Part III. ] HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES IN THE BENGAL PRESIDENCY.
83
quite as much a record of failure as hitherto. It cannot be said that the wishes
of Government have not received earnest attention, and that everything possible
has not been done to attain success. So deeply is the Surgeon-General im-
pressed with the futility of further efforts, that he declines to recommend con-
tinued action on the present system, while he lends his support to a scheme
originated by the Principal of the Medical College, Calcutta, on the profession
of midwifery, which aims at the systematic instruction of a high class of well
educated women. The attempt to utilize the hereditary dhai has proved utterly
hopeless. At Allahabad, Dr. Irving, by every means in his power, endea-
voured to awaken the interest of the native community in the matter, but he
could not. At Jubbulpore, a hospital assistant is employed to instruct a class,
and, according to the civil surgeon, it would seem that some small amount of suc-
cess was attained. The midwifery school at Amritsur, of which an account will
be found further on, is the only institution of the kind which promises moderate
success, and the reason would seem to be that the old attempt to instruct dhais
is not included in its programme, but rather are the principles, of which the
Surgeon-General approves, worked upon. High caste Hindu females of good
character are placed under the immediate supervision of a competent European
matron, and are instructed by the civil surgeon and his assistant.
Leper hospitals and
asylums.
Leper Hospitals and Asylums.— The statistics of the Calcutta Leper Asylum
are shown below. The figures are much the same as in previous years.
An account of the leper asylums which are in operation in the North-West
is included in the report of those provinces, and it appears that there are ten
such institutions. Exclusively of the Allahabad asylum, for which no returns
are available, 9,723 men, 3,655 women, and 8 leprous children were relieved in
them during the year.
STATEMENT No. VII.
Remaining 31st December 1872 ... ... ...
Admitted
...
...
...
...
...
Re-admitted
... ... ... ... ...
TOTAL TREATED. ... ...
Discharged ... ... ... ... ...
Absconded ... ... ... ... ...
Died
...
...
...
...
...
Remaining 31st December 1873 ... ... ...
M.
48
30
68
146
88
1
14
43
F.
12
5
23
40
27
...
3
10
ch.
2
2
2
6
5
...
...
1
Finances.
A financial statement showing the details of income and expenditure, and
the average cost per patient in each province, is appended (Table No. II). The
chief points of general interest are as follows :—In the province of Bengal there
were larger subscriptions collected from both Europeans and Natives; contri-
butions from municipalities increased slightly, but still remain considerably
below the amount of assistance which might be reasonably expected from this
quarter. The income necessary from Government declined to 34.3 per cent.
of the total against 38.6 for the previous year and 43.7 for 1871.
In the North-Western Provinces the receipts were higher and the disburse-
ments less. Municipal contributions were increased, but European subscrip-
tions diminished.
In the Central Provinces it is observed that subscriptions from well-to-do
natives are not forthcoming, and it is surmised that the reason is that the hos-
pital assistants take fees from these persons.
In the Punjab there was an increase of income from municipalities, and a
corresponding decrease in the amount of support derived from subscriptions from
natives. This latter is supposed to be a consequence of the former, the native
mind concluding that because he contributes to the municipal cesses from
which the dispensaries are receiving a larger amount of support than formerly,
he is contributing to the dispensary itself; in fact, that he is taxed for the
benefit of the dispensary among other things.
In Oudh it is satisfactory to note that both expenditure and income de-
rived from non-Government sources have increased.