tants of the Calcutta bustees and the coolies
Dibrugarh Railway?have been such the Government in making a further
as
on
the
to justify
advance in
spreading these inoculations in infected localities, and a splendid opportunity has arisen in the of cholera which has taken coolies the place among emigrating for Assam, to still further test the efficacy of the inoculations and at the same time we believe to protect a outbreak
severe
number of coolies from the ravages of the disease. Cholera has been so prevalent among the
large
Judtan JRjjdiOHl
coolies"e?i route from the recruiting districts to the tea gardens in Assam that Government saw
APRIL 1896.
other way of
no
than CHOLERA INOCULATION FOR COOLIES.
The Bengal Government is to be congratulated ZD on the assistance which it is giving to Professor ?
Haffkine in
affording
him every
facility
to carry
out his anti-choleraic inoculations in localities
where cholera is with two
prevalent, and in providing him European medical men of the Indian
Medical Service, and him in his work. The such
is
season
as
assistant-surgeon to help
an
traffic.
M. Haffkine is
one
engaged
for in.
a
campaign Rain has
stop
A humane
event of other
great mortality
to the coolie of this kind was, in the
completely
step
measures
the
failing, absolutely
neces-
sary, and would accordingly meet with general approval. But at the same time it brings out the comparative uselessness under present conditions of most of the
measures
intended to prevent
an
epidemic of cholera among a moving mass of men. To stop the traffic altogether of course means
favourable
a
by putting
stopping
a
to let it go
less
a
large
loss to the tea
industry, but with the disease unchecked is no loss to the tea industry with the addition a ver\7
on
been scanty, the rivers are low,and there is almost a drought in many parts of the country; while many of the movable festivals and fasts fall
of
this year in the cholera season. The conditions, therefore, for cholera prevalence exist to a high
belonging to the Tea Association of India, after the favourable results which they have observed to be obtained from the anti-choleraic inoculations in Assam, have suggested to the
degree,
and there
can
be little doubt that this
and the next year will be epidemic years, and, accordingly, the prospect of M. Haffkine being able to add a number of valuable observations to those which have been made during the past
fearful mortality among the emigrants. It is not, therefore, surprising that a practical body of men like the planters and the merchants a
Government that in cholera inoculations carried out among the coolies at the different coolie districts there is
three years is much more promising now than in 1893 when lie first came to the country. In that year the Professor had to carry on his in-
stopping
oculations in the North-West Provinces where there was no cholera, and to wait till a time
ment of
when cholera he
had
might
carried
on
visit the localities in which his inoculations. It was
great expenditure of energy and time with but very uncertain results to look forward to, and it was not until 1894 and 1895, when operations
a
were
earned
Assam, that
on
more
in
the endemic area, and in was accomplished in tests as to
the value of the inoculation
as
distinguished
from
the work performed to prove their harmlessness. The several observations in 1894 and 1895?as obtained among the prisoners in the Gya jail, the coolies in the Assam tea gardens, the inhabi-
an
effective alternative to the
of the coolie traffic and at the
same
valuable
time protective. These views have been received very favourably by the Governa
Bengal;
and after
a
conference between
the Government and Professor Haffkine and Dr.
Simpson, who also have conferred with the Tea Association, Dr. Haffkine has been granted the required assistance, and has proceeded to the recruiting depot for the purpose of inoculations. It has been further determined that a number of medical men, at least a dozen, shall learn the of inoculation in the municipal labora-
system
future occasions there shall be trained officers who can be despatched to any part of the country where it is thought their services are needed, and that cholera inoculations
tory,
so
that
on
should be carried out.
Some of the doctors also
INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
140
belongingto
the tea
to be trained in the
It will thus be taken
place
planting community same laboratory.
seen
that
a
congratulated
on
what
they
also
great advance has
in the matter of inoculation
cholera, and the Government
are
are
to be
have done.
against heartily
[April
1896.
Dibrugarh Railway?have been such the Government in making a further
as
on
the
to justify
advance in
spreading these inoculations in infected localities, and a splendid opportunity has arisen in the of cholera which has taken coolies the place among emigrating for Assam, to still further test the efficacy of the inoculations and at the same time we believe to protect a outbreak
severe
number of coolies from the ravages of the disease. Cholera has been so prevalent among the
large
Judtan JRjjdiOHl
coolies"e?i route from the recruiting districts to the tea gardens in Assam that Government saw
APRIL 1896.
other way of
no
than CHOLERA INOCULATION FOR COOLIES.
The Bengal Government is to be congratulated ZD on the assistance which it is giving to Professor ?
Haffkine in
affording
him every
facility
to carry
out his anti-choleraic inoculations in localities
where cholera is with two
prevalent, and in providing him European medical men of the Indian
Medical Service, and him in his work. The such
is
season
as
assistant-surgeon to help
an
traffic.
M. Haffkine is
one
engaged
for in.
a
campaign Rain has
stop
A humane
event of other
great mortality
to the coolie of this kind was, in the
completely
step
measures
the
failing, absolutely
neces-
sary, and would accordingly meet with general approval. But at the same time it brings out the comparative uselessness under present conditions of most of the
measures
intended to prevent
an
epidemic of cholera among a moving mass of men. To stop the traffic altogether of course means
favourable
a
by putting
stopping
a
to let it go
less
a
large
loss to the tea
industry, but with the disease unchecked is no loss to the tea industry with the addition a ver\7
on
been scanty, the rivers are low,and there is almost a drought in many parts of the country; while many of the movable festivals and fasts fall
of
this year in the cholera season. The conditions, therefore, for cholera prevalence exist to a high
belonging to the Tea Association of India, after the favourable results which they have observed to be obtained from the anti-choleraic inoculations in Assam, have suggested to the
degree,
and there
can
be little doubt that this
and the next year will be epidemic years, and, accordingly, the prospect of M. Haffkine being able to add a number of valuable observations to those which have been made during the past
fearful mortality among the emigrants. It is not, therefore, surprising that a practical body of men like the planters and the merchants a
Government that in cholera inoculations carried out among the coolies at the different coolie districts there is
three years is much more promising now than in 1893 when lie first came to the country. In that year the Professor had to carry on his in-
stopping
oculations in the North-West Provinces where there was no cholera, and to wait till a time
ment of
when cholera he
had
might
carried
on
visit the localities in which his inoculations. It was
great expenditure of energy and time with but very uncertain results to look forward to, and it was not until 1894 and 1895, when operations
a
were
earned
Assam, that
on
more
in
the endemic area, and in was accomplished in tests as to
the value of the inoculation
as
distinguished
from
the work performed to prove their harmlessness. The several observations in 1894 and 1895?as obtained among the prisoners in the Gya jail, the coolies in the Assam tea gardens, the inhabi-
an
effective alternative to the
of the coolie traffic and at the
same
valuable
time protective. These views have been received very favourably by the Governa
Bengal;
and after
a
conference between
the Government and Professor Haffkine and Dr.
Simpson, who also have conferred with the Tea Association, Dr. Haffkine has been granted the required assistance, and has proceeded to the recruiting depot for the purpose of inoculations. It has been further determined that a number of medical men, at least a dozen, shall learn the of inoculation in the municipal labora-
system
future occasions there shall be trained officers who can be despatched to any part of the country where it is thought their services are needed, and that cholera inoculations
tory,
so
that
on
should be carried out.
Some of the doctors also
INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
140
belongingto
the tea
to be trained in the
It will thus be taken
place
planting community same laboratory.
seen
that
a
congratulated
on
what
they
also
great advance has
in the matter of inoculation
cholera, and the Government
are
are
to be
have done.
against heartily
[April
1896.
