CHOLERA IN THE BENGAL PRESIDENCY DURING 1871. Feoji information that the
have been able
we
following places,
ing districts of Bengal, have been the past sis months :?
Morar, Rajmehal
slight, ?
Bhaugulpore
,, ?
Melapore
?
8th
Jehaaabad (Hooghly)
Hazareebaugh
12th
Feby.
16th ,,
Hurdui
,,
to collect, it appears probability the surroundaffected by cholera during
and in all
Shahabad,
?
Mutteehari
,,
Tirhoot,
slight, severe
Dacca
March.
23rd
?
Rungpore
?
Patna.
31st
,,
April.
?
12th
,,
?
slight,
Monghyr Cawnpore
Burranughur (24-perghs.),, ? Muckdoompore (Gya) 16th April. Benares, ,, severe, 10th
May. June.
,,
May. 24th
,,
17th
?
,, ,,
June.
>>
it
slight,
May.
Burisaul,
slight
22nd
?
Delhi, Jaunpore
Gowhatty,
severe
?
,,
Chunar
,,
?
A j mere
?
,,
>>
Durrung
?
,,
,,
Cachar
Garrow Hills
,,
?
,,
Dum-Dum
Beyond
the confines of this
6th June.
,,
April and May.
Presidency,
June.
,,
we
hear of
a severe
outburst of cholera among the men of the 18th Hussars, at Secunderabad. It appears that the disease broke out in this
May, at 3 a. m., and it is reported hours, out of a strength of 400 men, some eighty cases of cholera had occurred, of which thirty-six died (Friend of India, p. 695, 1871). We are sorry we can obtain regiment
on
that within
no
the 25th of a
few
authentic account of the circumstances of this terrible out-
burst of the disease to lay before our readers. While cholera has thus been spreading to
a
greater
or
less
extent over very many of the districts of Bengal, we find that the inhabitants of Calcutta have been comparatively free from the disease.
Dr. C. Macnamara in
drew attention to the fact, that whereas five years the deaths in Calcutta from
our
during
the
last issue
previous
cholera have amounted
average to about
1,784, during the first four months of period of 1871, we had only We may add that, throughout the month of May, 1871, (the worst season of the year for cholera in Calcutta,) only 30 deaths have been recorded from this disease, against an average of 497, for the years on an
the year, in the corresponding lost 286 people from this disease.
1866-69. In
connection with this
remarks a
subject,
we
would refer to some
made in the Lancet of the 13th of
communication
lately addressed by
May, regarding
Dr. Macnamara to Mr.
Simon, on the circumstances of cholera in Calcutta; the former gentleman calls attention to a diagram forwarded with his
letter,
in which he
daily number of deatiis during the past five years, with me.eorological observations for corresponding days. The point of Dr. Macnamara's argument is, that, with data such as these before him, it were well worth Mr. Simon's while to urge on Government the necessity of watching narrowly the progress of cholera among the inhabitants of Calcutta, because they have lately been supplied with admirable water ; the circumstances of the majority of them in other respects being unaltered, the rise or fall of the death-rate from cholera in Calcutta, therefore, becomes a test of the theory which supposes that the disease is disseminated cliiefy by means of contaminated drinking water. The bearing of this importfrom cholera in Calcutta
shows the
July 1, ant
REVIEW.
1871.]
argument, in fact the whole substance of Dr. Macnamara's
communication,
is
entirely ignored by
above referred to, and
a
the writer in the Lancet
few obvious mistakes in dates which
palpable to any one reading the text of the letter question, are handled in a manner which leads us to believe that this criticism was inspired rather by a love of hypercritical carping, than by a desire to afford the readers of the Lancet a fair idea of the scope and object of the paper under con-
must be in
sideration. For example, very hard words are written about in which Dr. Macnamara (not given, usually, to fine allowed himself to state services to
be in
true,
or
passage
writing,)
rather
ornately that the medical as they might and ought the systematic investigation of cholera. This is either are
not utilized
as
much
not true, and if true, the manner in which
and fatal a
a
a
blunder in the
paltry subject
study
so
serious
of cholera is
of comment, beside the
exposed, is surely blunder itself, and
if not true, it matters little whether the mode of expression is metaphorical or not. We here support the truth of what Dr. Macnamara
has
stated, aud advocate a general united effort, instead of the partial, exclusive and we must say feeble work which is now being done. Dr. Macnamara gives the reasons which moved him to refer his researches to Mr. Simon, and although we are not sure that we agree with him on this point, still the subject is a matter of opinion, and certainly no cause for a display of feeling such as that above referred to. We are quite aware that a few of the rising surgeons in London?men whose views would probably have been much enlarged and improved by a little experience of the world beyond London, are nevertheless under the impression that those labouring without and harmonious
the sound of Bow Bells in their ears,
are
at best but poor
We would venture to advise critics of this
stamp, accusing others of inaccuracy, at any rate to be careful of the grounds upon which their own statements are founded. For instance, in the very first paragraph of the notice in the Lancet of the 15th May, we find it stated that Dr. Macnamara is a thorough going believer in the contagiousness of cholera," whereas that gentleman's own words on the subject are " cholera is not transmitted from man to man by contact the writer in the Lancet observes,?"we should be glad to encounter an array of facts in place of assertions j" if he had only condescended to study the document he ventures to criticise, he would have found an array of facts and figures, bearing on the past and future of cholera in the very heart creatures.
before
"
"
of its endemic area, which would have of most men, unless
satisfied the minds
had either
pre-judged the case, or spirit contrary to that which seems to us should influence those who profess to represent the views of scientific enquirers, for the edification of their professional brethren. they
determined to handle it in
a
Deaths in the Central Provinces.?The death-rate for March -was, per 1,000,? Cholera 0 0, small-pox 0 0, fevers 0'8, bowel complaints 01, injuries 0 02, all other causes
0'17 ; total 1*2. There were 33 deaths from suicide (15 males and 18 females), 12 from wounds (8 males and 4 females),
86 from accident (49 males and 37 females), 33 from snakebite and wild animals (19 males and 14 females). Popula-
tion, 6,701,239.
741