2 )
Campbell and Howrah Hospitals. The Inspector-General proposes to make a
special enquiry in the case of the latter. There are several typographical
errors in the tabular statements at pages 10 to 13 of the Report.
5. The number of admissions for small-pox rose from 42 to 240, but the
death-rate fell from 47.61 to 42.91. Of the 239 persons admitted into the
Campbell Hospital for small-pox, 177, or 74.05 per cent., were unprotected.
The attention of the Lieutenant-Governor has already been drawn to the
inefficient state of vaccination in the town, which these figures and the statistics
previously furnished have brought to light. He has animadverted strongly on
the imperfect enforcement of the vaccination laws, and has directed a thorough
enquiry to be made into the matter through the Corporation of Calcutta. The
number of admissions for cholera rose from 355 to 728, the rate of mortality
being 61.12 against 63.94. The mortality was highest in the Howrah General
Hospital. There were fifteen cases of cholera among the patients of the
Campbell Hospital, ten of which proved fatal. The Inspector-General of Civil
Hospitals attributes the outbreak of the disease in this institution in two
successive years to the vicinity of the hospital to the municipal refuse depôt and
platform. Steps are being taken to abate the nuisance caused by this; but
looking to the fact that the platform has been in existence for a long time
without causing an outbreak of disease, the Lieutenant-Governor doubts
whether the Inspector-General's conclusion is correct. The percentage of
deaths from dysentery was exceptionally high in the General Hospital, being
11.11 against 3.03 in the previous year, and is attributed to a larger number
of chronic cases. Malarial fever caused 5,456 admissions against 4,376 in
the previous year, and it seems from the rise in the rate of mortality from
9.12 to 11.01 that the cases were of severer type. Four hundred and forty-nine
cases of plague were admitted during the year, of which 92 recovered and 357
died, giving a death-rate of 79.51 per cent.
6. There was an increase in the number of operations, the figures for
the past two years being 26,023 and 25,109 respectively. Of these cases, 188
ended fatally, giving a percentage of .72 against .61 in the previous year. The
increase is shared by all the institutions, except the Medical College and the
General Hospital, in which latter institution it is accounted for again by the
admission of fewer seamen. The Lieutenant-Governor notices with satisfaction
the large number of operations performed by Lieutenant-Colonels R. C. Sanders,
I.M.S., R. D. Murray, I.M.S., Major R. H. Charles, I.M.S., Captain R. Bird, I.M.S.,
and Assistant Surgeon Norendra Nath Basu.
7. In the Eden Hospital the number of women and children admitted
increased from 1,494 to 1,659. The death-rate for Europeans and Eurasians
was 5.30 against 5.45, and for all others 8.96 against 9.55. The mortality
among European and Eurasian children was rather high, being 15.87 against
14.10, and the increase is attributed to the admission of a large number of
cases in moribund condition. Confinement cases increased from 638 to 673.
This institution is steadily, if slowly, growing in popularity, and contrasts
favourably in this respect with the Dufferin Victoria Hospital, which seems to
make little progress.
8. In the Shama Charan Law Eye Hospital the number of indoor patients
rose from 476 to 518, but that of outdoor patients diminished from 13,103 to
12,816. Operations for extraction of lens numbered 290, in 81.37 per cent. of
which vision was restored—a most satisfactory record.
9. The work of the nurses at the Medical College and the Presidency
General Hospitals, under the supervision of the Clewer Sisters, is favourably
reported on by the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals. The Clewer com
-munity has recently sent out an additional Sister for supervising the nursing
arrangements of the Calcutta hospitals, and a scheme has been prepared for
improving the system of nursing at those institutions.
10. The invested capital of the Calcutta and Howrah Hospitals rose
from Rs. 5,91,700 to Rs. 5,96,200, an increase of only Rs. 4,500, which was
invested by the Mayo and Howrah Hospitals. Excluding opening balances,
the total income amounted to Rs. 9,87,967, or Rs. 9,202 less than in 1899.
The cost to Government decreased by Rs. 25,346, while the receipts from
paying patients increased from Rs. 55,858 to Rs. 63,346, owing chiefly to