CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS. 17
said to have been reduced. There were no less than 96 such cases, while
there were only 4 at the Medical College Hospital, 3 at the Campbell, and 5 at
the Howrah Hospital. An analysis of these 96 cases reveals the following
facts :—
Total number of major
operations performed.
Dislocations
reduced.
Mayo Hospital
...
. . .
267, of which
25 were dislocations.
Branch Dispensaries—
Chandney
...
. . .
. . .
66 do.
52 do.
do.
Park Street
...
...
... 13 do.
11 do.
do.
Sukea Street ...
. . .
5 do.
5 do.
do.
Chitpore
...
...
. . .
21 do.
3 do.
do.
Total
...
372 do.
96 do.
do.
46. Twenty-five reductions of dislocations out of a total of 267 general
operations is a much larger proportion than is usually met with in other hospitals ;
but considering that many accidents are known to occur in the neighbourhood
of the Mayo Hospital, I am not disposed to question the accuracy of the figures
as regards this institution, but I refuse to believe that there were 52 cases of
dislocations out of 66 major operations at the Chandney Hospital, and I have
no hesitation in saying that the record of these cases is fictitious. The question
then arises—if the list of operations at this institution has been falsified, are
its ordinary returns of sickness and mortality to be relied upon ?
47. The Howrah Hospital shows only 50 operations as having been
performed during the year, and none of them were of a very important
character. This is a well-appointed institution in charge of a Civil Surgeon,
assisted by a European Apothecary and an Assistant Surgeon, whose united
efforts might achieve much more surgical work than is shown in the return of
the past year.
4 8 . D e n t a l p r a c t i c e . —
T h i s
i s r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e f o l l o w i n g f i g u r e s : —
1887.
1886.
Extractions ...
...
...
... 1,644
1,673
Stoppages ...
...
...
...
131
130
Miscellaneous
... ...
395
359
Total
... 2,170
2,162
49. Obstetric practice.— The Eden Hospital, which is a branch of the
Medical College Hospital, is devoted entirely to cases of midwifery and diseases
of women. The total number of Europeans treated was 946, including 33
remaining on 1st January, among whom there were 39 deaths. In 1886 there
were treated 957 with 28 deaths. Of natives there were treated 661 against
584 in 1886 : deaths 58 against 40. The daily average of both classes was
67.8 against 74.1 in 1886. The total deaths were 97 against 68, or at the rate
of 60.36 per mille of treated, against 44.12 in the previous year. There were
439 confinements with 25 deaths, while in 1886 the corresponding numbers
were 445 and 17.
50. It will thus be seen that the number of cases diminished, while the
mortality increased when compared with the previous year, and the cause
is thus stated by Dr. Harvey, the Obstetric Physician :
—
"I regret to say it was the presence of septicæmia in the hospital. There
have been no less than 15 deaths from this cause alone—a cause which, accord-
ing to modern theories, should never be found in a well-regulated hospital.
Six of the cases, five of them ending fatally, were admitted with the disease
already developed; but in 12 cases with 10 deaths it developed in hospital.
Although half the fatal cases were in labour for some time before admission, and
such cases always give a high death-rate, still five cases, three confinements
and two ovarian operation cases, contracted the disease in hospital and died of