NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
Were ague, giving a percentage to treated of 24.12 less than in
Tanna, Surat, and Broach. The dispensaries in this division do not,
however, show the fevers of the higher parts of this col
-lectorate, these will probably appear in the reports of Sirsi
and others. There were thirteen cases of small-pox, the disease
was, I believe, generally prevalent. Of Division B, 1,052 received
treatment, chiefly rheumatism and syphilis; of the latter 135 cases
were treated at Kamte. Local diseases were 9,434. Under this
head 3,928 cases of other diseases of the class of stomach and bowels
occurred—these were chiefly of intestinal worms; but of diarrhœa
and dysentery, the proportion of treated, though greater than in
Ratnagiri, was much less than in the other collectorates. The dis
-pensary cases are chiefly those occurring in the "Paeen Ghat" lands,
partially cultivated with rice, and here and there thickly studded with
trees. Diseases of the skin and ulcers gave a considerable number,
and affections of the spleen were nearly as many as were treated in
the dispensaries of Tanna and Surat. The very large comparative
proportion of these ailments points to a class of fever patients from the
Ghat slopes. Mention is made of this in paragraph 22 a of dispen
-sary reports, Honowar—the cases were chiefly treated at Kamte.
20. In Sawantwari 1,550 persons received dispensary treatment at
the civil hospital. Under general diseases A, 651 attended—all ague—
giving to total treated 42 per cent. Of Division B 42 attended.
Local diseases gave 857—567 of these were derangements of stomach
and bowels, chiefly intestinal worms. The dispensary has not done
the good it should do, and I am not of opinion its returns afford any
criterion of the amount of disease, except that of fever, prevalent in
the thickly wooded district of Sawantwari.
Aden, Muscat, and Bushire have been noticed in dispensaries
attached to political residencies.
During the season of 1872-73, every medical charge in my division
has been visited, except the political residency of Bushire, and
several vessels of the Bombay Marine; the former was not placed in
my division of superintendence when I crossed to Muscat in Decem
-ber 1872, the latter were not generally accessible.
R e m a r k s .
The following remarks bear on what have appeared to me to be
requirements for the sick in hospitals, for additions, or alterations
in connection with these institutions, and for improvements in some
sanitary matters that have been brought to notice.
1. In the last year's report on the European General Hospital
certain remarks were made with reference to repairs and alterations,
and under the impression that the retention of the present buildings
258
would not be for long, it was considered advisable that none but very
necessary changes should be suggested; understanding, however, that
even if commenced in the present year, a new hospital would require
four or even five years to build, I take it upon me to state that the
comfort of the sick, many of whom contribute to their own main
-
tenance while in hospital, would be immensely improved by a few
alterations and additions, which may indeed be al most looked upon
as necessary to their proper treatment.
Since last March frequent visits to the hospital have made me
more alive to two great defects which exist—one of these was men
-
tioned in my last report, and which I have waited for the period of
submission of this report to bring to notice.
2. In the face of the prevailing wind a corridor or verandah runs
the whole length of the hospital main building; on account of its
coolness this is made the general day-room of those patients who are
able to move about, indeed, there is no other place for them; in this
their friends are received, they smoke in it, eat in it, talk, and keep
up a certain unpreventible noise; and a general malaria is constantly
wafted from it into the wards, which are in direct communication
with it, and in which are lying men sick to dying, or unable, from
the nature of their diseases, to move from their beds and bedsides.
At times the scene presented by this verandah is far from an inviting
one, and it has frequently required me to consider how it could be
changed; the formation of a separate clay-room for patients who like
to leave the wards during certain hours of the day, would help
them in their recovery; and would relieve the seriously sick and
patients of more delicate natures of an intolerable nuisance.
3. There is no protection between the tiled roof of the hospital
and the patients, their beds, food, &c.; and bugs fall frequently down
upon them. For this, I would suggest that the wards should be
ceiled with cloth throughout and the wood work painted.
In bringing these subjects to notice, I would, therefore, ask to be
allowed to submit a plan and estimate for the provision of a tempo
-
rary day-room, to be prepared in consultation with the surgeon of
the hospital and the executive engineer, also an estimate for the
ceilings.
4. The women's wards at the hospital require some stout
wire protection to fill in certain apertures; and the raising of the
wall dividing the general compound from the yards of the wards
occupied by women, is very necessary; small overbed punkahs for
these wards were, by some oversight, omitted in the estimate sanc
-
tioned some time since for the men's wards, an estimate, therefore,
for them is under preparation for submission; the alteration from
heavy lumbering punkahs which cooled no one but a person passing
259
through the middle of the ward, has resulted in decreased expendi
-ture in the cost of punkah-pulling, fewer men being required on the
duty.
