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Extremely interesting results have been obtained in Calcutta and Dacca
by special attention to midwifery and the care of infant life. In Calcutta
there were five units at work staffed by 5 Lady Health Visitors and 18 mid-
wives. In 4,748 cases attended by them the death-rate during the first ten
days of infancy was only 35 ;5 per thousand as against the average for the
city of 104.8 per thousand, while only 13 cases proved fatal to the parent.
Two maternity centres working in the town of Dacca, and dealing with
slightly over a thousand cases reported mortality during the first ten days
of infancy of only 22 per thousand as against recorded mortality of 96 per
thousand in the rest of the town. These figures go to show what can be
accomplished by the proper care of mothers and infants.
During the year under review grants-in-aid were made to various local
bodies for starting 100 classes of 10 dais each. In all 1,170 dais received
training in 104 classes started by 49 local bodies and one health society.
Public interest in maternity work and infant welfare was maintained and
67 health exhibitions and Baby Week functions were held during the year.
Cholera.—The mortality from cholera was 118.377 in 1927 as compared
with 59,106 in 1926, showing an increase of 92.3 per cent. above that
year and also above the decennial average. The measures taken to cope
with epidemics included inoculation, disinfection of water-supplies, dis-
infection of infected houses and of the patients' clothes and supply
of bleaching powder. Twenty medical officers and a temporary epidemic
staff of 20 Sub-Assistant Surgeons and 100 Sanitary Inspectors were deputed
to help local bodies in suppressing outbreaks. The publicity work carried
on by the Publicity Branch of the Public Health Department by means of
lectures and magic lantern demonstrations and free distribution of posters
and leaflets on the prevention of cholera has gone far to show the public
how far cholera may be regarded as a preventable disease. Local bodies
concerned kept special watch over pilgrims for the Puri Rathjatra and the
Ganga Sagar Mela with a view to detecting suspected cases.
The cholera epidemic of the year 1927 gave the first impetus to the
mass vaccination for cholera which made such remarkable strides. In 1927
1,299,630 cubic centimetres of cholera vaccine were issued as against 256,000
in 1926, while the number of inoculations reported jumped to 781,872 from
57,395 in the previous year.
Small-pox.—The mortality from small-pox was also distinctly above
the average, 42,514 deaths being reported as against 25,548 in the previous
year. The epidemic was attended with an increase of over 20 per cent. in
activity in vaccination and nearly four million adults and children were
vaccinated during the year. More than half of the precise total of 3,975,837
were revaccinations, but the number of primary vaccinations 1,928,674 was
well above the total number of births reported. Protection is obviously
increasing so long as more persons are vaccinated for the first time than are
born in the year, but the actual percentage of successful vaccinations among
the infants of 1927 was only 26.1 and slightly less than that of 1926.
Fever.—The high proportion of deaths attributed every year to the
non-descript head of " Fever " is a natural consequence of the unscientific
agencies on which the province relies at present for the greater part of its
vital statistics. The actual figures reported under this head were 789,006,
approximately two-thirds of the total mortality of the year, as against
822,774 in 1926.
Kala-azar.—The kala-azar statistics show curious results. With the
exception of a peak in 1925 the number of cases treated at dispensaries and
centres has risen continuously from 139,085 in 1924 to 180,074 in 1927,
whereas the deaths reported in the latter year were only 11,855 as against
14,275 in 1926. There certainly seem grounds for hope that the increase
in treatments along with the decrease in mortality may imply that the
scientific and organised counter measures of recent years are making head-
way against the scourge. Certainly, if over-confidence would be prema-
ture, expenditure under this head has not been wasted.