Auckland Provincial Gazette – 1867 – No. 15

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✨ Medical Report

Auckland Provincial Government Gazette.

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.

VOL. XVI.] FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1867. [No. 15.

Provincial Hospital,
March, 14th, 1866.

SIR,—I beg to forward the Annual Report, for 1866, of the various Public Institutions committed to my medical charge.

T. M. PHILSON, M.D.,
Provincial Surgeon.

His Hon. the Superintendent.

ANNUAL MEDICAL REPORT, 1866.

PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL.

The number of patients admitted during the past year amounted to 716, being 94 more than the previous year. These consisted of 618 males, and 98 females. The mortality amounted to only 73, or 8½ per cent. of the total admitted, being 21 fewer than the preceding year. This decrease in the number of deaths is most apparent in the class of fevers, of which there has been a great diminution. Of the deaths 57 were males and 16 females. Among a multitude of minor operations, only one capital one required to be performed, in the case of a man who sustained a compound fracture and dislocation of the left ankle, by the falling of a bank of earth on him while at work in excavating. An attempt was made to save the limb, but this proving futile, the leg was removed below the knee by circular incision, and a very satisfactory result obtained, the patient having been discharged in little more than two months from his admission.

FEVER.—The number of cases of fever treated in the Provincial Hospital, in the past year, has not been half the number of those in the previous year: the mortality, however, is nearly in a similar ratio, viz., 23 per cent. The first case, that of A. J., was admitted with indications of intestinal perforation. The amount of extravasation was small, and the fatal termination was delayed until the end of the third week. The second case, S. McC., proved fatal on the third day from admission, and presented similar symptoms and appearances to the preceding. The third case was that of T. D., which proved fatal in a week. There was extensive pulmonary complication in this case. The fourth case, W. R., was only 28 hours in hospital. Here a perforating ulcer of the ilium was discovered, giving rise to fatal peritonitis. The fifth case, that of H. F., had been in the hospital nearly a month, and was considered convalescent, when one morning, after eating his breakfast, he suddenly expired. There was much serous effusion in the brain and spinal cord. The sixth case, W. S., was 46 days in hospital. The prominent feature was an eruption of numerous diffused abscesses in various parts of the body. These were of great extent, and discharged freely. Colliquative sweats and diarrhoea supervened, and soon carried off the patient. Ulceration and perforation of the rectum were found after death. The liver weighed 7½ lbs. The last case was that of J. R., aged 19 years. He had been discharged about a month before

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