Reports on mountain and marine sanitaria : medical and statistical observations on civil stations and military cantonments., jails - dispensaries - regiments - barracks, &c. within the Presidency of Madras, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Islands, and British Burmah from January 1858 to January 1862 / by Duncan Macpherson.

  • MacPherson, Duncan, M.D., 1812-1867.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on mountain and marine sanitaria : medical and statistical observations on civil stations and military cantonments., jails - dispensaries - regiments - barracks, &c. within the Presidency of Madras, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Islands, and British Burmah from January 1858 to January 1862 / by Duncan Macpherson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    20?i Tivo Companies of Sappers and Miners are quartered at the Palace stables, Chepauk ; 186 men aild families occupy 100 stables ; the sick are sent to the General Hospital; but a Native Dresser should, I think, be attached to the Detachment. There are thirteen on the sick list now. The position of this Dispensary is very good, and the institution is the oldest in Madras. At present it receives Out-patients only, of whom 8,700 were prescribed for since the beginning of the year; the annual daily average sick treated is thirty-four. It is to this spot I would remove the General Hospital Civil Dispensary, and prepare iVards for the recep- tion of In, as well as Out-patients, which might be done by raising the present building and putting another story on it. The Garrison Surgeon is also Superintendent of Vaccination at the Presidency. Eight Vaccinators itinerate under him throughout the Pre- sidency. The Superintendent, with the aid of the Commissioner of Police, occasionally checks their returns. Success has not attended the Superin- tendent’s endeavours to procure lymph from England; but he supplies all parts of the Presidency with what is kept up by himself, and states that he seldom has any complaints. During the quarter ending 30th June last, 1,159 European, East Indian, and Native children were vaccinated successfully, and during the same period there were 264 unsuccessful cases. Under instructions from His Excellency the Governor, the Garrison Surgeon has within the past two months in addition to his other duties entered on a course of operative Dental Surgery, with clinical teaching to to all who desire instruction in the art. He devotes three hours of two days in the week to this duty, and already there is abundant evidence of the necessity for the introduction of this class; for about seventy men, chiefly out of Her Majesty’s 44th Regiment, have received relief. Statistical records show that the average of decayed permanent teeth ranges as high as 25 ])cr cent, up to the age of fifteen, that amongst adults it is very much greater, and that in the majority of instances, teeth are lost to the poor after much suffering from want of medical treatment. It is also well known that dyspeptic and visceral derangement result from this state of matters. In a return before me exhibiting the results of Mr. Porteous’ labors since the 3rd June, the date on which he entered on them, I perceive that sixty-two individuals have had ninety-five teeth saved by timely stulling, and the same individuals have had 196 fangs extracted or teeth removed. The duties of the Garrison Assistant Surgeon arc to attend to all sick within the Fort, with the exception of those of the European Regiment quartered there. The average monthly applicants for relief is 200 ; but SKP.IKS V. Skction 1 V. JJetnchinpnt Sappers and Minets. Chintadropett Dispensary. Garrison Surgeon. Garrison Ansis- tanl Surgeon. Pori aud Maiiue I'dpaiUuuut*
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