5. The Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Hospital has laboured under some
very grave defects for a long time, namely, in the outbuildings, house
surgeon's quarters, and dead-house.
6. The outbuildings or range of squalid huts for the hospital
servants were last year again brought to notice, the result of the
application was not successful—a committee reported on the subject
but the scheme proposed was too costly; the matter was not taken
up, as I had suggested, to the acting first physician; had it been so
a small estimate would probably have been the result; the state of
these huts has, I believe, been frequently before Government, and it
is to be hoped that this blot on the institution may be as much as
possible, removed.
7. The quarters of the house surgeon are, as they ought to be,
in proximity to the hospital—here their good qualities end. The
hospital is built on a plinth, 7 feet high, where it fronts, within 52
feet, the abode of the house surgeon, which is built directly on the
low ground with walls 10 feet high; the ground from the hospital
inclines to the house—the accommodation is composed of two rooms
20 × 15 and 16 × 15 with a verandah of 8 feet on two sides; a bath
- r o o m a n d c l o s e t i n o n e , a n d a c o o k - r o o m a r e t h e o f f i c e s ; t h e s e a r e
in most discomforting proximity; the dead-house and one of the
hospital privies are, respectively, 65 and 30 feet distant, and the
whole is completely shut out from free ventilation. It is almost,
perhaps, unnecessary to say that the house is in every way ill suited,
it is pervaded with damp during and long after the monsoon, and
must be seriously unhealthy to constant residents; a temporary upper
room was built by the house surgeon, when apothecary, at his own
expense; this and this only has enabled himself and family to reside.
Since writing these remarks, the daughter of the house surgeon has
been prostrated with low fever which the medical officers attending
state was in their opinion caused by residence in this place. She had
to be removed at once, and is now undergoing a slow convalescence.
8. One of the recognized requirements of a hospital, like the
Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, is, that the comfort of so important an official
as the house surgeon should be attended to. He is required to make
the hospital his home, to absent himself as rarely as possible from its
precincts, and, consequently, to be available whenever required.
To ensure the zeal and readiness of this officer, a good and comfortable
dwelling is a sine qua non; in the present instance this is far from
being the case.
9. The subject of these quarters is not brought forward for the
first time, the necessity for a new arrangement has always been
34 M D
260
allowed, and the report of a committee, held in 1865, was laid before
Government. In the annual report of the hospital for 1864,
Doctor Giraud wrote : "The extreme unhealthiness of the quarters of
the apothecary and steward has been repeatedly brought to notice,
and in 1857 new quarters were sanctioned by Government. I beg
respectively to press upon the authorities the great injustice of
compelling the apothecary and steward to reside in dwellings which
from their site and construction are so seriously prejudicial to the
healhs of themselves and families." Doctor Haines in 1865 wrote :
"In November last a committee was appointed to suggest measures
for defects (these still exist) in the buildings of the hospital; the
committee have drawn up their proceedings in which they recom
-mend a place for a permanent block of buildings for the apothecary
(now house surgeon) and assistant apothecaries has also been pre
-pared." In 1867, Doctor Hunter adverted to the proceedings of 1865
and reported that no action had been taken in the matter, although
strongly supported and recommended by the Inspector General,
Indian Medical Department. The following is a portion of the pro
-ceedings of the committee of 1865 The committee beg also to
recommend that the plan of the apothecary's quarters in the com
-pound, on the north side of the hospital, should be submitted to
Government for sanction.
Doctor Cook, Acting First Physician, in his annual report, which
accompanies my report for the present year, states, paragraph 11:
"The wretched quarters provided for the resident house surgeon which
are below the level of the ground, shut out from the breeze on one
side by their close contiguity to the hospital necessary, and, on the
other, by the dead-house—the hygienic conditions of the buildings
are the worst possible and demand amelioration."
10. The third subject is the building of a new dead-house, an
estimate for which has been submitted, the requirements for the
examination of the dead and for making more scientific use of the
facts brought to light, the necessity for proper accommodation for
greatly increased numbers of students and pupils, whose attention
is most urgently required to these examinations, render the size of
the present place quite insufficient; its position, too, is faulty, and it
does not possess any space for carrying on microscopic or other
inquiries, or for preparing pathological specimens which have to be
conducted or arranged for on the spot.
The three subjects I have here brought forward should, I would
venture to submit, engage early attention.
