2
3. Infant mortality.—The number of deaths amongst infants declined
by 55,000, but owing to the fall in the aggregate of births the actual ratio of
infantile mortality was nearly exactly the same as in 1918. A large and
representative committee was appointed by the Governor in Council in May
1919 to advise upon measures to reduce infantile mortality and promote child
welfare, and its final report is awaited.
4. Cholera.—The mortality from cholera aggregated 125,000, a figure
which has only once been exceeded in the last 10 years. Only one of the
116 municipalities and only 4 out 498 registration circles were immune
from the disease. The high mortality was caused by the conditions which
commenced in the cold weather of 1918, viz., short rainfall in October,
the early cessation of the rains and the consequent deficiency of crops.
These factors led to increased emigration, the effect of which was seen
in the heavy incidence of cholera at centres where cooly labourers halted on
their way to Assam and the Duars, and the manner in which infection spread
along the river and railway routes. It is probable also that a considerable
proportion of the enhanced mortality in the Burdwan and Presidency divisions
was indirecty due to infection from pilgrims returning from Saugor Island,
where there was an outbreak in January 1919.
The Governor in Council is pleased to notice that, in the opinion of the
Sanitary Commissioner, although many local authorities are still very
apathetic and slow to accept responsibility in regard to the prevention of
cholera, there is evidence that they are gradually waking up to the
importance of taking steps to investigate the cause of local outbreaks with a
view to applying the simple means necessary for preventing the spread of
infection. Action is, however, only too often belated, little or nothing being
done to disinfect wells and tanks till cholera has become widespread. The
Sanitary Commissioner rightly complains of the absence of concerted and
systematic preventive measures and remarks :—" Cholera was reported from
no less than 15,876 villages in the province, but only a few advanced
districts, such as Burdwan, have as yet made any attempt to deal with this
scourge of village life, and as a consequence of this neglect, every year sees
many thousands of lives needlessly sacrificed and enormous economic loss
occasioned to the province."
5. Small-pox.—Deaths from small-pox rose above the high figure of
33,000 recorded in 1915 and aggregated 37,000. Its ravages were general,
but compared with last year a smaller number of children under 10 were
attacked, and the enhanced mortality was chiefly among adults. In several
mofussil towns it was found that the disease was imported from Calcutta and
spread first among the sweepers a class specially prejudiced against vaccina-
tion, and from them to the townspeople at large.
6. Vaccination.—Vaccination was stimulated by the prevalence of small-
pox and by the efforts of the Sanitary Department to popularize preventive
measures. Early in the season warnings were issued that an epidemic was
likely to occur ; illustrated leaflets and posters were circulated widely, which
appear to have had a good effect ; and local authorities and officers were
urged to push on vaccination vigorously. The result was that the number
of vaccinations increased by nearly 80 per cent, rising from 1,785,000 to
3,187,000, Free vaccination was introduced, at the cost of the District Boards,
in Birbhum and Howrah and in the Patuakhali subdivision of the Bakarganj
district. It was also continued in the districts of Burdwan, the 24-Parganas
and Jalpaiguri as well as in certain thanas of Bogra and Malda. Several
District Boards employed paid vaccinators, and this system proved successful
wherever it was adopted.
7. Fever.—The mortality from fever, always high in Bengal, was 1,229,000
or 27.1 per mille. which was 2.9 per mille less than the rate recorded in the
previous year. The effect of influenza, many of the deaths from which were
returned under this head is reflected in the returns. The mortality was