CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
which had no case in 1897, shows 4 cases (Europeans) in the year under report.
There is always a tendency to include cases of remittent fever in the category
of enteric fever. The diagnosis can only be verified by autopsies. There
were no deaths among the cases treated at the Howrah General Hospital.
Of the 2 natives, 1 was treated in the Medical College Hospital, who died, and
the post-mortem examination performed on this case supported the diagnosis.
The other case was treated in the Ezra Hospital. The patient recovered.
38. The usual table showing the prevalence of this disease amongst the
British troops in the Presidency district is given below:—
Statement showing the number of men admitted into the Military Hospitals and who died from
enteric fever in the years 1897 and 1898.
CALCUTTA.
BARRACKPORE.
DUM-DUM.
JALLAPAHAR. LEBONG.
1897. 1898.
1897. 1898. 1897. 1898. 1897.
1898. 1897. 189.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11
Average strength of all ranks ... ... ... 1,056 1,127
332
334
829
874
492
399
H o s p i t a l n o t o p e n e d .
242
Number of admissions from enteric fever ... Nil
15
23 1 officer,
13 Non-
Commis- sioned
officers
and men.
1
18
4
2
Nil
Number of deaths from enteric fever
... Nil
1
1
2
Nil
4
Nil
Nil
Nil
39. Remittent fever. —There were 609 cases, against 869 in the previous
year. The Campbell Hospital shows the largest decrease, attributable in
the main to the cause which has been referred to. There were 139 deaths
or 22.82 per cent., against 180 and 20.71, respectively, in 1897.
40. Cerebro-spinal fever. —Three cases were treated in 1898, viz., 1 in the
Medical College Hospital and 2 in the Presidency General Hospital. The latter
institution has had hitherto no case of cerebro-spinal fever, and the occurrence
of the two cases in 1898 is, the Surgeon-Superintendent states, noteworthy.
The one case in the Medical College Hospital was a native, who died. No
post-mortem examination was held. The two cases at the Presidency General
Hospital were fatal, but in these also no autopsies were performed because the
relatives objected.
41. Surgical operations.—The details of the surgical work performed
during 1898 in the medical institutions in Calcutta are given in Statement
No III in the Appendix.
The total number of operations for which names are specified was 21,610,
against 25,745 in 1897 The decrease occurred in all the institutions but one,
and is attributable to the main cause already mentioned in connection with the
falling off in the number of patients, viz., plague scare. This acted in several
ways, viz, fear of the people to come to hospital lest they should be found to
be suffering from plague, diminution of population from emigration to the
country, and fear of leaving their homes of the country people who ordinarily
come in large numbers to the city for operations. A small portion of the
decrease is also due to the exclusion from the returns of all operations known
as hypodermic injections, which was ordered in Government of India letter
No. 308, dated 18th February 1899.
The number of patients on whom the 21,610 operations were performed
was 21,129, the difference being chiefly due to there having been 404 " secon-
dary " operations. Of the latter, 348 represent passing of catheters, an opera-
tion which was performed in connection with " principal" operations in the
Eden Hospital.
In my last year's report I observed that, owing to the change of system in
recording surgical operations, it is difficult to compare the work with that of
past years, and I expressed my regret at the altered mode of registration, more
especially as it is not now so easy as formerly to ascertain whether Medical
Officers are as active in this important field as they ought to be. In accordance
with the remarks of Government in paragraph 11 of its Resolution recorded
upon my report for last year, I submitted to Government a separate report on
the subject, after consulting some of the principal Surgeons in the Province.
17