11. Ten of the wards of this hospital have mud floors; the state
and appearance of these wards would strike the eye of any one enter
- i n g t h e m , c o n t r a s t i n g t h e i r a p p e a r a n c e w i t h t h e c l e a n l y , l i v e l y , l o o k
of those that are paved or tiled. At the visit of His Royal Highness
261
the Duke of Edinburgh one of the wards—there were then eleven—was
tiled at an expense of Rs. 1,000, and called "the Edinburgh Ward."
The change in the sanitary character of these wards with pavement
instead of mud floors, would be very great and very important, but
the expense is so considerable as to preclude its present proposal.
12. Regarding the lunatic asylum the additional wings which
were occupied in September have considerably increased the space
in the asylum, but that is all that can be said in their favour, for
they appear faulty in plan and generally inferior in construction; the
Resolution of Government, however, on which they were built, states
they are only to be "a temporary arrangement until other and more
permanent arrangements can be made"—vide
Resolution, Public
Works Department, No. II.—General Buildings, Lunatic Asylum,
Colaba, No. 523 C. W. 1,971 of 1871, 28th October 1871.
They have, however, had the effect of causing much improvement
in parts of the old buildings.
13. What is now required is an airing ground for Europeans and
the classes receiving the same treatment; for this an estimate has
been submitted. An additional court is also requisite for the natives,
too many of whom are obliged now to be placed together during the
day, without regard to the nature of their insanity, their being
criminal lunatics, their violence, or habits.
For the erection of three simple shelter sheds and the preparation
of an airing ground, the sanction of Government is necessary.
14. The unsheltered position of the Colaba point and the
nature of the ground, chiefly rock and stony, precludes the hope of
attempts at gardening being very successful or in the least degree
profitable—a fowl farm might be more productive.
15. In the airing ground of the women's wing a latrine and
urinary are necessary to prevent the constant use by day of those in
the interior of the building.
16. The drainage of the asylum, having reference to the drains of
the new wings and to their outflow, should be taken in hand; the
water-supply during the hot months is a point which should be
settled before another season arrives; at this time the supply per
- h e a d i s e x t r e m e l y l i m i t e d , t h e g a r d e n o p e r a t i o n s , s u c h a s t h e y a r e , i t
is necessary to suspend, and the drains again become extremely
offensive, there being no water to cleanse them.
17. The need for the erection of a hospital large enough to con--
tain 15 or 20 patients was brought to the notice of His Excellency
the Governor at his visit to the asylum. I have always considered the
shed now used for an infirmary as one of the most objectionable
features of the asylum. Sick are treated in it, and also in various
other parts of the building— bodily, sick ought, I think, to be apart
entirely from the rest of the insane.
262
18. The subject of dead-houses for the police purposes of the dis
-tricts has been laid before Government. The need of such places does
not require demonstration; and sub-assistant surgeons and hospital
tssistants, where dispensaries are not supplied, are put to much dis
-aress and inconvenience in consequence, and represent the circumstance
in complaints that cannot be relieved. I have prepared a list of post
-mortem examinations performed in the division at the instance of
the Police, and in the cause of justice, to which I would beg reference,
perhaps, no better repression of the crimes of murder, infanticide, &c.,
&c., exist than in the knowledge, that careful examinations are con
-ducted; as dispensaries increase, and distances to places where these
are made decrease, much more preventive good will arise.
19. Amongst the vernacular students the point of post-mortem
appearances should be one of the most important features of their
education; but as the instruction dead-house now is, there is too much
crowding for the carrying out of the principal's wishes.
20. At Tanna the well water for drinking purposes has long been
complained of, and samples of the water of eight wells in the police
and military lines, have been sent in to the chemical analyser for
report. This officer has already examined the well waters of the jail
with regard to the Guineaworm. A well for the use of the hospi
- t a l i s v e r y n e c e s s a r y a s t h e w a t e r h a s t o b e b r o u g h t f r o m t h e a b o v e
mentioned wells, or from the private wells of gentlemen residing
near. An entire rearrangement of latrines also is necessary, the
present ones, I can well believe, being a public nuisance, reported on
frequently by the civil surgeon.
21. Between the parsonage, occupied by the Chaplain of Christ's
Church, Byculla, and the hospital of the Byculla Schools, there is a
piece of low lying waste ground which in the monsoon is a swamp,
and in the following months covered with coarse, rank, vegetation,
evaporating under the heat of the sun; the place might, perhaps, be
put to profitable use after filling in, instead of being, as it is now, a
waste, prejudicial alike to the inmates of the parsonage, the hospital,
and neighbouring residences.
