3
had results little less disastrous, and there seems little doubt that, as the
Sanitary Commissioner points out, " outbreaks of cholera must be counted
upon as annual events as long as the majority of sources of water-supply
remain subject to gross contamination as they do at present."
10. The record of cholera epidemics in towns further emphasizes the
need of a pure water-supply and demonstrates the protection afforded to
those which have installed waterworks. In the town of Berhampore a
serious epidemic broke out, but special investigation showed that not a single
case occurred in any house having a connection with the pipe-water
supply and that the disease was confined to those who persisted in drinking
unfiltered water brought from the river. Statistics of the Hooghly-Chinsura
Municipality also show that, during the nine years ending in 1913, the annual
mortality from cholera averaged 5.65 per mille, but that in 1914, when water-
works were started and a filtered water-supply was given for part of the
year, the death-rate was reduced to 2.28 per mille, and that during 1915,
when the scheme was in full operation, the death-rate fell to under 1
per mille.
11. Small-pox and Vaccination.—Mortality from small-pox has been
slowly and gradually on the increase since 1912, and rose to 9,935 in 1914.
In 1915 the deaths increased threefold, aggregating 32,785, or .72 per mille,
which is the highest on record since 1909. More than three-fourths of the
deaths occurred in the Burdwan and Presidency Divisions, where the preva-
lence of the disease was possibly due to the fact that Calcutta, where there
was a virulent outbreak, acted as a distributing centre to neighbouring
districts, especially the 24-Parganas. It is satisfactory to find that, despite
the general increase of mortality, the death-rate among infants continued
to decline and that only 14 per cent. of the total mortality from small-pox
occurred among children under 10 years of age, compared with 21.5 per cent.
in 1914.
12. The number of persons vaccinated during the year 1915-16 was
1,635,621, or 35,259 more than in 1914-15. Operations decreased by 80,898 in
Calcutta, where the epidemic above referred to had spent itself before the
period covered by the vaccination returns. In the Dacca Division they rose by
109,850, nearly half the increase occurring in the district of Bakarganj, where
a system of free vaccination was introduced in the Sadar subdivision with
satisfactory results. A similar system was also introduced in the 24-Par-
ganas, where the District Board appointed a special staff to carry on free
vaccination in rural areas, paying them a capitation fee of ½ anna for each
vaccination in addition to pay. The people welcomed the opportunity of
free vaccination, and a large increase of primary vaccinations resulted.
13. Other diseases.—There was a slight decrease in the death-rate
from dysentery and diarrhœa and from respiratory diseases. Plague was
almost absent from the Presidency outside Calcutta, the total number of
deaths amounting only to 199, of which 191 occurred in Calcutta. This is
the lowest figure recorded since the disease first appeared in Bengal.
14. Sanitary Board. —The functions of the Sanitary Board are those of
an advisory body, and in this capacity it continued to do useful work. Five
sketch projects estimated to cost Rs. 7,10,592 and six detailed schemes
estimated to cost Rs. 6,58,795 were forwarded to Government for approval
and sanction. On the suggestion of the Board a committee was constituted
under the presidency of the Commissioner, Presidency Division, to consider
a water-supply scheme for riparian municipalities north of Calcutta.
15. Sanitary improvements.—Sanitary works costing altogether
Rs. 22,92,429 were carried out during 1914-15 by Government, Municipalities,
District Boards and private individuals : the expenditure was nearly Rs. 5 2/3
lakhs in excess of that incurred during the previous year. The amount
distributed by Government was Rs. 5,11,026, of which Rs. 3,21,779 was for
non-recurring expenditure.
There was considerable activity on the part of District and Local Boards
in rural sanitary works, such as well-sinking, jungle-clearing, the filling
up of ditches, and the excavation and cleansing of tanks. It is in the wide-