Reports on civil dispensaries at the Presidency and in the provinces of Madras, during the year 1852.

  • Madras (India : Presidency). Medical Board.
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on civil dispensaries at the Presidency and in the provinces of Madras, during the year 1852. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    8/38
    by the local authorities. The rent is a heavy item in the roll of expenses for the maintenance of the Dispensaries, and the Board would again respect- fully point out the great desirableness of these institutions being Government property. 16. Agreeably to the wishes of Government conveyed in para 7 Ex- tract Minutes of Consultation, Judicial Department, No. 735 of date 15th November last, I have the honor under instructions from the Medical Board to transmit a return of sick treated at the various Civil Institutions at the Presidency marginally noted, during the year 1852, with the following observations for the information of Government. 17. The public health during the year may be said to have been highly satisfactory; the several districts enjoyed an almost complete immunity from epidemic disease; a few cases of cholera have been recorded, but the disease occurred only in sporadic cases, and for the most part in some of the most crowded and low lying streets near the main drain, which latter may be well designated the monster nuisance of Black Town. This healthy state of the Presidency may in a great measure be attributed to the great amount of rain which fell during the year, the quantity registered was 73 inches. The drains in Black Town, in Vepery and Choolay, and also in Chintadrepettak and Triplicane were thereby well cleared several times, in addition to which, the temperature was considerably moderated; provisions of all kinds were abundant and at moderate price, all conducing to the preservation of health. General Hospital. 18. In the General Hospital, the number treated (civil patients, Euro- pean and Native,) has been 859, an increase of 255 over the preceding year, and which is mainly attributed to the reduced scale of charge introduced into the hospital under date 9th June 1852. The amount of mortality, 49, has been of course numerically greater, but the ratio per cent on the sick treated is similar to that of former years, viz. 5*7 percent. 19. The number treated annually for the last six years may be thus shewn : Years. Treated. Died. Average per centage of deaths for each year. 1847 456 29 6*3 1848 664 29 4-3 1849 534 34 6*3 1850 640 37 5-7 1851 604 28 4-6 1852 859 49 5*7 General Hospital. Native Infirmary. Leper Hospital. Idiot Asylum. Male Asylum. Female Asylum. House of Industry.