24
REPORT ON THE
42. Food is cooked as usual at the Medical College Hospital kitchen. It
is a very grave defect, as the patients never get a warm and comfortable meal; a
separate kitchen will be provided. There was a good supply of water through
-out the year.
43. The out-door department of the hospital afforded an increased amount
of relief, the total number of patients having risen from 3,990 to 7,083 in 1895.
The daily average attendance was 32 . 32, against 29 .42 in the previous year.
Mrs. Kadambini Ganguli and the Resident Surgeon attended the out-door depart
-ment on alternate days for the first eight months of the year, after which the
connection of the former with the hospital ceased, as the female students of the
Campbell Medical School are no longer sent to receive instruction. It is pro
-posed to have a separate and improved out-door dispensary for the Eden
Hospital, the want of which is at present felt.
44. The Ophthalmic Department.—It is a part of the Medical College
Hospital. The eye cases, which were formerly treated in one of the wards of
that institution, are now treated in the Shama Churn Law's Eye Hospital built
in its compound. The Ophthalmic Surgeon is in charge of the Eye Hospital,
and is responsible to the Principal, Medical College, for its general management.
Agreeably to the instructions received from Government, the statistics of this
hospital are, however, separately given on the authorised statements in
appendix B. The number of admissions was 452, against 506 in 1894. The
number of out-patients, however, rose from 11,944 to 13,725 in the year under
report. The table in the margin shows the
important operations performed. There were
altogether 328 cases of extraction of the lens,
including the remaining ones of the previous
year. Of these, 252 were successful, or 76.82
per cent. If the utility of the institution
is judged by its work, it may be stated that
the amount and character of the work per-
formed during 1895 established it beyond all question.
45. The Ezra Hospital.— This hospital intended for the patients of the
Jewish denomination is situated in the compound of the Medical College Hos-
pital. There is a House Surgeon attached to this institution, who is of the
Assistant Surgeon class, but its working is generally supervised by one of the
medical officers of the staff of the. Medical College Hospital, the Principal
exercising superior control over it. In fact, almost all its expenses are met by
Government. The Surgeon-General with the Government of India in para-
graph 46 of his note on the hospitals and dispensaries for 1894, which was
received with endorsement No. 399, dated the 1st February 1896, from the
Government of Bengal, suggested that it would be well if the Medical Officers
of the Eden, Eye and the Ezra Hospitals were invested with the entire
control and management of these institutions. I have pointed out above the
existing arrangements of these hospitals, and so far as the Ezra Hospital is
concerned, I do not think it would lead to any improvement if only an Assistant
Surgeon was left in entire charge. Should a Specialist in ear and throat
surgery be permanently appointed, however, to the College, he could be placed
in charge of this hospital. Separate statistics of this hospital are, however,
given on the authorised statements in appendix B.
There were 199 in-patients, against 287, showing a decrease of 88. Of
the 199 patients, 157 were cured,. 20 were relieved, 9 discharged otherwise, and
6 died. The daily average sick was 13 . 20, but there were beds for 20 patients.
The number of outdoor patients also fell off, the figures being 1,624, against
1,674 in 1894, the daily average attendance being 8 . 9 and 11 . 09 respectively.
Eleven major operations were performed, against 19 in 1894. Minor operations.
numbered 97, against 102 in the previous year. As I stated last year, with the
exception of the pay of the menial establishment attached to this hospital,
which was paid from its fund, the whole of the expenditure for its maintenance
is met by Government. The total cost in 1895 was Rs. 6,107-12, and of this
sum Rs. 5,231-12 was paid by Government, or 85 . 65 per. cent.
46. Nursing.—The Principal, Medical College, and the Superintendent of
the Presidency General Hospital have reported, favourably of the work done by
1894. 1895.
Extraction of the lens for c a t a r a c t 286 295
Iridectomy
36 13
Excision of the eyeball
19
3
Operations for pterygium
14 50
fistula lacry
malis
24 36
staphyloma
2
1 1