REPORT
ON THE
CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS
FOR THE YEAR 1899.
No. 3D.
FROM COLONEL T. H. HENDLEY, C.I.E., I.M.S.,
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Bengal,
TO THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL,
FINANCIAL AND MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS.
Dated Darjeeling, the 25th April 1900.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to submit the annual report on the medical
institutions of Calcutta for the year 1899, together with the usual statements
in the appendix.
2. Mortality among the general population.— The following table shows the
mortality from the most important diseases in Calcutta and Howrah during the
year 1899 and in the preceding ten years:—
Deaths from the most prevalent Diseases in the Towns of Calcutta and Howrah.
YEAR.
CHOLERA.
BOWEL-
COMPLAINTS.
FEVER.
SMALL-POX. OTHER CAUSES.
TOTAL.
RATI O PER MI LLE
OF POPULATION.
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a . T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a . T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a . T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
1
2
3
4
5 6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
1889 ... 2,315 488 2,756 393 5,994
585
99 19 8,400
578 19,564 2,063 28.7 22.71
1890 ... 1,879 364 2,759 385 6,792
605
872 45 8,066
474 20,368 1,873 29.8 20.62
1891 ... 2,955 490 2,716 391 7,851
640
18 16 7,977
596 21,517 2,133 31.5
18.29
1892 ... 2,019 771 2,364 439 7,618 1,009
21 3 8,158
540 20,180 2,762 29.6 23.68
1893 ... 869 411 2,882 555 8,091
976
31 8 8,240
547 20,113 2,497 29.5 21.41
1894 ... 1,695 513 3,136 708 8,963
1,150
405 11 8,242
645 22,441 3,027 32.9 25.95
1895 ... 2,099 1,295 3,269 822 11,345 1,770 2,220 65 8,098 1,044 27,031 4,996 39.6 42.84
1896 ... 3,449 1,118 2,967 760 9,564 1,455
69 12 8,307 1,010 24,356 4,355 35.7
37.34
1897 ... 2, 349
395 3,218 722 9,619 2,229
161 197 9,318
946 24,665 4,489 36.1 38.49
1898 ... 665 112 3,074 736 6,060 1,984
84 ... 10,460* 1,019 20,343 3,851 29.8 33.02
1899 ... 990 191 3,453 835 7,173 2,697
62 25 14,145† 1,449 25,823 5,197 37.8
44.56
* Includes 164 cases of plague.
† 2,332 „ „
It will be seen that there was a very large increase in the total mortality
in Calcutta and Howrah as compared with the previous year. The death-rate
in the former, viz., 37.8 per thousand, was higher than in any of the previous
ten years except 1895, when it was 39.6 per mille. In Howrah the rate of
mortality (44.56 per mille) was the highest for the 11 years for which the table
has been prepared. Although the increase is put down chiefly to fever (malarial)
and "other causes," it is quite possible, as it is most probable, that plague
accounts for a still greater rise than is shown under the latter head. There was
also an increase in the number of deaths from cholera, bowel-complaints, and a very
large one in those grouped under the heading "other causes," which points to
the fact that the year 1899 was very unhealthy both in Calcutta and Howrah.
Small-pox claimed 62 deaths in Calcutta, against 84 in 1898. The disease
broke out towards the latter part of the year, and has shown a decided tendency
to increase, but the Health Officer of the Calcutta Corporation is of opinion that
B