10
REPORT ON THE
for respiratory affections. In 1890 the patients treated in hospital numbered 659,
in 1891 there were 816, and in the year under review 804.
20.
L e p r o s y . —
F e w e r l e p e r s w e r e a d m i t t e d i n t o t h e C a l c u t t a h o s p i t a l s
during 1892, and it is obviously desirable that this class of patient should be ex-
cluded from treatment in the same ward with other sick. It is understood that
the Committee which recently submitted its report to Government has recom-
mended the construction of accommodation for 200 lepers in an asylum to be
built in the vicinity of Calcutta. After the completion of the work it would be
advisable to discontinue, the admission of lepers to the ordinary wards of an
hospital. The total number treated in hospital was 94, against 134 in 1891.
Of these, 88 sought relief in the Campbell Hospital. But there were two cases
seen at the Presidency General Hospital, two at the Medical College, one at the
Police Hospital, and one at Howrah.
21. Rheumatic affections were admitted in the proportion of 3.47 per cent.
of the total number treated in all the institutions. There were 875 cases, against
902 in 1891, and more than half of these were returned as treated in the Camp-
bell Hospital. The mortality from these diseases was slightly higher in
1892.
22. The disorders not classified under the foregoing headings present no
unusual variations and do not require further comment.
23. It has been before stated that the general population suffered less than
it had done in the previous year, and with the exception of influenza there
was no epidemic visitation.
24. Enteric Fever.—The frequency with which enteric fever has been
recognised by the medical officers in charge of the Calcutta hospitals in the
20 years ending with 1892 is presented in the following table and compared
with the admissions for remittent fever during the same period:—
ENTERIC FEVER.
REMITTENT FEVER.
1873. 1874.
1875.
1 8 7 6 . 1877.
1878.
1 8 7 9 .
1 8 8 0 . 1881. 1 8 8 2 . 1883. 1 8 8 4 . 1885. 1886. 1887. 1 8 8 8 .
1889. 1890.
1 8 9 1 .
1 8 9 2 . 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876.
1877.
1878.
1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885.
1886.
1887.
1888.
1889.
1890.
1 8 9 1 .
Medical College Hospital 9 5 6 6 1 ... 2 . . . ... ... ... 1 1 1 . . . . . . . . . 1 3 6 86 58 125 95 124 152 164 180 196 150 119 106 92 73 94 90 91 70
Presidency General Hos-
pital
...
...
... 6 11 12 17 18 9 11 6 11 12 1 10 17 17 11 9 11 10 20 5 22 10 48 27 39 38 34 49 32 40 45 26 53 75 26 35 50 55 1
Howrah Hospital ...
... ... ... ... ... 4 2 4 2 3 3 . . . . . . ... ... 2 1 3 . . . 3 1 88 146 172 210
359
393 228 107 77 73 30 82 86 55 33 44 43 36
Mayo Native Hospital ... 2 1 3 6 ... ... ... ... 1 ... . . . . . . ... ... ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 13 13 22 156 206 126 202 210 133 163 160 184 121 81 54 66 34
Chandney Hospital
... . . . . . . 2 . . . . . .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . . . . . .... ... ... 9 22 14 18 18 4 6 11 10 49 50 13 2 11 7 1 ...
Campbell Hospital
... 28 2 ... . . . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . . . . . . ... . . . 212 495 466 438 432 466 333 354 309 301 322 462 314 316 220 250 177 414 7
Police Hospital ...
... 8 11 ... 14 11 2 1 . . . ... . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ...
. . . 11 29 28 58 41 52 44 61 64 75 77 78 69
Total
... 53 30 23 43 34 13 18 8 15 15 1 1120 18 13 10 14 11 26 12 421 731 847 806 1,128 1,284 918 926 893 748 780 930 803 706 540 557 506 678 1,1
The special feature of this table, so far as enteric fever is concerned,
is the number of blank years in the records of those institutions into which
native patients are alone admitted and the continued series of cases year by
year in the Presidency General Hospital. This is partly explained by the
greater frequency of this type of fever among recently arrived Europeans, and
s
pecially the European sailors of this port. But these figures do not set aside
t h e c o n v i c t i o n o f m a n y c a r e f u l E u r o p e a n a n d N a t i v eo
b s e r v e r s t h a t e n t e r i c f e v e r
is often seen among natives of this country, but that with our present knowledge
it is wiser to return it as remittent fever rather than commit ones self to the
conflicting theories as to its specific character and origin.
It will be seen that only 12 cases of enteric fever are returned among
the admissions to these hospitals in 1892, three of which proved fatal. The