Chapter XX: Appendix: A

_SOME MEDICAL STATISTICS._

There were treated from the _Albert_ in 1892 nine hundred patients, of which one-third might be called serious cases. An epidemic of influenza visited the coast, and this led to many cases of lung affections. Affections of the eyes were also common, while minor surgical cases were in great abundance. Seven operations were performed under anæsthetics.

In 1893 there were treated:—

In Labrador, the Straits of Belle Isle, and on the French shore of Newfoundland there were treated by—

In-Patients. Out-Patients.

Dr. Bobardt at Battle Hospital 33 647
Dr. Curwen on the Hospital ship _Albert_ 3 1,052
Dr. Grenfell on the steam launch _Princess May_ 1 794
—— —————
That is a total of 37 2,493

These cases, for the council’s better information and that of the public, I analysed as follows. [Our case books are preserved in London for reference.]

_Medical Cases._

Diseases of—
Digestive system 633
Respiratory and circulatory system 194
Nervous system 60
Excretory system 40
Women 64
Diseases of special organs—
Eye (including 34 cases of night blindness) 211
Ear 40
Nose and throat 93
Skin 105
Minor cases—Headaches, colds, strains 167
Cases of rheumatism 64

_Surgical Cases._

Affections of the upper limbs 306
Affections of the lower limbs 94
General surgical cases—Glands, bones, special
agues, rickets, tumour, fistula, etc. 188
Sundry minor cases 210
————
Total 2,493

Operations performed under chloroform 17
Major operations without chloroform 11
Minor surgical operations, including teeth 269

There were in Battle Harbour Hospital the following named cots or beds: viz., Exeter, Brighton, Redhill, Hutchinson, Macpherson; also the John Fountain Elvin and John Charles Harris memorial cots.

In the male ward were first the “Brighton cot.” This was occupied by a poor Newfoundland fisherman whom I brought 80 miles in the _Princess May_. He had consumption, and died after about two months in hospital. His body alone reached his relatives in Newfoundland.

The second bed was the “Harris Cot.” There were three patients in this bed this season. The first was suffering with pleurisy; the second had to have his middle finger amputated, after a deep abscess of the hand; the third also had a severely poisoned hand.

The third, the “Redhill Cot,” was occupied by a fisherman with paralysis of the right arm and leg, and then by a poor fellow with consumption.

The fourth, the “Hutchinson Cot,” was occupied by, first, a man with a severely crushed hand; then by a poor fellow from far north, sent back by the _Albert_ (he was suffering from ulcer of the stomach); and, thirdly, by a French Canadian who was brought in a sealing steamer from Canadian Labrador, with a deep abscess of the back.

The fifth, the “Exeter Cot,” was occupied, first, by a fisherman with rheumatic fever and heart disease; second, by a man with excessive deep inflammation of the arm and forearm; third, by a man with abscess in the palm of his hand; fourth, by a young American with an affection resulting from consumption in the system; fifth, by a very similar case with a Newfoundlander.

The sixth, the “Macpherson Cot,” was in the female ward. First of all it was occupied by a young girl who had to undergo a serious operation; then by a woman who had come fifty miles down the Straits of Belle Isle with an internal disease; then by a poor girl brought south in the mail steamer from the cabin of one of the small fishing vessels. She died in hospital. The poor thing was engaged to be married this summer. Had she been able to come earlier for proper assistance there can be no doubt her life would have been saved. The fourth patient in this bed was a girl of eighteen. She had been suffering with an internal abscess for nearly three years when I saw her first in Sandwich Bay in the _Princess May_. After the operation we sent her by the mail to Battle Hospital. Here she remained some weeks, and on returning south in the _Princess May_, and again visiting Sandwich Bay, I found the girl returned, a new creature altogether. “I should like to have stayed always,” she told me.

W. T. G.

_The following are a few figures from my report rendered to the St. Johns Auxiliary Branch of the M.D.S.F._:—

In 1894, owing to the loss of the S.S. _Sir Donald_, and the fact of the _Princess May_ being unable to reach the coast, the work of the mission was much curtailed. Yet out of 1,306 patients treated a much larger proportion were serious cases, and more patients availed themselves of the hospitals. This number will no doubt increase.

There were treated this year by—

In-Patients. Out-Patients.
Dr. Bennett at Battle Hospital 27 444
Dr. Willway at Indian Harbour 20 580
Dr. Grenfell on the _Sir Donald_ and
_Urelia McKinnon_ 4 231
—— —————
Total 51 1,255

These were—
_Medical Cases._

Diseases of—
Digestive system 226
Respiratory system 130
Nervous system 55
Excretory system 45
Women 33
Minor cases—Colds, headaches 73

_Surgical Cases._
Diseases of—

Affections of the upper limbs 73
Affections of the lower limbs 64
General surgical affections, including
glands, bones, fistula, etc. 140
Minor surgery cases 114
Diseases of special organs—
Eye 90
Ear 27
Nose and throat 48
Skin 74
Affection 64
Operations performed under anæsthetics 25
Minor operations, including teeth 119
In-patients 51
—————
Grand total 1,306