NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
23
In the first year of its existence (1862), 447 patients were treated
at this dispensary, whilst in the last year 3,746 persons received
medical aid.
" It is certain," the Deputy Inspector General reports, " that the
people gladly avail themselves of the medical aid afforded to them,
and are fully aware of the benefits of European medicines. I regret
to say," he adds, " that vaccination does not meet with the recep-
tion it deserves. The well-to-do people throughout North Kanara are
positively averse to its introduction, and do all they can to thwart
the Medical Officer of the dispensary in his endeavour to carry it out.
This state of things is peculiarly unfortunate, as small-pox is re-
ported to be endemic throughout the whole of their districts."
The following summary relates to the working of 22 dispensaries,
three recently established not being included in the Returns.
The total number treated has been 69,914, with 172 deaths, the
death rate being 2.4 per thousand. 10,154 absented, and in this
number there would be many fatal cases. The number of deaths
therefore can only be taken to represent the known mortality, and
not the real death rate of the patients who attend the dispensary,
which must necessarily be an unknown quantity. The prevalent
diseases were malarious fever, affections of the stomach and bowels,
thousands of them of the slightest description, and cutaneous
diseases.
These three classes of diseases comprise a total of 44,397, or 63
per cent. of the total sick treated.
The districts have been remarkably free from epidemics during
the year.
Cholera was present at Pandharpur, 47 cases and 19 deaths, and
at Irandol 29 cases and 10 deaths, and in addition there were
two cases—both fatal—at Akalkot, and one case—also fatal—at
Indapur.
Small-pox was also present ; 59 cases having been treated, with 4
deaths, the majority of the cases being in the Kanara Districts.
The diseases treated were as follows :—
Total treated.
Died.
Per cent.
Eruptive fever ...
. . .
...
59
4
...
Continued
...
. . .
. . .
504
5
. . .
Malarious
...
. . .
... 14,502
24
. . .
Malignant cholera
...
...
79
32
...
Others of the class
...
...
558
8
...
Rheumatism ...
...
...
2,400
...
. . .
Syphilitic
...
. . .
. . .
822
...
...
Scorbutic
...
...
...
51
. . .
...
Dropsies
...
. . .
. . .
64
6
...
Others of this class
...
...
931
5
...
Carried over ... 19,970
84
24
Total treated. Died. Per cent.
Brought forward ... 19,970
84
Disease of nervous system ... 1,590
12
. . .
Insanity
. . . . . .
. . .
...
16
...
...
Disease of the eye ...
... 3,928
...
...
,, heart ...
...
12
...
...
,, lungs ...
... 3,293
9
...
Diarrhœa
...
...
... 1,424
16
...
Dysentery
. . . . . .
. . .
956
15
...
Others of this class ...
... 13,236
7
. . .
Disease of the liver ...
...
234
5
. . .
, , s p l e e n ...
...
574
...
...
Gonorrhœa . . .
...
. . .
777
...
. . .
Abscess
. . . ...
...
... 2,062
. . .
. . .
Ulcers
. . .
. . .
. . . 3,238
1
. . .
Skin diseases ...
...
. . . 10,592
1
...
Others of this class ...
... 5,112
5
...
Old age and debility ...
. . .
137
4
...
Poisons ...
...
. . .
...
298
2
...
Injuries ...
...
...
... 2,465
11
...
Total
. . .
69,914
172
Besides these dispensaries there are those attached to each of the
ten civil hospitals of the circle, and the cantonment dispensary of
Ahmadnagar.
In these were treated 55,732 patients, with 31 deaths.
Total treated Government, Native
Treated. Deaths.
State, and grant-in-aid dispensaries ...
69,914
172
10 Civil Hospitals, Dispensaries,
and Cantonment of Ahmadnagar ...
55,732
31
Total ... 125,646
203
The civil hospital dispensaries are not separate institutions bud
part of the resources and management of the civil hospitals directet
to the relief of out-patients.
The cantonment dispensary at Ahmadnagar is not a civil insti-
tution, but, as the only one of the kind in the Presidency, its returns
have been included in the general dispensary returns. 1,927 cases
were treated at this dispensary during the year, with one death. The
diseases treated were principally malarious fever, and diseases of the
eyes.
25
JAILS.
The daily average aggregate strength of the ten jails on this
circle was 3,089. Total treated 2,836, died 43 or 1.5 per cent. of
deaths to treated. The Deputy Inspector General has visited and in-
spected each of the jails in his division, and reports favourably of their
sanitary condition, and of the generally, healthy well-conditioned
appearance of the prisoners.
