Part III.]
DISPENSARIES IN THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCES.
101
Medical establish-
ment.
This shows a real and satisfactory increase as regards the number of
dispensaries, but the figures which indicate the amount of relief given require
some explanation. It will be observed that there was an increase of 1,055
in-door patients over 1872; of this increase only 71 are due to the 13 new
institutions. So far it is satisfactory as showing that the older institutions had
become more popular; but it would seem that the increase was in police cases,
the actual number of voluntary in-door patients really having slightly dimin-
ished. On the other hand, the increase (3,206) in the attendance of out-
patients was entirely due to the work of the new dispensaries; the number of
cases treated in the old dispensaries decreased by 20,025, and this result
is attributed to the general healthiness of the year. The average attendance
of out-patients in all the dispensaries, old and new, decreased by a little over
two per cent. At the close of the year, there were 34 assistant surgeons and
118 hospital assistants employed in the working of the dispensaries :—
Diseases treated.
The report thus exhibits the proportions of the principal diseases for two
years, for which in-door and out-door patients were treated.
STATEMENT No. XXX.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
IN-DOOR PATIENTS.
Diseases.
Local injuries
...
...
... ... ...
Fevers ... ... ... ... ... ...
Diseases of digestive system (other than dysentery and diarrhoea) ...
Skin diseases ...
...
...
...
...
...
Dysentery ... ... ... ... ... ...
Diseases of urinary system ... ... ... ...
Diarrhœa ... ... ... ... ... ...
Syphilis ... ... ... ... ... ...
Diseases of nervous system ... ... ... ...
„
of respiratory system ... ... ... ...
Rheumatism ...
...
...
...
...
...
OUT-DOOR PATIENTS.
Diseases.
1
2
3
4
6
6
7
8
9
10
11
Diseases of skin ... ... ... ... ...
Ditto of digestion (other than dysentery and diarrhœa) ... ...
Fevers ... ... ... ... ... ...
Rheumatism ... ... ... ... ... ...
Diseases of respiratory system ... ... ... ...
Ditto of eye ... ... ... ... ...
Ditto of ear ... ... ... ... ...
Diarrhœea
...
...
... ... ... ...
Local injuries ... ... ... ... ...
Diseases of cellular tissue... ... ... ... ...
Dysentery ... ... ... ... ... ...
1872.
27.3
12.0
7.6
6.9
5.7
5.5
4.5
36
33
31
31
1872.
21.9
15.1
14.4
6.7
6.4
4.7
3.8
3.2
2.8
2.7
2.7
1873.
31.2
10.2
7.05
7.0
5.4
5.1
4.5
3.5
3.4
3.0
2.7
1873.
21.6
15.9
13.5
6.5
6.22
5.1
3.8
3.19
3.05
3.1
2.66
Police cases.
It will be noticed that the order of the relative frequency in which the
diseases occurred has not varied during the two years. The very high per-
centage of " local injuries" amongst in-door patients must attract particular
attention; the percentages for Bengal for the two years were 16.54 and 16.89,
and when compared with other provinces, the contrast is seen to be still stronger.
Skin diseases hold the first place among out-door patients, whereas in Bengal
it will be seen from statement No. XXII that only 2.86 per cent. of out-
patients were treated for cutaneous affections. It is to be regretted that the
proportion of the sexes of those treated has not been noted in the returns of
these provinces. The percentage of police cases increased from 28 to 35.3
of the whole of the in-door patients—that is, last year the admissions classed
as police cases were about one-third of the others, this year they were over
one-half. Last year only 12 dispensaries had more police cases than voluntary
in-door cases; this year 25 had more. Under the term " police cases" are
included not only cases of injury involving judicial proceedings, but all desti-
tute persons sent to hospital by the police.
Surgical operation.
Surgical operations increased from 53,707 in 1872 to 56,661 in 1873. The
number classed as capital and important has proportionately increased, but
there has been a confusion regarding the interpretation of some terms such as
a a