The village is estimated to contain (the information being taken from the Put-
waree's papers) 4,787 inhabitants and 1034 houses, not 10,000 inhabitants as reported
by the Civil Surgeon, who was misinformed on this point.
It has ten stone-built wells, large and small; but from one of these, a remarkably
large well, fourteen feet in diameter, and containing about six feet of water, most of the
people take their drinking water. This well is surrounded by a well-raised "num,"
wide circular platform three feet high. The well stands amongst the houses, and just out-
side the " num" I noticed a drain full of black impurities running from a neighbouring
house. Also, about the centre of the village, another very filthy drain, opening on
the middle of the public way and soiling it from side to side for many yards, was
noticed. With the exception of these two places, and several very filthy cesspools at
the margin of the public ways, I found the village comparatively clean and well swept.
3. I examined all the streets and houses of the village, and carefully sought out
all the sick people in it. In this way I found two men and two children suffering
from cholera, but in none of these cases were the symptoms such as to preclude a hope
of ultimate recovery; indeed I think three of the four are very likely to recover.
From this I gather that the disease, in its type of severity, has passed over for the
present in Akhoree.
4. I have no doubt whatever that I saw every person ill of cholera in the village;
the people evinced an earnest anxiety to show me their sick friends, and to hear what
I could say to them of comfort or advice.
5. The cause of the state of comparative cleanliness now existing is that for two
days, the 15th and 16th of March, the sweeper staff of Mirzapore city, consisting of
80 men, was sent out to Akhoree and pretty thoroughly swept it from end to end, leav-
ing drains and cesspools, however, untouched—undoubtedly the wiser course.
6. The measures mentioned by the Civil Surgeon in his letter quoted above as
having been put in force for the prevention and control of the disease are—quarantine ;
the burning of wood fires outside to the east and west of the village; the perfect
cleansing of the village; the supply of medicines, to be administered by a Native
Doctor deputed for the purpose; the use of disinfecting powder to the contents of
drains and cesspools.
Of these measures I should report that quarantine has only been established in
name, as Akhoree is famous for a race of tall strong men who are much employed by
merchants as night watchmen at Mirzapore, many, it was said more than fifty, men
going there a distance of nine miles in the evening and returning to their homes in the
morning, and nothing has been done to prevent these men from pursuing their usual
avocation, neither, I suppose, could this be prevented with any measure of justice short
of providing the men with an equivalent for their lost wages; and indeed, under any
circumstances, I cannot believe quarantine in inland towns can be established without
a very large amount of injustice or loss to individuals.
Of the burning of wood fires.—I noticed three large wood fires burning on the east
and three on the west side of the village, but they were burning brightly with a clear
flame. The object desired to be gained by the burning of such fires is to fill the air with
smoke, or charcoal in a finely divided form. This was explained to the native attend-
ants feeding the fires ; and, as natives of India know quite well how to produce a fire
of much smoke with little flame, I hope the fires will be properly burnt in future.
The perfect cleansing of the village.—This has been done very fairly, but still in
places much improvement in this respect might be expected. The sweepers suddenly
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