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the year against 22 in the previous year, and of these, 35 were dealt with in
the Campbell Hospital. There were 27 cases of enteric fever and 869 cases of
remittent fever against 23 and 1,075 respectively in 1896. The cases recorded
as enteric were more numerous than in any year since 1877, and the Superin.
tendent of the General Hospital, where 22 of the 27 cases were treated,
attributes the increase to a tendency to include cases of remittent fever in the
category of enteric fever. Of the 27 cases, 26 were Europeans or Eurasians,
and only one was a native.
11. The total number of surgical operations increased from 24,067 to
25,745. Death followed in 178 cases, giving a percentage of .70 against .73 in
the previous year. The largest number of operations was performed at the
Medical College Hospital, where the death-rate was .78 against .86. The figures
for the Presidency General Hospital show a reduction of 27 cases. The
Lieutenant-Governor is glad to notice that, in accordance with the remarks
recorded by the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, on the occasion of his
inspection of the hospital, the objectionable practice of using the operating room
for dressing surgical cases has ceased. At the Campbell Hospital the majority
of the important operations were performed by the Assistant Surgeon. The
Lieutenant-Governor agrees with the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals in
thinking that this being a medical school, it is desirable that the Superintendent
should perform more surgical operations of importance with his own hands. It is
reported that at the Mayo Hospital, where the pupils of a private school attend,
the arrangements for teaching them are inadequate. In the absence of any
arrangement for the registration of duly qualified medical practitioners in this
country, such a defect may have dangerous results, and the Lieutenant-Governor
would be glad to receive a further report on the subject, with the views of
the Superintendent of the Mayo Hospital. There was a slight increase in the
number of operations in the Dufferin Victoria Hospital, viz., from 18 to 31.
There were also 1,410 operations in the out-door department of this hospital,
but it is reported that details of these operations are not systematically kept.
The Inspector-General has doubtless arranged to have these details in future
preserved, as without them the figures are useless. The Inspector-General draws
attention to the small number of operations performed at this hospital for female
diseases, which numbered 15 only during the year under review, and the attention
of the Committee will be drawn to the matter. In the Sumbhu Nath Pundit
Hospital the number of operations rose from 479 to 2,174. Many of them were
of a serious nature. Although there has been some increase in the number of
operations at the Howrah General Hospital as compared with the previous
year, the Inspector-General is still of opinion that more surgery should be done
in this institution. It is reported that the change in the system of recording
surgical operations, introduced last year under the orders of the Government of
India, is not convenient, since it cannot be ascertained whether medical officers
are as active in this important field of work as they ought to be. The Lieutenant-
Governor is prepared, if a sufficiently strong case is made out, to recommend
a change in the present system on the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals
pointing out the difficulties and submitting separate proposals on the subject.
12. The total number of women and children admitted at the Eden Hospital
as in-door patients fell from 1,579 to 1,535, of whom 220 were Europeans, 501
Eurasians, 701 Hindus and Muhammadans, while 173 belonged to other classes.
The death-rate for Europeans and Eurasians was 4.99 and for the others 10.18,
the figures for the previous year being 6.47 and 10.50. The mortality among
native children was rather high, being 33.64 against 25.36, and is explained by
their being brought in, in a moribund condition. Confinement cases decreased
from 640 to 616. Of these only 22 proved fatal against 49 in the previous
year. There were 24 cases of septicæmia, of which 11 died. None were
contracted within the hospital. There were 1,146 operations performed against
3,478 in the previous year. The decrease is attributed to the exclusion from
the returns of repetitions in the passing of catheters in the same individual. Of
the 13 cases in which ovariotomy was performed, 11 proved successful. His
Honour notes with pleasure the success which has attended this difficult
operation, as indeed all the operations in abdominal surgery. Brigade-Surgeon-
Lieutenant-Colonel Joubert performed almost all the important operations
himself.