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DR A. LOCKHART GILLESPIE ON 



General Facts with regard to the Admissions to the Medical Wards during 



the Seven Years. 



The total number of cases admitted into the Medical Wards during the seven years 

 under review reached 27,569, or a yearly average of 3938. The numbers admitted 

 during the later years showed a very considerable increase over those of the earlier 

 part. 



The number of cases belonging to the different systems were then worked out. The 

 systems chosen were (1) the Respiratory, which was considered as a whole, all the 

 different diseases being grouped together, while, in addition, separate tables were con- 

 structed for cases of Pneumonia and Pleurisy ; (2) the Circulatory ; (3) the Urinary, in 

 which, however, only cases of Kidney disease were included ; (4) cases of Acute and Sub- 

 acute Rheumatism ; (5) the Nervous ; and (6) the Digestive system. The number of 

 deaths was also noted, but it must be remembered that the actual date of the death was 

 recorded, not the date on which the case was admitted. A note was also made of the 

 admissions of patients with Chorea, Appendicitis or Perityphlitis, and with Diabetes 

 Mellitus. The figures for the last three diseases were too small to make an extended 

 investigation into their relations worth the labour involved. 



1. Total Admissions. 



The total number of admissions were, as already stated, 27,569. But the number 

 admitted during the individual years varied very considerably. The actual figures 

 are : — 



Year. 



Patients Admitted. 



1888-89 



3,665 



1889-90 



3,530 



1890-91 



3,887 



1891-92 



3,776 



1892-93 



3,944 



1893-94 



4,078 



1894-95 



4,689 



27,569 



These numbers are taken from the official returns, but unfortunately those for 1894-95 

 do not correspond properly with the preceding ones, as in that year the patients 

 admitted into two small wards in the surgical hospital, but who were really medical 

 cases, were for the first time entered under their proper designation. The numbers 

 involved, however, are not sufficient to account for the enormous increase chronicled for 

 that year. 



