8
REPORT ON THE
12. PARTICULAR DISEASES.—Small-pox was very prevalent at the end of
1889 and during the early months of 1890, the total number of patients treated
being 321 in 1890 and 64 in 1889. Nearly all the cases were treated at the
Campbell Hospital, where there are special and isolated wards for their recep-
tion, and the few which occurred in the other hospitals were admitted before the
nature of the disease could be diagnosed, but they were subsequently transferred
to the Campbell Hospital. With regard to this disease, Surgeon-Major Cobb,
the Superintendent of the Campbell Hospital, remarks :—" Small-pox was
unusually prevalent in Calcutta in 1890, and it was of a virulent type, as will
be seen from the subjoined particulars :—
1889.
1890.
Confluent small-pox
. . .
. . .
18
63
Simple do.
. . .
. . .
6
62
Semi-confluent do.
. . .
. . .
28
166
Hæmorrhagic do.
...
. . .
. . .
6
Modified do.
...
. . .
9
4
Total
. . .
61
301
Two hundred and twenty-nine of the cases admitted in 1890 were of a semi-
confluent or confluent character. No less than 183 of the patients were
unprotected by vaccination, while in 1889 only 16 out of 61 patients were in
a similar condition." It is to be feared, however, that the total numbers given
by Dr. Cobb of the cases treated at the special hospital for this disease form a very
small proportion of those attacked throughout the Town of Calcutta, and we
must trust to the spread of vaccination to lessen the prevalence and virulence of
epidemics of this kind.
13.
Cholera .—It has already been remarked that cholera was not very
prevalent among the general population in 1890, as shown by the death statistics
of the Health Officer of Calcutta, and coincident with this diminution there were
fewer patients under treatment for this disease in all the hospitals of Calcutta
and Howrah, except that of the Police, which shows a small increase.
14. During the year a trial was given to certain new methods of treat-
ment, but the results were not satisfactory, and the mortality still remains at
about 50 per cent. of treated, as in previous years. The treatment by " salol,"
which had been extolled as very efficacious, was tried in the General Hospital in
seven cases, five of which proved fatal. Six cases were also treated on the plan
recommended by Brigade Surgeon Ross, and of these five died. The " vagus"
treatment was also adopted in one case unsuccessfully.
15. In connection with this disease it may be mentioned that it showed
itself at the Howrah and the Presidency General Hospitals among patients who
were at the time of attack under treatment for diseases other than cholera—
a sure indication of the existence of some insanitary condition in the hospitals
themselves. The cases at the former may be explained by the want of a proper
water-supply, the more or less defective drainage and conservancy of that place,
but it is more difficult to account for their almost yearly occurrence at the General
Hospital. A former Surgeon-Superintendent of this institution thought that the
cause was to be found in possible impurities in the milk or butter consumed by
the patients, and a large dairy with about 50 cows was provided by Government
at considerable expense to supply pure milk, while the patients were confined to
tinned butter. The present Surgeon-Superintendent, Dr. Crombie, has also
effected many improvements in the sanitary condition of the building and its
surroundings by opening out covered drains and altering their connection with
the main sewer, but still cases continue to occur. The drinking water used by
the patients is derived from the water system of Calcutta, which is carried twice
a day in a cart to the hospital from one of the street hydrants at Bhowanipore,
but tank water is used for flushing the floors and cleaning dishes &c., and it
is just possible that this tank water may be used occasionally for drinking; but
I scarcely think that this can account for the disease showing itself in the
hospital, and I am more inclined to believe that a complete stop will be put to it
by attending still more to the conservancy and trying to improve it. In the
course of my experience as an administrative medical officer in the Military