The number of prisoners treated in each jail hospital was as
follows:—
Total treated. Died. Percentage.
Dhulia ... ... ... ... 240
2
0.83
Poona (City) . . .
... ... 245
4
1.6
Ahmadnagar
... . . .
... 207
3
1.4
Kolhapur
... ... ...
3 0
...
. . .
Belgaum
... ... ...
203
1
0.49
Satara ... ... ... ... 253
1
0.39
Yerrowda
... ... ... 856
20
2.3
Kaladghi
... ... ... 398
2
0.5
Dharwar
... ... ... 249
8
3.2
Sholapur
... ... ... 155
2
1.2
Total
... 2,836
43
1.5
The diseases from which deaths occured were as follows:—
Total treated. Died. Per cent.
Malarious fever. ... ... 1,102
4
...
Malignant cholera ... ...
2
1
...
Others
... ... ...
8
1
...
Syphilitic ... ... ...
54
1
...
Dropsies ... ... ...
2
1
...
Others
... ... ...
20
2
...
Disease of nervous-system ...
35
2
...
„ heart ...
...
2
1
...
„ lungs ... ...
141
4
2.8
Diarrhœa ... ... ...
113
4
3.5
Dysentery ... ... ...
79
3
3.8
Others of the class ... ...
85
2
...
Diseases of liver ... ...
18
1
...
Ulcers
... ... ...
309
4
...
Old age and debility ... ...
46
9
19.5
Injuries
... ... ...
177
3
...
Cholera has not visited these jails in an epidemic form during the year.
Only 2 cases have occurred. One fatal case occurred at Yerrow-
dah, and another case at Dhulia, from which the patient recovered.
4 M D
26
POLICE HOSPITALS.
The average aggregate strength of the police was 7,111 ; of these
2,448 have been under treatment and 17 died.
The police force has been healthy during the year. The Deputy
Inspector General reports that he has visited every hospital in his
division.
At a few stations, such as Dhurrumgaum, a separate and complete
hospital exists, but in others, the police are treated in civil hospitals,
and in the same ward as the civil patient. Some of the police lines
are very indifferent. The Deputy Inspector General quotes the in-
stance of Kanara, as being one in which the sepoy requires better
and more wholesome dwellings, but is actually worse off in these
respects than the men of other districts.
The principal diseases treated were as follows :—
Total treated.
Died.
Fever
...
...
...
. . .
...
1,114
5
Disease of the lungs
...
...
. . .
126
3
Diarrhœa . . .
...
...
...
. . .
44
1
Dysentry ...
...
...
...
...
38
. . .
Others
...
...
...
. . .
...
87
2
Affections of the surface ...
...
...
313
...
Injuries ...
...
...
...
...
107
1
Guinea-worm is frequently met with amongst the police sepoys,
medical officers generally accounting for the affection by the pre-
sence of the ova of the worm in the drinking water, often of very
inferior character, obtained in the districts.
Surgical practice .—Two cases of severe sword-cut wounds, one
of them fatal, were treated by Dr. Sylvester, Belgaum ; but with
this exception there has not been much of interest.
27
NORTHERN DIVISION AND MHOW.
CIVIL HOSPITALS.
The civil hospitals to be noticed are five: at Ahmadabad, Kaira,
Rajkote, Sadra and Dohud. The civil hospital at Ahmadabad has
accommodation for 90 patients, and is adapted for the reception of
native sick only. There is a small endowment yielding about
Rs. 3,000. Other charges are defrayed by Government. For several
years past the Civil Surgeon reports the accommodation has been
found inadequate for the number seeking admission, and since 1868,
buildings outside the city belonging to the municipality have been
occupied. They afford room for 40 patients, and are reserved for
the chronic and less remediable class of cases, while they afford
suitable isolation for lepers and others suffering from inveterate
cutaneous affections. There have been 2,171 in-patients treated
during the year, with 121 deaths, or 5.5 per cent. Compared with
the previous year there has been a falling off in the number treated
of 740, due to the fact that it has been necessary to put some restric-
tion on the admissions, on account of the limited accommodation in
the hospital.
The public health continued fairly good throughout the year.
Leprosy is a conspicuous disease at this hospital, the daily average
number under treatment being 26.4.
Dr. Wyllie remarks : " Considering how frequently leprosy is due to
hereditary transmission, and the number of diseased mendicants
habitually circulating throughout the country, who thus have un-
restricted opportunities of perpetuating their loathsome disease,
legislative authority in suppression of this form of vagrancy might
be interposed beneficently."
Civil Hospital, Kaira.
