3
Singaram colliery in Burdwan. Delay in the completion of a masonry pier
resulted in the structure being washed away by an unexpected flood, and
difficulties, which were eventually overcome, arose over the abandonment of
patches of rice cultivation which afforded breeding places for the anopheles
mosquito. It is hoped that some idea may be gained of the effect of this
scheme also after the rains of the current year. The scheme for flush
drainage of an urban area at Jangipur was not completed in time to take
advantage of the early floods, and consequently the flood water of the Bhagira-
thi was only taken in twice late in the season. The works necessary for
flooding a rural area in the Banka Valley near Burdwan could not be taken up
in the absence of certain technical data which were required as a preliminary
to engineering work. The engineering observations are now complete and
the scheme is being proceeded with, while a special malaria survey has been
carried out in 38 villages. Two Sub-Assistant Surgeons are now posted
in this area to keep a record of births, deaths and sickness, while Sub-
Assistant Surgeons have been sent to Meenglass, Singaram and Jangipur
to watch the results of the schemes and supervise the free distribution of
quinine and other drugs.
In addition to the usual free distribution of quinine, of which the
cost is met by Government, special measures were undertaken in several
localities for the prevention and reduction of malaria. Anti-malarial surveys
were carried out in the Basirhat and South Dum-Dum municipalities and in
a large number of villages, as well as at the Kidderpore docks and the
Sibpur College. Quinine was distributed to school children by five towns
and five District Boards ; and a spleen census was taken by thirteen towns
and two District Boards.
Interesting proposals regarding the possibility of forecasting and miti-
gating epidemics of malaria were received from Sir Leonard Rogers and
were referred early in the year under review to the Sanitary Commissioner,
whose report is still awaited. The Sanitary Commissioner draws attention
to the efficacy of quinine prophylaxis in the case of European residents in
the Duars. Ten years ago this district was so notoriously unhealthy on
account of malaria and black-water fever that it was known as " the white
man's grave". In 1906, there were 20 deaths among 200 Europeans, most
of whom were young adults. The daily use of a small dose of quinine as a
prophylactic has now been adopted by almost the whole of the European
community, with the result that black-water fever has now almost ceased to
occur among them; enlarged spleens are rare ; Europeans are enabled
to enjoy relatively good health ; and the Duars is now spoken of as " a
fairly healthy district "
There is also reason to believe that the prophylactic value of quinine
is being recognized and appreciated by Indians to an increasing extent.
Eloquent testimony on this point is afforded by editorial paragraphs
which have recently appeared in the Bengalee and Amrita Bazar Patrika.
The former journal points out that " in the malaria season quinine is as much
an essential commodity to the inhabitants of villages as food or clothing ;"
that the drug is " an article of every-day necessity" and ''as important as
air or water " to the mufassal public. The Amrita Bazar Patrika, which has
hitherto been sceptical as to the benefits of quinine, remarks that a stoppage
of the supply of quinine treatments to village post masters '' means the sure
death of hundreds" of persons for want of an ordinary medicine. Quinine
may not always cure malaria, but there is no doubt that it is the only
anti-malarial medicine hitherto discovered
In malarial places it is as
essential as daily food."
8. Small-pox.—During the last three years there has been a progressive
and satisfactory decline in the mortality from small-pox, which was 32,785
in 1915, fell to 13,890 in 1916, and in the year under review reached the low
figure of 7,010, which is only half the annual average for the preceding
quinquennium.
9. Vaccination.—The reported number of vaccinations was 1,614,601 or
12,948 less than in the previous year, but there was an increase of 8,191
in the number of persons vaccinated. The reduction in the number of