REPORT
ON THE
CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS
FOR THE YEAR 1898.
No. 5225.
FROM COLONEL T. H. HENDLEY, C.I.E., I.M.S.,
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Bengal,
TO THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL,
FINANCIAL AND MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS.
Dated Calcutta, the 15th April 1899.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to submit the Annual Report on the Medical
Institutions of Calcutta for the year 1898, together with the usual statements
in the Appendix.
2. Mortality among the general population.— The following table gives the
total mortality and the chief causes of death in Calcutta and Howrah during
the year 1898, and compares the results of that year with those of the previous
ten years :—
Deaths from the most prevalent Diseases in the Towns of Calcutta and Howrah.
CHOLERA.
BOWEL-
COMPLAINTS.
FEVER.
SMALL-POX. OTHER CAUSES.
TOTAL.
R A T I O P E R M I L L E
OF POPULATION.
YEAR.
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a . T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a . T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
T o w n o f C a l c u t t a .
T o w n o f H o w r a h .
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
1888
1889
. . .
...
. . .
2,315
598
488
. . .
2,756
402
393
. . .
5,994
525
585
...
99
4
19
. . .
8,400
440
578
...
19,564
1,969
2,063
. . .
28.7
21.68
22.71
1890 ... 1,879
364 2,759
385 6,792
605
872 45
8,066
474 20,368 1,873 29.8
20.62
1891 ... 2,955
490 2,716
391 7,851
640
18 16
7,977
596 21,517 2,133 31.5
18.29
1892 ... 2,019
771 2,364
439 7,618
1,009
21
3
8,158
540 20,180 2,762 29.6
23.68
1893 ...
869
411 2,882
555 8,091
976
31
8
8,240
547 20,113 2,497 29.5
21.41
1894 ... 1,695
513 3,136
708 8,963
1,150
405 11
8,242
645 22,441 3,027 32.9
25.95
1895 ... 2,099 1,295 3,269
822 11,345
1,770 2,220 65
8,098 1,044 27,031 4,996 39.6
42.84
1896 ... 3,449 1,118 2,967
760 9,564
1,455
69 12
8,307 1,010 24,356 4,355 35.7
37.34
1897 ... 2,349
395 3,218
722 9,619
2,229
161 197
9,318
946 24,665 4,489
36.1
38.49
1898 ...
665
112 3,074
736 6,060
1,984
84 ...
10,460* 1,019 20,343 3,851 29.8
33.02
* Includes 164 cases of Plague.
It will be seen that the total mortality both in Calcutta and Howrah was
considerably less than in 1897. The death-rate in the former, viz. 29.8 per
mille, was slightly more than that recorded in 1892 and 1893, but it was exactly
the same as in 1890. In Howrah the death-rate showed a large increase in the
years 1895 to 1897 as compared with previous years, but in the year under
report it fell to 33.02 per mille, which was fewer by 5.47 per mille than in
1897. There was a decrease in deaths in Calcutta and Howrah from cholera,
fevers and small-pox, but the deaths grouped under the heading "Other causes"
increased in both the places. The mortality from bowel-complaints shows a
large decrease in Calcutta, but in Howrah there was a slight, increase as com-
pared with 1897. The new feature of the table, which is prepared by the
Health Officer of the Calcutta Corporation, is the inclusion under the heading
"Deaths from other causes" of the 164 deaths from plague in Calcutta in 1898.
3. The first case of plague, which was definitely reported as such, occurred
on Sunday, the 17th April, and I accompanied the Health Officer and the
B
B