( 2 )
occasions, fallacious, and no comparison can be instituted. Generally des-
cribed, the year was unhealthy, and the mortality from all causes was above
the average.
2. The following table shews the number of patients treated in each of
the Calcutta hospitals during the year:—
MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
1882.
1881.
Total treated.
Died
per mille
of
treated.
Total treated.
Died per
per mille
of
treated.
In-door. Out-door. Tot al .
In-door. Out- d oor. Total.
Medical College Hospital ... ...
5,448
39,329
44,777
123.5
5,381
59,085
64,466
129.89
General Hospital... . . .
. . . 3,295
......
3,295
44.91
2,863
. . . . . . 2,863
47.85
Mayo Hospital and Dispensaries ...
2,125 1,82,163 1,84,288
173.61
2,125 1,83,354 1,85,479
153.87
Campbell Hospital ...
. . .
. . . 5,669
......
5,669
247.83
6,074
......
6,074
237. 4
Municipal Police Hospital ... ...
2,438
......
2,438
13.53
2,681
......
2,681
13.05
Total Calcutta Hospitals ... 18,975 2,21,492 2,40,467
138.89 19,124 2,42,439 2,61,563
138.31
Howrah General Hospital ... . . . 1,604
11,012
12,616
199.5
1,640
12,511
14,151
192.07
GRAND TOTAL ... 20,579 2,32,561 2,53,083
143.13 20,764 2,54,950 2,75,714
142.68
* Reckoned on the cases treated, exclusive of those of the Eye Infirmary.
For the second year in succession there was a falling off in the number of
in-patients, the number being 20,579 against 20,764 in 1881, and 21,548 in
1880. The decrease was confined to the Campbell, Police, and Howrah
hospitals, in the first-named of which it was most considerable. This is the
more remarkable, because in the previous year a large part of the building
was for some months closed for repairs, and the accommodation was thus much
reduced. The Superintendent and the Surgeon-General ascribe the reduction in
the number of admissions to a diminution in the prevalence of fever and dysen-
tery, and an increase in severity among such cases as did occur. No figures are
given of the average detention in hospital of patients suffering from these
diseases, but a decided increase is observable in the fatality from the first-named.
In 1881 there were in the Campbell Hospital 1,548 cases of fever with 250
deaths, giving a death-rate per mille of 168.5. In 1882 there were 1,281 cases
with 239 deaths, and the death-rate rose to 186.5. There was no sensible
change in the fatality from diarrhœa and dysentery combined, the rates per
thousand in the two years being 512.9 and 512.8 respectively. The Surgeon-
General remarks that in this hospital, of late years, mean daily numbers have
borne a larger proportion than they formerly bore to numbers admitted, and
that this circumstance points in the same direction. The Lieutenant-Governor
observes, however, that this proportion was less in the past year than in
1881, the figures being 1: 15.2 and 1 : 17.3 respectively. There is scarcely
sufficient evidence, so far as appears from the report, to shew that the decrease
in the numbers admitted during 1882 is attributable to greater severity of
disease. The falling off is not very considerable in itself.
3. There was a large decrease in the number of out-door patients treated
in 1882, the numbers falling from 2,54,950 to 2,32,504, or by 22,446. The
decrease was most considerable at the Medical College Hospital, where it
amounted. to 19,756. It appears, however, that this fall is for the most part
only apparent. "An erroneous method of entering cases as new, which were
not new, was corrected in 1881. The correction reduced the figure of 1882
by upwards of 15,000. Further, up to September 1881 there had been an
objectionable practice of treating in private rooms as out-patients persons who
had no right to hospital treatment. This was stopped, but not until it had
added 4,198 cases to the records of 1881." It is stated that the total number of
new cases, properly so considered, amongst the out-patients of 1882, was
31,537. The following table shews the daily average number of patients
under treatment in 1882 :—
1881.
1882.
In-door.
Out-door
.
In-door.
Out -door.
Medical College
. . .
276.7
385.4
282.3
295.4
General Hospital
. . .
136.4
......
151.0
......
Mayo Hospital
. . .
97.3
1,349.4
82.7
1,214.7
Campbell Hospital
. . .
372.3
......
350.6
......
Police Hospital
...
98.7
......
83.3
......
Howrah General Hospital ...
63.2
110.4
65.7
96.2