There have been but few patients treated in this hospital during
the past year, probably in consequence of its imperfect accommo-
dation. A new hospital now being built, will, it is anticipated, im-
prove the attendance. The number treated during the year was 125,
with 13 deaths, or 10.4 per cent. The high death rate is due to the
exhausted and anœmic condition of some of the patients on admission.
Civil Hospital, Rajkote.
This hospital has accommodation for 40 patients, and it must be
considered an imperfect arrangement that the Civil Surgeon is
absent for a great part of the year on vaccination duty, during
which time his duties at the civil hospital are performed by the
medical officer in charge of the Native Regiment at the station.
The number treated during the year was 538, and 43 died, or 7
per cent.
28
There have been 50 large operations during the year, besides many
important ones of lesser magnitude ; of 37 cases of lithotomy, 35 were
cured, 2 died.
There was one case of ovariotomy, an operation as yet very rare in
this Presidency.
At Rajkote the lepers are kept in a hospital under the supervi-
sion of the Political Agent and Civil Surgeon.
Civil Hospital, Sadra.
Forty-one cases have been treated, with 1 death. This is a small
hospital, and might better be classed as a dispensary, and is in
charge of an intelligent apothecary, Mr. Conway.
Civil Hospital, Dohud.
This is really the Bheel Corps Hospital, with a ward for civil
patients. 42 cases were treated with 6 deaths.
Bhooj Hospital.
There is, besides the abovementioned civil hospital, a small hos-
pital at Bhooj, supported by His Highness the Rao and in charge of
a Graduate of the Grant Medical College, who has done some good
work during the year.
Total treated 283, died 11, or 8 . 9 per cent.
There were 25 large operations during the year, 3 amputations, 22
cases of lithotomy and 2 deaths, besides many others of less impor-
tance : amongst them an excellent case of restoration of the nose.
Altogether there have been during the year in the civil hospitals
under notice 111 first class operations, with 16 deaths or 14 . 4 per cent.
Added to this a large number of miror operations of the utmost im-
portance in the relief of suffering ; together with some special cases,
1 of ovariotomy—fatal, 1 ligature of subclavian artery—successful,
and others of interest.
The total number treated in all the civil hospitals in this division
was 3,117, died 188, giving a percentage of 6 (of deaths to treated).
The principal diseases were as follows :—
Treated. Died. Percentage.
Malarious fever...
...
...
442
26
5.8
P h t h i s i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
9
29.0
Other disease of lungs...
...
93
6
6.4
Syphilis...
...
... ...
305
7
2.3
Leprosy...
...
...
...
105
7
6.6
Dysentery
...
...
...
77
13
16.3
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
46
10
21. 7
Diseases of liver
...
.
...
47
5
10.6
Bright's disease
...
...
22
10
45.4
Guinea-worm ...
...
...
36
2
5.5
There were no admissions from cholera and only a few from
small-pox.
2 9
DISPENSARIES.
In the Northern Division and Mhow, there are 25 Dispensaries ;
and 1,51,535 patients have been treated during the year, with 149
deaths. The number of deaths can have no statistical value, so many
patients are returned as " absented " and no further account of them
is to be obtained : the nature of the disease and injuries of many of
them rendering a fatal result more or less certain.
The diseases treated were as follows :—
Treated.
Died.
Eruptive fever
...
... 104
1
...
Malarious
...
...
25,923
28
...
Rheumatism ...
...
5,194
...
...
Syphilis
...
...
2,774
...
...
Dropsies
...
...
273
7
...
Others of this class
...
1,706
11
...
Disease of the nervous system. 3,595
13
...
Insanity
...
...
...
66
1
...
Disease of eye
...
... 6,845
...
...
, ,
heart
...
...
28
1
...
,,
lungs
...
... 7,258
17
...
Diarrhœa
...
...
... 3,323
4
...
Dysentery
...
...
... 2,915
13
...
Others of this class ...
15,833
4
...
Disease of liver
...
... 545
5
...
,,
spleen
...
... 1,124
...
...
Abscess
...
...
... 6,551
1
...
Ulcers...
...
...
...
6 , 7 6 5
...
...
Disease of skin
...
3 8 , 5 0 6
...
...
Others of this class ...
1 2 , 7 3 0
9
...
Poisons
...
...
... 450
4
...
Injuries
... ...
... 3,921
16
...
Operations
...
...
... 112
1
...
It will be thus seen that affections of the surface of various kinds
constituted more than one-third of the whole number treated.
Malarious fever and diseases of the stomach and bowels forming
the two classes of disease next in numerical importance.
All the dispensaries show a numerical increase in the attendance
of patients. Surgical operations have been confined to those of a slight
nature.
