12
REPORT ON THE
22. Particular diseases.—Small-pox. —In the town of Calcutta this disease
was less prevalent during 1898 than in the previous year. The admissions to
hospitals also show a decrease, the figures having been 37 against 218 in the
previous year. Of the 37, 36 were treated in the special wards of the Campbell
Hospital and 1 in the Mayo Native Hospital for clinical purposes. There was
only 1 European admitted to the Campbell Hospital, against 41 in the previous
year. The number of "all others" was 35, against 176 in 1897. The total
Cases. Deaths.
Ratio
per cent.
Confluent
...
12
10
83.33
Semi-confluen t
. . .
16
. . .
. . .
Discrete
...
2
. . .
. . .
Modified
. . .
4
. . .
. . .
Hæmorrhagic
...
2
2
100
Total for 1898
...
36
12
33.33
Total for 1897
... 217
64
29.49
death-rate was 32.43, against 29.81
in the previous year. Particulars of
the type of the 36 cases treated in
the Campbell Hospital are noted in
the margin. Of the 36 cases, 23
were unprotected, or 63.88 per cent.
against 67.28 in 1897. There were
11 deaths among the unprotected
cases, or 47.82 per cent. Ten are said
to have been vaccinated, of whom
1 died, or 10 per cent. The fatal case had four faint vaccinal scars. The solitary
case at the Mayo Hospital was a female, who was cured. She stated, she was
vaccinated when she was young. One indistinct scar was found on each of her
arms. The only prophylactic against small-pox is vaccination, the efficacy of
which is well illustrated in the proportion of deaths among protected cases.
But for complete success re-vaccination is necessary.
23. Cholera—Was also less prevalent and fatal in Calcutta and Howrah.
The admissions to hospitals also fell off, the figures having been 227, against
1,200 in the previous year. The decrease occurred in all the institutions. It
was most marked in the Campbell Hospital, where only 89 cases were treated,
against 535 in the previous year. The Superintendent attributes this falling off
to the better condition of the people and to the plague scare during the year
under report. Of the 227 cases, 17 were Europeans and Eurasians, against 36 in
1897. The number of "all others" was 210, against 1,164 in the previous
year. The total death-rate also shews a decrease, as compared with that of the
previous year, the figures having been 53.74 per cent., against 55.33 in 1897.
The death-rate among Europeans and Eurasians was 58.82 per cent., which is
higher than in 1897, when it was 55.55. The rate of mortality among "all
others" fell off from 55.32 in 1897 to 53.33 in the year under report. Of the 17
Europeans, 8 were treated in the Medical College Hospital; with 1 death, or
12.50 per cent., 6 in the Presidency General Hospital, with fatal results in
each case, and 3 in the Howrah General Hospital, who died. In last
year's report I remarked that in isolated cases, especially among seamen,
the disease is always of a severe type, and that a large proportion of such
cases arte fatal. This remark receives further support from the results which
were obtained in the Presidency General and Howrah General Hospitals during
the year under report. Moreover as I have already observed, averages are
misleading when small numbers are dealt with. Of the 210 "all others," 89 were
treated in the Campbell Hospital with 53 deaths, or 59.55 per cent.; 16 in the
Howrah Hospital with 9 deaths, or 56.25 per cent.; 48 in the Mayo Hospital, of
whom 24 died, or 50 per cent.; 47 in the Medical College Hospital proper with
22 deaths, or 46.80 per cent.; 7 in the Police Hospital with 4 deaths, or 57.14
per cent., and 1 case each in the Presidency General, Chandney and Sambhu
Nath Pandit Hospitals with no deaths.
24. It is satisfactory to report that no case of cholera originated in any of
the hospitals during the year under review.
25. Three Civil Assistant Surgeons were employed in connection with
anti-choleraic inoculations during the year under report.
26. Dysentery. —The total number of cases "indoor" and "outdoor" treated
1897.
1898.
In-patients
. . . 2,280
1,395
Out-patients
. . . 6,135
4,176
Total
... 8,415
5,571
for dysentery in hospitals are shown separately in
the margin and compared with the figures of the
previous year. The decrease took place in both
classes, which is attributed generally to the absence
of famine and the plague scare. The total death-
rate per cent. was 29.53, against 33.81 in 1897.