MUNICIPAL
DEPARTMENT.
SANITATION.
CALCUTTA, THE 22ND JULY 1911.
RESOLUTION—No. 1352 San.
READ—
The Report of the Sanitary Commissioner, Bengal, for the year 1910.
Read also—
The Triennial Report on Vaccination in Bengal for the years 1908-09 to 1910-11.
Lieutenant-Colonel F. C. Clarkson, I.M.S., was in charge of the Depart-
ment till the 28th February 1910, when he was succeeded by Major W. W.
Clemesha, who remained in charge for the remainder of the year.
2. Climatic conditions.—During the pre-monsoon period, while rain was
fairly general, the showers were light, and the early monsoon current was
also weak. The monsoon rains continued, however, well into September and
October, while in November there was rain throughout Bihar and in parts of
Chota Nagpur. On the whole, the climatic conditions of the year were
favourable, and the outturn of the different harvests was satisfactory.
3. Births and deaths.—In the absence of the detailed figures of the
census of 1911, the various ratios referred to below have been calculated on
the basis of the census of 1901. The year 1909 had shown an increase of
births, concurrently with a decrease of deaths, in comparison with the two
preceding years, but during 1910, while the number of births again rose,
the mortality was higher than in 1909. The number of births registered
(exclusive of Angul was 2,007,222 or 39.72 per mille of population, as
compared with 1,909,547 or 37.79 per mille during the previous year. The
result may be attributed to the healthiness of the preceding year and to the
cheaper prices of food grains which then prevailed.
The most marked
improvement was shown in Orissa, which stood second in comparison with
other Divisions, with a birth rate of 43.99 per mille, as against 33.87 in 1909,
the worst result recorded during that year. The number of deaths reported
aggregated 1,672,640 or 33.10 per mille of population, as against 1,543,971
or 30.55 per mille during 1909. This deterioration in the general health
was almost solely due to the prevalence of cholera and plague, which was
especially marked in the Patna and Tirhut Divisions
Comparing the
mortality in urban and rural areas, it is in respect of fever only that the
former show to marked advantage, as other diseases, on the basis of the
figures for the last five years, are less prevalent in the country than in towns.
As regards deaths from fever, Calcutta returns far better results than other
towns. In comparison with other Provinces, Bengal stood fourth in the order
of birth-rate, as against third in the preceding year, and fifth as regards
death-rate, the same position which it occupied in 1909.
4. The verification of the registration of vital statistics by the vaccina-
tion staff was conducted on a larger scale than in the previous year, and the
worst results were reported from Khulna, Shahabad, and the Sonthal Parga-
nas. The results in the first named district were extraordinarily bad, and the
Commissioner of the Presidency Division will be requested to furnish an ex-
planation. It is difficult to explain the fluctuations in the figures in certain
areas unless on the assumption of a varying degree of accuracy in the returns.
Thus, there is no very obvious reason why the birth-rate in the district of
Singhbhum, in comparison with the previous year, should suddenly rise from
30.23 to 44.80, or that in the town of Katihar, Purnea, from 12.12 to 48.39 per
mille.