22
REPORT ON THE
94. Presidency General Hospital. —The total receipts from Port Fund, paying
patients, &c., amounted to Rs. 46,209, against Rs. 50,843 in 1884, including
Rs. 1,526 received from Prince Golam Mohamed's Fund. The amount
received from paying patients fell from Rs. 15,926 in 1884 to Rs. 15,685
in the year under report. The receipts from Port Fund decreased from
Rs. 32,331 in 1884 to Rs. 27,691 in 1885. The net cost to Government was
Rs. 68,893, which includes Rs. 41,966 as salaries of covenanted medical
officers.
95. The total expenditure of the hospital was Rs. 1,16,615, against
Rs. 1,36,237 in 1884. Excluding the expenditure on buildings, the total outlay
on sick was Rs. 1,11,459, against Rs. 1,09,248.
96. The establishment cost Rs. 62,471, against Rs. 62,096 in 1884. The
increase was due, it is said, to the granting of grade pay to the assistant
apothecaries with staff allowance, to the entertainment of a permanent establish-
ment at Rs. 13 per mensem for the contagious (small-pox) ward, and a temporary
establishment for the same when occasion required.
97. The expenditure on bazar medicines was Rs. 740, against Rs. 556 in
1884.
98. The cost of Europe medicines and instruments was Rs. 5,326, against
Rs. 5,027 in 1884. The increase is said to have mainly been due to a constant
¬ c u r r e n t , 3 5 . c e l l e d
b a t t e r y a n d a
c a p i t a l c a s e h a v i n g b e e n o b t a i n e d i n 1 8 8 5 .
99. The charge for dieting articles and stimulants amounted to Rs. 29,369,
against Rs. 28,788 in 1884. The Surgeon Superintendent, Dr. Crombie,
explains the increase as follows:—"In 1884 the Surgeon Superintendent was
able to make a particularly advantageous purchase of tinned butter at the close
of the exhibition, the total cost of butter for the year being on that account
only Rs. 889-6-6 against Rs. 1,128-15-10 in 1885—a difference in this item alone
of Rs. 239-9-4. I am unable to account for the remaining difference, unless on
the supposition that more extras had been ordered." The cost of each diet
was 7 annas 4 pie against 7 annas 9 pie in 1884.
100. The charges on miscellaneous items were Rs. 13,553, against
Rs. 12,779 in 1884, inclusive of Rs. 3,039 expended from Golam Mahomed Fund.
The increase of Rs. 774 is said to have been due to the purchase of certain
furniture, a gas lamp, spoons and forks, and to polishing lockers, &c.
101. The expenditure on buildings amounted to Rs. 5,156, against
Rs. 26,989 in the previous year.
102. At the end of the year there remained from the Prince Golam
Mahomed Fund a balance of Rs. 3,024.
103. Campbell Hospital.—There is no invested capital or floating balance
in this hospital. The total receipts from local sources amounted to
Rs. 32,069, of which Rs. 30,000 were paid by the municipality, and the
remaining Rs. 2,069 were obtained by sale of grass, angling fees, sale of
medicines, for treatment of patients, from Port Funds, from paying patients,
&c. Government contributed Rs. 42,795, against Rs. 27,340 in 1884. Exclud-
ing from these totals and the total of 1883 the amounts spent on building and
repairs, we find the Government contribution for the sick poor of this hospital
to be as f ol l ows: —
Rs.
1883
...
...
...
...
. . .
18,863
1884
...
...
. . .
25,656
1885
•.•
...t
. . .
...
...
28,734
Thus every year since 1883 there has been a steady large increase of
Government expenditure. There has been, however, a corresponding increase
in the medical treatment of the poor, as will be seen from the following:—
1883
... 5,499 patients, or a daily average of
...
339.1
1884
... 6,525
ditto
ditto
...
360.8
1885
... 7,611
ditto
ditto
...
407.07
Notwithstanding this yearly increase in the number of the poorest of the
sick poor of Calcutta treated in this institution, the municipal contribution
continued the same every year, viz. Rs. 30,000. The objects of this hospital,
well understood as they are, should, in my opinion, be attained at a cost to the