74
REPORT ON THE CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
Advantage of early
treatment.
quinine, becomes a most appalling disease when extensive sloughing has taken
place, or when, as not unfrequently happens, it becomes complicated with
abscess of the liver. Nearly all the cases which prove mortal have passed
through one or other of these conditions, or both, long before the patients have
sought for admission into hospital." The results of the year under review
form no exception to the rule. But, considering the general unhealthiness of
the year, the mortality has nevertheless been very low for this malady. In
hospital practice a death-rate to treated of 42.55 in the thousand is exception-
ally favorable. It would be lower even than this if cases were admitted
earlier, or before destructive ulceration of the mucous membrane had advanced
to such an extent as to render therapeutical management rather palliative than
curative in its effects. As with cholera, so with this disease, it is reasonably
expected that one of the many benefits anticipated from the establishment of a
well-ordered and well-managed river-side dispensary will be a palpable reduction
of the death-rate. For it may be fairly expected that, as these cases will be
brought earlier under the influence of our sovereign remedy—ipecacuanha,
not only will sloughing, but another important sequel or consequence of
the disease, viz. abscess of the liver, be rendered less frequent in, their occur-
rence.
3RD.—HEPATITIS.
Admissions and
deaths from He-
patitis during
the year 1865-
72.
18. Tabular statement exhibiting the admissions and deaths from hepatitis
during the eight years ending 1872:—
| YEARS. | Treated. | Died. | RATIO OF DEITIES PER MILLE TO | ||
| Treated. | Total treated from all diseases. |
Total deaths. | |||
| 1865 | 47 | 9 | 191.4 | 3.4 | 52.9 |
| 1866 | 41 | 7 | 170.7 | 2.8 | 29.4 |
| 1867 | 51 | 9 | 76.4 | 3.7 | 59.2 |
| 1868 | 58 | 6 | 103.4 | 2.4 | 33.8 |
| 1869 | 52 | 6 | 115.3 | 2.2 | 42.8 |
| 1870 | 62 | 7 | 112.9 | 2.7 | 51.8 |
| 1871 | 57 | 5 | 87.7 | 1.9 | 53.7 |
| 1872 | 43 | 8 | 186.0 | 2.3 | 51.2 |
The admissions from this disease have fluctuated from 62 and 58 in 1870
and 1868, to 41 and 43 in 1866 and 1872. The death-rate has varied from
191.4 and 186 in 1865 and 1872 to 103.4 and 877.7 in 1868 and 1871. The
mortality to total treated was 3.4 and 3.7 in 1865 and 1867; whilst in 1871 and
1872, it amounted to 1.9 and 2.3 in the thousand. Of the deaths to total
deaths it was answerable for 59.2 in 1867 and 29.4, 33.8 and 51.2 in 1866,
1868, and 1872.