Vaccination has been carried on, but not at all the dispensaries.
JAILS.
There are 5 jails in this divison, 2 (1st class ) at Ahmadabad, and
3 (2nd class ) at Kaira, Rajkote and Dohud. They all have good
30
hospital accommodation. There has been no epidemic during the
year, and no sickness calling for remark.
Jails.
Strength. Treated. Died.
Daily
average
sick.
Deaths
to
strength.
Deaths
to
treated.
Ahmadabad
..
359
225
8
3.8
2.2
3.5
Dhuliakote ...............
401
349
1
9.8
0.2
0.2
Dohud
157
168
6
6.0
3.8
3.5
Kaira
119
218
4
6.3
3.3
1 . 8
Rajkote
74
56
...
1
...
...
1,110
1,016 19
...
... ...
The number of prisoners treated was 1,016, with 19 deaths, or 1.8
per cent, the percentage of deaths to strength being 1.7. The prin-
cipal diseases treated were as follows :—
Treated.
Died.
Malarious ...
...
...
...
524
5
Dropsies ...
...
...
...
2
. . .
Others of this class
...
...
13
4
Diarrhœa ...
...
...
...
81
3
Dysentry ...
...
...
...
24
1
Old age
...
...
...
5
3
POLICE.
There were 3 Police Corps—
Strength.
The Ahmadabad Mounted and Foot
... 506
,, Kaira
do.
do.
... 749
,,
Dohud
do.
do.
... 506
Both at Ahmadabad and Kaira the police were treated in hospitals
in their own lines. But when the civil hospital at Ahmadabad is
enlarged and that at Kaira completed, the sick of the police can
then be treated in these civil hospitals with some saving of estab-
lishment. With the exception of the men at Dohud, the health of
the police has been very good and the death-rate small ; but at
Dohud the death rate was high, consequent on the severity of the
fever from which the men suffered there. There were 5 deaths
from ague and its consequences, 3 from pneumonia, and 2 from
asthma—all at Dohud.
There were thus 10 deaths at Dohud.
,,
,,
2
,,
Ahmadabad.
,,
,,
2
„
Kaira.
Average strength of 3 Corps
...
... 1,811
Treated
...
... ...
...
... 1,488
Died...
...
...
...
...
...
14
Treated to strength
...
...
... 82.1
Deaths to strength...
...
....
... O . 77
Deaths to treated ..
...
...
... 0 . 94
31
SIND.
CIVIL HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES.
There has been no change in the number of civil hospitals, of which
there are 5, and of dispensaries, there being 23 during the year.
The Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals has visited the whole . of
these institutions during the year, with the exception of the dispen-
saries at Nagar Parkar, Mittee and Khetty., The year has been
exceptionally healthy, especially as regards malaria. There has been
no cholera ; small-pox, measles, and hooping cough were prevalent for
a time. At Kurrachee principally diseases of the bowels have been
frequent, and are probably attributable in a great measure to im-
pure drinking water. Stone in the bladder is also common in Sind,
and it is supposed may to some extent depend upon a similar cause.
In the civil hospitals 1,868 in-patients were treated, and 152 died,
being at the rate of 8 per cent.
In the dispensaries 1,632 were treated and 115 died, or 7 per cent.
of those treated.
The principal diseases were as follows :—
General.
Treated.
Died.
Percentage of
deaths to treated.
Sub-Division A. Malarious
...
783
24
3.06
Sub-Division B. Dropsies
...
23
7
30.4
Other diseases of this class
. . .
65
10
15.3
Local.
Diseases of nervous system ...
39
10
25.6
,,
of the lungs ...
...
242
54
22.3
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
142
49
34.5
Dysentery ... ...
...
139
21
15.1
Diseases of the liver ...
...
25
6
24.0
,,
of the surface
...
250
25
10.0
Injuries
...
397
16
4.0
Total in-door patients—civil hospitals and dispensaries, 3,281
treated, 258 died, 7 . 8 per cent.
These figures will point out the principal diseases, and the number
of deaths from them. It is always to be remembered, that in all our
civil institutions, there are numerous cases received for treatment who
are beyond the power of remedies, and who died within a short time
of admission.
The number of out-patients treated have been—in civil hospitals
26,581, dispensaries 70,964.
The principal diseases treated were of the same nature as those of
in-patients above described, but no exact statistics can be obtained of
this class of patients.
It can only be said that in civil hospitals 24,942 were cured, and
1,333 absented; in dispensaries 63,180 were cured, and 6,777 absented.
