepers should be carried, and I will only remark here that
I have seen no reason to modify these views, which I have little doubt will in the
main be endorsed by the Special Leprosy Commission now sitting at Simla.
23. As regards the other diseases enumerated in the returns, nothing need
be said, as the figures present only the usual variations that occur from year
to year.
STATEMENT No. VI.
ENTERIC FEVER.
REMITTENT FEVER.
1 8 7 3 .
1 8 7 4 .
1 8 7 5 . 1 8 7 6 . 1877.
1 8 7 8 . 1 8 7 9 .
1 8 8 0 .
1 8 8 1 .
1 8 8 2 .
1 8 8 3 .
1 8 8 4 .
1 8 8 5 .
1 8 8 6 .
1 8 8 7 .
1 8 8 8 .
1 8 8 9 .
1 8 9 0 .
1873. 1874.
1 8 7 5 . 1876.
1 8 7 7 .
1 8 7 8 .
1879.
1880.
1881.
1882.
1883.
1884. 1885. 1886.
1887.
1 8 8 8 .
1889.
1 8 9 0 .
M e d i c a l c o l l e g e H o s -
pital ...
. . . ...
9
5 6 6 1 . . 2 ... ... ... ... 1 1 1 ... ... ... 1 86 58 125 95 124 152 164 180 196 150 119 106 92 73 94 90 91
Presidency General
Hospital
. . . ...
6 11 12 17 18 9 1 1 6 11 12 1 10 17 17 11 9 11 10 22 10 48 27 39 38 34 49 32 40 45 26 53 75 26 35 5 0 5 5
Howrah Hospital ... ... ... ...
. . . 4 2 4 2 3 3 ... ... ... ... 2 1 3 ... 88 146 172 210 359 393 228 107 77 73 30 82 86 55 33 44 43 3 6
Mayo Institutions ...
2
1 5 6 ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 22 35 36 174 224 130 208 221 143 212 210 197 123 92 61 67 3 4
Campbell Hospital ... 28 2 ... . . .
... . . . . . . . ... ... ... ... ... . . . . . . ... ... ... ... 212 495 466 430 432 466 333 354 309 301 322 462 314 316 220 250 177 414
Police Hospital
...
8 11 ... 14 11 2 1 . . . . . . .. . . . ... 2 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 8 ...
11 29 28 58 41 52 44 61 64 75 77 78 6 9
Bhowanipore
Dis-
p e n s a r y
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . .
...
. . .
. . . ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . . . . . . . . .
Total
... 53 30 23 43 34 13 18 8 15 15 1 1 1 1 20 18 13 1 0 14 1 1 421 731 847 806 1,128 1,284 918 926 893 748 780 930 803 706 540 557 5 0
6 6 7 8
24. Enteric and remittent fevers.—Cases of enteric or typhoid fever have not
been common during the year, only 11 cases having occurred altogether, 1 of
which was admitted in the Medical College Hospital and 10 into the General
Hospital. There were no cases at any of the other institutions. With regard
to the treatment of this disease, Dr. Crombie remarks:—"Under the antipyretic
treatment with phenacetin and antifebrin cases of typhoid fever usually run
a mild course, the exhaustion caused by long-continued high temperature being
prevented thereby, and complications hardly ever occur. A case of enteric
fever seldom gives cause for anxiety under this treatment." A statement of this
kind, coming from so experienced a physician as the Surgeon-Superintendent
of the General Hospital, is worthy of all the attention it deserves, seeing that
Dr. Roberts in his recent work on the Practice of Medicine gives the mortality
from this disease in England as being from 15 to 25 per cent. of those treated.
The success of the treatment in the manner indicated during the last two
years at the General Hospital seems to corroborate Dr. Crombie's views.
25. This disease does not seem to be very prevalent in the Military
hospitals in or near Calcutta, as will be seen from the following table, supplied
by the Deputy Surgeon-General, Presidency District; and although 30 cases
were reported to have occurred at Dum-Dum in 1889, I have reason to believe
that the occurrence of so large a number in that year was exceptional, and was
due to a regiment having recently arrived from Lucknow, where it had been
exposed to those conditions which are supposed to give rise to the disease.
STATEMENT No. VII.
CALCUTTA.
BARRACKPORE.
DUM-DUM.
JALLAPAHAR.
1889.
1890.
1889.
1890.
1889.
1890.
1889.
1890.
Average strength of all ranks ...
...
...
...
1,118
1,107
346
335
859
825
262
371
Num ber of admissions from enteric fever
. . .
1
4
3
...
30
6
1
...
Number of deaths from enteric fever ...
...
...
...
3
...
1*
4
...
. . .
...
* The case shown as fatal in 1890 remained from 1889.
26. There was a large accession of remittent fever at the Campbell
Hospital, no fewer than 414 patients having been treated, against 177 in the
previous year. On this subject Dr. Cobb, the Superintendent, writes:—"This
increase was probably due to climatic causes, and corresponded with the general