Report of the Principal Civil Medical Officer and Inspector-General of Hospitals / [Ceylon].

Ceylon. Civil Medical Department.

Date:: [1907]

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Principal Civil Medical Officer and Inspector-General of Hospitals / [Ceylon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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while still not really strong enough to[’go, because we are forced to make room for more urgent cases. Another ward of 8 beds as recommended in my report for 1904 would be enough for the present, or if the new children’s hospital is built as suggested ample room will be provided. Of the 1,112 patients treated, 347 were children, 131 boys and 216 girls. The children’s ward was very often overcrowded, so that some children had to be put into the other wards, and many had to be sent away for lack of room. There were 39 paying patients this year. The paying wards are very poor and small. There were 40 Muhammadan patients. The number of these keeps low, but it is no use expecting really purdah women to come to a hospital where their ward is as public as all the other wards. The cost of non-paying patients has been about the same this year as in my report for 1904. The total cost of diets, extras, and stimulants being Rs. 4,042, or Rs. 3 75 per head per year. This works out at the modest sum of about 37 cents per head per diem. The total cost of stimulants was only Rs. 111. There were 179 cases of diseases peculiar to women. Of these, 64 were cases of prolapse of the uterus. Of the 64, 50 were cured, 1 died (a feeble old woman extensively ulcerated), 8 were relieved, and 5 not improved. There were 65 cases of typhoid fever admitted. Of these, 5 died in hospital. There were 38 cases of dysentery, with 3 deaths. This was, on the whole, mild in type in the natives, but very severe in the Europeans treated, one of whom died, and the other recovered after three months in hospital. There were 57 surgical operations, with 2 deaths. One was a case of papillomatous ovarian cyst, which had ruptured before the operation, causing severe shock from internal haemorrhage ; and the other was a very large uterine fibroid which was growing in the left broad ligament, involving cervix and vagina as well as the body of uterus. The operation was prolonged, about two hours, and the patient died from shock. The other operations included 3 cases of abdominal section for ectopic gestation and 1 ovariotomy, all of whom made good recoveries; and one huge pyosalpinx, which I drained through the abdominal incision, with an excellent result. There were also two interesting cases of antral abscess, which is uncommon in this country ; hr both the results were excellent, recovery being complete, but I had to operate three times in one case and four times in the other. These were very satisfactory cases, as the patients were suffering so much distress on admission, both from pain and deformity. Both occurred in children, one a girl of twelve and the other three years old. Nursing Staff and Training School.—Our Matron, Miss Richardson, reports as follows :—“ Seven candidates were accepted during 1907 ; one only resigned. There were two other resignations, a charge nurse and a pupil nurse. Two charge nurses and three pupil nurses were transferred to other hospitals, and one charge nurse and one pupil nurse were transferred to this from other hospitals. Owing to the number of changes only two nurses were able to present themselves for examination in December, both passed; one, however, only on condition that she received a good report for work during the next three months. “ Owing partly to the increase in the number of paying patients the work was heavier, but a larger staff Ynade it easier to cope with. “ With one or two exceptions, the work of the pupil nurses in the wards and at their classes was satisfactory, and compared favourably with that of previous years. The usual nursing lectures on sick nursing and practical work in the wards, bandaging, and sick room cookery were given throughout the year.” (20) Report of M. Sinnatamby, M.D., F.R.C.S., Medical Superintendent of the De Soysa Lying-in Home for the Year 1907. The total number of patients treated during the year was 961, as against 933 in 1906. Of the total number treated, 887 were discharged cured, 10 were removed by relatives before recovery, 19 were transferred to the General and other hospitals for the treatment of inter-current diseases, 9 died, and 36 were remaining at the end of the year. The percentage of deaths to total treated was 0*93, as against 2-14 in 1906. Of the deaths recorded, 6 were due to accidents of childbirth and 3 to non-puerperal causes. I am happy to record a very low mortality during the year. 0-93 per cent, is a record which has never before been obtained. If the deaths from non-puerperal causes were deducted, the actual mortality from accidents of childbirth would amount to only 0-62 per cent. Eleven cases of puerperal eclampsia were admitted during the year, of which two proved fatal. Death in both these cases was due to oedema of the lungs. Eleven cases of placenta praevia were admitted, of which 2 proved fatal. Of the 941 admissions, 853 were admitted before delivery, 34 after delivery, and 54 before commencement of labour. Operations.—Of the 125 operations performed, 2 cases were of caesarian section (one vaginal and the other abdominal, the former for elongated lervix and the latter for contracted pelvis), 1 case of myomectomy for uterine fibroid, 1 case of ovariotomy complicating labour, 1 case of hysterectomy for ruptured uterus, and 1 case of laparotomy for ruptured lubal pregnancy require special mention. The popularity of the institution is steadily increasing, particularly among the Muhammadans, who in several instances seek admission, not as a last resource from sheer necessity to escape death, but from choice. The number of cases from this class of patients admitted during the year was 25. The paying section is also getting more popular than before. The number of admissions during the year was 27. Midwives.—The Lying-in Home as a training institution for nurses is doing excellent work. The European method of conducting labour under aseptic principles, which has been hitherto denied to the poor villagers, will be gradually introduced. During the year 20 midwives were trained and sent out.