MEDICAL.
DARJEELING, THE 18TH SEPTEMBER 1885.
RESOLUTION.
READ—
The Report on the Calcutta Medical Institutions for the year 1884.
Read also
—
The Report for the year 1883, and the Resolution recorded upon it.
The year under report was a very unhealthy one, cholera and small-pox
having prevailed within the town of Calcutta with more than usual severity.
The following statement, which is furnished by the Inspector-General of
Civil Hospitals, shows the mortality from the most prevalent diseases in the
town for the past ten years:—
Cholera.
Diarrhoea
and
entery
. dys
Fevers.
Small-pox.
Othe
r c a u s e s .
Total.
Ratio per
mille of
p o p u l a t i o n .
1875 ...
...
... ... ...
1,674
1,579
5,328
720
4,785
14,086
3 2 . 7
1876 ... ... ... ... ...
1,851
1,864
4,361
71
4,817
12,964
30.1
1877 ... ... ... ... ...
1,418
1,683
5,151
67
5,385
13,704
31.9
1878 ... ... ... ... ...
1,338
2,010
6,086
1,495
5,467
16,396
38.1
1879 ... ... ... ... ...
1,186
1,516
4,796
772
4,774
13,044
30.3
1880
... ... ... ...
805
1,267
3,797
114
5, 698
11,681
27.1
1881 ... ... ... ... ...
1,693
1,491
3,765
133
5, 948
13,030
3 0 .
1882 ... ... ... ... ...
2,240
1,454
3,618
17
5,848
13,177
30.4
1883 ... ... ... ... ...
2,037
1,307
3,442
73
5, 466
12.325
28.4
1 8 8 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2,272
1,209
3,618
478
5,679
13,256
30.5
The general death-rate for the year 1884 is shown to be 30 . 5 per mille of the
population of the town, against 28.4 in the previous year. The number of
deaths from cholera, 2,272, was the highest on record for the past ten years, and
more persons died of small-pox than in any year since 1879. There were fewer
deaths, however, from diarrhœa and dysentery, the total being 1,209 against
1,307 and 1,454 in the two preceding years. The mortality from fevers and
“ o t h e r c a u s e s ” s l i g h t l y i n c r e a s e d . T h e I n s p e c t o r - G e n e r a l h a s m a d e s o m e r e m a r k s
on the high rate of mortality during the year from cholera and small-pox, which
are not out of place in the present report; for the mortuary returns of the
hospitals are, to a great extent, influenced by the condition of things prevailing
outside the limits of the hospitals, which occasions or prevents the outbreak
of epidemic disease. There can be no doubt, as the Inspector-General observes,
that “the high mortality from cholera distinctly points to an absence of
sanitation in the situations in which the disease found an abiding place; while
478 deaths from small-pox point to the need of far greater activity on the part
of those whose duty it is to protect the people.” The following statement
shows the number of cases among the principal diseases treated in the several
hospitals in Calcutta during the year, and the number of such cases which
proved fatal:—
MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
CHOLERA.
DIARRHŒA AND
DYSENTERY.
FEVER.
SMALL.POX. OTHER CAUSES.
TOTAL.
Cases. Died. Cases.
Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died. Cases. Died.
Medical College Hospital...
244
111
245
51
401
46
8
......
4,097
422
4,995
630
P r e s i d e n c y G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l . . .
43
28
248
6
617
21
8
1
2,157
68
3,073
124
M a y o H o s p i t a l . . . . . . . . . 344 154
154
13
320
31
4
......
1,629
193
2,451
391
C a m p b e l l h H o s p i t a l . . . . . . . . . .
2 3 6
161
1,284
561
1,323
203
251
8 5
3 , 4 3 1 530 6,525 1,540
p o l i c e Ho s p i t a l . . . . . . . . . .
10
4
385
3
873
10
3
. . . . . . 950
7
2,221
2 4
H o w r a h G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l . . .
1 4 6
78
358
133
353
37
1
......
7 1 0
101
1,568
349
Total
...
1,023
536
2,674
767
3,887
348
275
8 6
1 2 , 9 7 4 1,321 20,833
3,058