At Anklesar it would be advisable to change the locality of the
dispensary. There is a Government building—well situated—which,
might, with some little expense by the local funds, be put into a
proper state for a dispensary; if Government would grant the use
of this building—now, I believe, in great disrepair—the local funds
might be able to make the necessary improvements, and save the rent
the dispensary house now costs.
At the Cowasjee Jehangeer Ophthalmic Hospital, the hospital assis
-tant and servants sleep away—there are no quarters for them; the
sick number on an average 31.8 in-patients. It is to be much regret
-ted that there are no out-houses of any description to this hospital.
The subject has been frequently commented on.
264
Statement showing the available Annual Income of each Civil,
Presidency Division, Aden, and Bombay Marine,
Government Grant.
Annual Government
Grant according to re-
solutions of Government.
Annual Government
standing contingent
allowance.
1871-72. 1872-73.
1871-72
1872-73.
Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p.
1* Bombay Lunatic Asylum
..
...
..
...
...
2*
European General Hospital
. .
...
...
...
3*
Jamsetjee J. Hospital
..
..
...
..
4*
Cowasjee J. Ophthalmic Hospital
...
...
1,150 0 0 1,150 0 0
5
Central Schools
..
...
...
...
..
6
House of Correction
..
...
450 0 0 450 0 0
7
Common Jail
..
..
275 0 0 275 0 0
8
Dockyard Dispensary
..
...
...
158 0 0 158 0 0
9* Tanna Civil Hospital
..
..
885 0 0 885 0 0
10
do. Police Hospital
. .
...
...
240 0 0 240 0 0
11
do. Jail Hospital
. .
...
...
..
12† do. Rustomjee Wadia Dispensary .
...
...
..
13† Kalian Charitable
do
.
...
..
...
..
14† Bhondi do
do
. .
...
...
..
..
15 Bassein do
do
..
..
1,729 0 0
...
..
16 Kelvi-Mahim do
do
.
1,862 0 0
...
...
17† Coorla Charitable
do
.. 204 0 0 204 0 0
..
18† Uran do do ..
204 0 0 204 0 0
...
19† Bandora do
do
.. 204 0 0 204 0 0
..
...
20 Panwel do
do
. .
...
884 0 0 ..
...
21 Matheran Dispensary
..
...
22* Surat Civil Hospital
..
23
do Police Hospital
..
...
...
...
24
do Jail Hospital
..
...
...
..
25† do Parak Dispensary. .
..
..
26 Nausari Victoria Dispensary . .
..
...
..
27 Bardoli Charitable do
. . 600 0 0 600 0 0
..
.
28 Mandvi do
do
. . 600 0 0 600 0 0
...
..
29 Pardi
do
do
. . 600 0 0 600 0 0
...
..
30† Balsar do do .
...
...
...
..
.
31 Chikli do
do
. . 600 0 0 600 0 0
...
..
32† Randier do
do
. .
...
...
...
.
33* Broach Civil Hospital
. .
...
...
1,500 0 0 1,500 0 0
34
do Police Hospital
. .
...
...
35 Anklesar Charitable Dispensary
. . 600 0 0 600 0 0 ...
..
36 Elao Dispensary
.. 600 0 0 600 0 0
.
37 Hansot Charitable Dispensary
600 0 0 600 0 0
...
..
38* Ahbagh Civil Hospital.
...
216 0 0 216 0 0
39
do Police Hospital
. .
...
...
...
40
do Jail Hospital
. .
...
...
..
41 Pen Charitable Dispensary
. 600 0 0 600 0 0
..
42* Rutnagiri Civil Hospital
...
...
731 0 0 731 0 0
43
do Police Hospital
..
..
...
..
44
do Jail Hospital
..
..
45* Dapuli Civil Hospital ..
...
...
176 0 0 176 0 0
46 Vingorla Police Hospital
. .
..
47*
do Civil Hospital
..
...
...
245 0 0 245 0 0
48* Karwar Civil Hospital
.
..
1,174 0 0 1,174 0 0
49
do Police Hospital
.
...
...
250 0 0 250 0 0
50
do Jail Hospital
51*
do Charitable Dispansary
..
...
. .
..
52 Honore Civil Dispensary
..
...
270 0 0 270 0 0
53 Kamte Charitable Dispensary
. . 1,200 0 0 1,200 0 0
..
54 Sawantwari Civil Hospital
...
55
do
Police and Jail
..
...
...
..
56* Aden Civil Hospital
..
...
