16

REPORT ON THE

considering the class of the patients, and those of them who were brought to hospital in a
moribund condition, such a result will not be wondered at.

Moribund patients.

        11. It has been stated, in paragraph 6 of this summary, that 139 patients were moribund
on admission into hospital. Of these, 33 were Christians and 106 were Natives. The following
table shows the diseases the moribund patients were suffering from on admission, and it will
be understood that, in the case of cholera, moribund patients died within six hours; in cases
of poisoning by opium, within half an hour; and in all other cases, within 24 hours of
admission.

Surgical
operations.

Ophthalmic
Surgery.

        12. At the end of 1875 there were 17 cases of capital operations remaining under
treatment. During the year under report (exclusive of operations in the Eye Infirmary)
151 were performed, giving a total of 168. Of these, 53 per cent. recovered; 3 per cent.
were relieved; 1 per cent, was discharged unrelieved; 24 per cent. died; and 19 per cent.
remained under treatment at the end of the year. The percentages just given are shown as
whole numbers, but the actual death-rate of the year was 23.80 per cent. of cases operated
on. The mortality after operations during the preceding septennial period was 22.72, 19.75,
25.92, 17.06, 15.57, 20.70, and 20 respectively. Of the total number operated on, only 136
were treated to a termination, and amongst these the proportion of deaths was 29.41 per
cent. In the ophthalmic hospital, 212 operations were performed, and of them no fewer
than 158 were cases of extraction of the lens. Including those remaining from 1875, there
were altogether 172 of these cases; and in 124, or 72 per cent. of the total number in which
the lens was extracted, the patients were discharged cured.

Exemption from
deaths due to
hospitalism.

        13. Amongst the causes assigned for the deaths of the 40 patients after operation, it is
very satisfactory to observe that erysipelas and pyæmia were each accountable for one death
only. This is a point well worthy of close attention; as in 1875, of the patients operated on,
three died from septicæmia, three from erysipelas, and two from pyæmia, or at the rate of
25.80 per cent., and the average mortality for the six preceding years, which was assigned
to hospitalism, was 31.06 per cent. No explanation has been offered for this exemption
after operations of fatal cases due to hospitalism.

Obstetric wards.

        14. The number of patients (including children up to seven years of age) treated in
the obstetric wards was 1,035, against 993, 1,004, 943, 1,063, 745, and 747 in the preceding
six years. Of the total number treated 10.33 per cent. were Europeans or Americans,
32.07 per cent. were East Indians, 35.26 per cent. were Natives, and 22.31 per cent. con-
sisted of children of all classes. The mortality was at the rate of 8.88 per cent. (against
6.44, 7.17, 7.31, 6.58, 8.05. and 7.49 per cent. in each of the six years immediately pre-
ceding), and was divided amongst the several classes as follows, viz., 4.67 per cent. of
Europeans and Americans, 3.61 per cent. of East Indians, 9.04 per cent. of Natives, and
18.18 per cent. of children.

Confinements.

        15. During the year 250 women were delivered in hospital, and this number shows a
steady and progressive increase as compared with previous years. The numbers confined in
the preceding sexennial period were 230, 226, 216, 191, 146, and 139 respectively. Of the
total number of women delivered, 8 per cent. were Europeans and Armenians, 30 per
cent. were East Indians, and 62 per cent. were Natives.

Medical and
surgical out-door
dispensaries.

Treated in the
ailmission-room.

        16. Out-door patients. —There were 18,537 out-door patients (new cases) treated during
the year. Of these, 10,316 were medical and 8,221 were surgical cases. These figures
show a decrease of 296 on the returns of 1875, which is accounted for by 753 fewer
patients in the medical, and an increase of 457 patients in the surgical, out-door depart-
ment. The numbers of patients attending the medical and surgical dispensaries in each of
the five preceding years were 18,833, 21,899, 24,758, 24,644, and 26,252. Besides the
foregoing out-door patients, there were 1,605 cases treated in the admission-rooms.