(Eonrapomltuce. ENTERIC FEVER AMONG NATIVES. To the Editor, "Indian Medical Gazette." DEAR Si it,?With regard to the remarks of Dr. Pilgrim, reported iu ycur April number, as to the comparative frequency or the reverse of enteric fever among' Natives of India. I would like to add a word in agreement with his belief that this disease is more frequent among Natives than is geuerally supposed, and that, if we had more autopsies on Natives, we would have more proof of its existence. In favour of my belief I may state as follows my own experience. 1. One case, a Sikh, diagnosed as enteric by myself, and proved to be such by the rare chauce of a post-mortem. This occurred in Assam. 2. A " follower" in a Punjabi Regiment in Rawul Pindi, aged 17. proved also by post-mortem. ?3. Two, at least, cases iu which after consultation I agreed in the diagnosis of enteric in Pathau sepoys in Rawul Pindi. 4. Three, at least, cases which I remember having diagnosed with Native practias enteric iu Bengal in consultation tioners. who. however, did not agree with me. These cases were diagnosed from history and clinical symptoms, &c., only. 5. All of us, I think, have met cases of continued fever, two to three weeks, uninfluenced by quinine often with diarrhoea, cases which in England or in a European country one would not hesitate to call enteric. 6. The high degree of improbability that causes which do admittedly produce the disease in Europeans should not also act upou Natiyes with often infinitely worse sanitary

surroundings.

Per Contra.?1. During the 18 months I was in charge of the large central jail at Midnapore, with a considerable sick list, I never saw a case iu which the idaa of enteric

suggested itself.

INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.

240

2. During: my time iu charge of this jail all cases of death (except a few cholera ones) were carefully examined post-mortem and recorded, but I saw no entericamong them. 3. I never saw enteric fever post-mortem signs, old or new. in a ease examined for medico-legal purposes. I think the rule for obligatory post-mortems should be introduced into all jails (except in the busy times of a cholera outbreak). Should Dr. Pilgrim bring forward this subject at the coming Indian Medical Congress, I am sure a lot of valuable information might be gathered.

W. J. BUCHANAN, b.a., m.b.,

Dublin ;

April 26th,

1894.

Surgn.-Capt.,

I M.S.

[June

1894.