§216 0 0 87 0 0 87
0 0
* These items are obtained from the Accountant-General, Examiner, Medical Accounts, Com
-missariat Department, and Medical officers, &c.
† The Salaries of the establishment, shown in the Statement of Expenditure for the year 1871-12
and 1872-73 are borne by Government under various Government Resolutions.
‡Paid by the Sawuntwari State.
§ One vaccinator paid by Government.
265
Jail, Police, Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, and Dispensary in the
for the Years 1871-72 and 1872-73.
Interest on Endowed
Capital.
Grant from Local Funds
or Municipalities, &c.
Subscri pt i ons from Re-
sidents, Fees,
Medicines. &c.
Sale of boxes or other
Sources.
Interest on Endowed
Capital.
Grant from Local Funds,
Municipalities, &c.
S u b s c r i p t i o n s f r o m R e -
sidents Fees, Medicines,
and paying in-patient.
Sale of boxes
a n d R e -
c e i p t s f r o m o t h e r s o u r c e s ,
&c.
1871-72.
1872-73.
1871-72.
1872-73.
1871-72.
1872-73.
1871-72.
1 8 7 2 - 7 3 .
Rs. a p. Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p. Rs. a.
p.
Rs.
a.
p.
.
..
4,411 14 0 3,621 3 0 1,215 2 2
169 10 3
..
..
..
4,264 0 0 2,423 15 0 624 8 1
977
13 11
. .
..
..
..
..
694 11 2
873 1 10
..
. .
..
47 12 4
. .
. .
..
..
..
. .
. .
..
..
..
. .
. .
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
19 7 6
74 2 8
. .
..
. .
. .
..
..
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
..
4 12 0
1,125 14 0 1,125 14 0
25 0 0
24 10 5
..
7 9 9
860 0 0
860 0 0
490 12 0
692 14 3
..
20 0 0
5 0 0
..
860 0 0 984 0 0
..
..
..
..
..
. .
..
2,300 0 0
..
98 3 6
..
..
..
. .
..
1,500 0 0
. .
51 12 9
..
..
965 0 0
965 0 0
..
..
. .
..
..
..
492 0 0 492 0 0
72 1 0
70 5 3
..
..
..
18 13 6
455 0 0
630 15 0
..
..
..
100 0 0
..
..
..
..
..
1,000 0 0
..
6 4 0
..
..
..
..
..
. .
. .
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
. .
..
36 7 6
40 7 10
..
..
..
..
. .
. .
. .
..
..
..
. .
. .
..
. .
. .
1,557 0 0 1,236 1 5
.
..
10 0 0
16 0 0
3,25 0 0 3,250 0 0
. .
..
..
. .
..
26 13 9
..
..
1,200 0 0 1,200 0 0
62 2 6
4 9 0
2 15 0
..
..
1,200 0 0 1,200 0 0
7 5 6
37 8 0
8 9 6
10 7 0
. .
. .
1,300 0 0 1,200 0 0
..
38 14 9
..
9 6 0
..
..
1,200 0 0
892 9 3
..
48 0 9
8 8 6
..
..
1,200 0 0 1,200 0 0
..
46 4 3
15 0 0
1 14 0
. .
. .
598 15 3 1,072 13 3
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
. .
..
1,200 0 0 1,200 0 0
29 14 9
68 8 0
..
. .
..
1,200 0 0 1,200 0 0
22 0 0
167 11 3
..
32 0 0
..
1,200 0 0 1,200 0 0
9 7 0
32 6 3
..
12 12 0
. .
.
. .
. .
..
..
22 2 0
..
. .
..
. .
. .
..
..
..
..
-
..
. .
. .
..
..
..
..
. .
. .
1,225 7 8
957 12 5
21 0 0
90 12
6 12 3
. .
. .
. .
. .
..
..
35 5 9
13 1 4
. .
..
..
.
. .
..
..
..
.
. .
.
..
. .
..
1 6 3
3 8 0
. .
..
..
..
..
7 0 9
27 8 0
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
.
..
..
..
..
.,
194 1 7
38 15 1
.
..
..
..
..
..
133 6 8
7 2 0
.
..
..
,.
..
..
..
. .
..
..
. .
..
..
..
..
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595
5 4
458 4 10
376 0 0
..
10 8 0
26 13 9
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
3,241 8 11 2,792 0 0
. .
81 8 3
9 12 11
6 0 0
.
..
7,314 8 1 6,890 6 3
..
..
5 7 10
..
. .
..
..
..
..
..
..
.
..
..
762 8 8
..
..
..
419 4 2