32
Some deaths are known, and have been reported, but the figures
are not of any value as representing the actual mortality from dis-
eases which in a large number of cases cannot be known. The
Deputy Inspector General brings prominently to notice the admir-
able working of the civil hospital at Haidarabad, under Assistant
Surgeon Holmsted, where 84 important surgical operations have been
performed during the year : the number at Kurrachee for the same
period being 8 only. Mr. Wright, the Apothecary in charge of the
dispensary at Allyarka Tanda, is also specially mentioned. He is,
by his intelligence and liking for his professsion, and by his success
in the operation of lithotomy, attracting many of the people of the
surrounding villages to his dispensary.
It is very creditable to Mr. Wright to have overcome the dif-
ficulties which were in his way at the outset and to have become, by
patient effort, so successful as an operator, as to have acquired the
confidence of the people, and in surgery success is the only test of
merit amongst an uneducated community. The increase in the attend-
ance in civil hospitals and dispensaries over the previous year
amounts to 4,332 patients.
POLICE.
The total strength of the police force is 1,681; of these 1,237 have
been treated, and 28 died, or 2 . 2 per cent. The principal diseases
from which the men suffered were :—
Treated.
Died.
Percentage of
deaths to treated.
Fever ... ...
...
... 706
4
0.5
Diseases of the lungs
... 102
17
16.6
Bowel complaints ...
... 146
3
2.0
These figures are obtained from the returns of the police hospitals at
Kurrachee, Haidarabad and Shikarpur, but they give no true idea of
the health of the whole force. The men are scattered all over the
province and very little is known of the state of health of those away
from head quarters.
JAILS.
Jails.
S t r e n g t h .
R e m a i n i n g .
A d m i t t e d .
T o t a l .
C u r e d .
Di ed.
R e m a i n i n g .
P . C . o f t r e a t e d
t o s t r e n g t h .
Deat hs t o sr engt h.
D e a t h s t o
t r e a t e d .
Kurachee
343
6
347
353
323 20
10
102.7
6.4
5.9
Haidarabad
521
12
323
335
305 12 18
64.2
2.2
3.5
10.3
Shikarpur
650
14
420
434
379 45
10
78.9
8.1
Sukkur
241
27
608
635
595
18
22
263.4
7.4
2.8
294 27
412
2.1
385
391
9
12
140 .1
Naria Canal
3 . 4
Oomerkote
130
4
396
400
386
5
9
301 . 6
3 .8
1.2
Total
2,179 90 2,479 2,569 2,379 109 81
117.8
5.0
4.2
33
The average strength of prisoners in the large jails in Sind during
the year was 2,179 ; total treated 2,569 ; died 109 ; giving an
average percentage of 4 . 2 of deaths to treated.
The number of deaths to average strength is very large, especially
in the Shikarpur jail, amounting to over 7 per hundred. It is quite
unusual in the absence of epidemics or any special cause of mortality
to find that 7 out of every 100 prisoners died in the year. The ex-
planation given by the Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals is : "that
all healthy able-bodied men are constantly being transferred to other
jails, whilst only the feeble, the sickly, and aged prisoners are re-
tained at Shikarpur."
The average age of the 45 fatal cases at this jail was 41 years and
6 months.
Excluding Oomerkote jail, of which there are no returns as to
details, the following are the principal diseases from which prisoners
suffered :—
Treated.
Died.
Percentage of
deaths to treated.
Fever ...
...
... 965
34
3.5
Disease of lungs
... 160
40
25.0
Diarrhœa
...
... 163
14
8.5
Dysentery
...
...
80
5
6.2
34
ADEN.
CIVIL HOSPITAL.
The Civil Surgeon repots that the year contrasts favorably with
every year since 1862. Total treated 2,770, died 101; giving a per
-centage of 3.65 of deaths to treated. The following table gives the
results of the last ten years :—
Year.
Average
No. of daily
sick.
Total
treated.
Total
deaths.
Percentage
of deaths
to treated.
Remarks.
1862
62.5
1,297
39
3.0
1863
55.9
980
51
5.1
1864
5 9 . 3 7
970
55
5.6
1865
84.0
1,744
380
21.7
Small-pox prevalent.
1866
84.3
1,930
202
10.4
Do.
1867
1 0 3 . 2
1,857
205
1 1 .
Do.
1868
117.4
2,605
235
9.02
D o .
1869
110.8
2,957
393
13.3
Do.
1870
95.
2,275
205
4.6
1871-72
...
2,770
101
3.65
Small-pox.—A few cases were treated, but the disease did not
become epidemic.
Dengue. made its appearance in June and rapidly spread
over the Peninsula. It is believed five-sixths of the whole popula-
tion were attacked.