108
DISPENSARIES IN THE PUNJAB.
[Part III.
The plans for a new school-room, matron's quarters, and lying-in-wards for a few cases
of difficult labour, have been decided on, and a site has also been selected for the building, so
that it may be expected that before very long a proper set of buildings will be provided.
Two European pupils, who were mentioned in the report for 1872 as attending, were
examined by, and received certificates from, the professor of midwifery in the Lahore medical
school. At the close of 1873 there were five European pupils attending.
During the year there were 605 cases of labour attended at the homes of the women, and
27 were attended in the hospital; this gives an increase of 159 among the former, and 9
among the latter description of patients, as compared with the figures for 1872. These figures
speak well for the progress the institution is making. Of the cases, 5 required instrumental
interference, 11 were cases of turning, 47 abortions, and 25 miscarriages.
Mrs. Hankin's success in attending to the pupils and the practice of the institution are
sufficiently shown by the figures I have just given; whilst the civil surgeon, Dr. Mackenzie,
continues his careful supervision of the working of the institution, and bestows considerable
time and trouble in teaching the pupils.
At Delhi a midwifery class has been established at St. Stephen's College by the Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel; it is aided by a monthly grant of Rs. 75 from municipal
funds. It has 14 pupils, who are under the instruction of an advanced pupil of the Bareilly
school. The assistant surgeon frequently, and the civil surgeon occasionally, inspect and
examine the class.
Hakeems.
Hakeems were employed in the districts of Jhelum, Sialkot, Delhi and Goor.
goan, but it does not appear that any real benefit is derived from their services,
and the popularity of the measure is subsiding to reasonable proportions.
Inspection duties of
civil surgeons.
It is stated that, on the whole, the inspection duties of civil surgeons have
been fairly attended to, but in several instances the orders of Government re-
garding dispensary committees were not carried out.
Lahore medical
school.
Two students passed their final examination at the Lahore medical school
during the year, and there were 3 admissions to the school; the total number
of students remaining at the end of the year was 15.
Finances.
There was a very considerable falling off (Rs. 27,112) in the amount of sub-
scriptions collected from natives. The Inspector-General of Dispensaries thinks
that the increase of income from municipal funds (Rs. 23,870) in some way
explains this unfavourable result, in that native gentlemen are apt to think,
when they see funds coming liberally from local sources, that there is no need
for their liberality. It must, however, be recorded that the bulk of the
decrease appears to be owing to the fact that the subscriptions of 1872 included
the donation of Rs. 21,000 from His Highness the Maharaja of Cashmere.
The Government contribution was increased by Rs. 5,122. The expenditure
underwent increase under every head except on account of European medi-
cines supplied by Government (Rs. 733), but there was a very large increase
(Rs. 5,580) in the expenditure for European medicines from the dispensary
funds ; the general increase is accounted for by the increase of patients. The
balance in hand at the end of the year was Rs 41,620.
Endowment funds.
The Inspector General of dispensaries strongly advocates the creation of
endowment funds, as he considers that the time must come when the
dispensaries will be thrown entirely on local sources of income and private
charity.
Cost of medicines.
In commenting on the increased expenditure, His Honor the Lieutenant.
Governor expresses his opinion that the time has come when the cost of
European medicines may be charged to the district in which the dispensary is
situated. Apropos of this subject in his comment upon the working of the
branch dispensaries in the Sialkot district, the Inspector-General of Dispensaries
observes as follows:—
Dr. Potter, the civil surgeon of Sialkot, in commenting on the branch dispensaries of
his district, says:—" The general condition and working of the branch dispensaries is not
satisfactory, and the good they do is not commensurate with the amount of money expended
on them. This may be attributed to various causes; the first and most important is, I con-
ceive, want of confidence on the part of the people; 2nd is that they are not subject to much
supervision : this in a measure is unavoidable; 3rd and last is the mistaken economy with
which they are supplied with the more valuable European medicines. Every class, no matter
how ignorant, believes in the efficacy of quinine, but the amount of that drug supplied to the
dispensaries in this district is quite inadequate to the demand. I think it is a mistaken policy
to allow less than Rs. 50 worth of European medicines per annum to each branch dispensary,
whose establishment costs Rs. 600 during the same period. I suggest that those dispensaries
which have good balances to their credits might with advantage invest them in the purchase