172
STATISTICS OF THE JAIL POPULATION OF BENGAL FROM 1859 TO 1876. [Section III.
The fever of 1859-60 caused 109 deaths, and the outbreak of 1866, 34 deaths, distributed
thus:—
January. February. March. April.
May.
June.
July. August.
1860
.
5
11
37
44
10
2
1866
2
6
14
5
5
2
The dysenteric outbreak of 1870 was also a spring epidemic, culminating in April and
running as under:—
January. February. March. April.
May.
June.
July. August. September.
12
12
13
30
13
12
10
5
These deaths of 1870 were returned as dysentery, fever, or atrophy—82 dysentery or (diar-
r h œ a , 1 4 f e v e r s , a n d 1 1 a t r o p h y . T h e m o r t a l i t y w a s a t t r i b u t e d t o a c h a n g e i n t h e g r a i n s u p p l i e d
to the prisoners. But the medical officer remarks, that many of the prisoners who died came from
the famine tract of 1869, south of the Jumna. The aspect of these deaths suggests the presence
of a typhus in some form., probably brought in from the famine districts; for I know of no in-
stance of an outbreak of dysentery in jails culminating in the healthiest month of the year, and
dying out at the season when dysentery is due to appear. I need only refer the reader back
to the table in the preceding chapter showing the relation to season of the dysentery of the
Meerut Jail, where the fact is illustrated that out of the enormous mortality from dysentery
in the ten. years, 7 per cent. only occurred in the first six months of the year.
Out of 62 deaths returned under "All other Causes" in 1872, 1873 and 1874, 50 were
caused by sloughing ulcers; and 16 deaths from the same cause occurred among men sent for
change to Futtehpore. This persistence tells of the extreme difficulty of getting rid of this
contagious disease when once it has established itself in a community, and of the necessity for
the absolute and early segregation of such cases.
Mortality of the Meerut Jail, 1859-76.
YEAR.
Average
Strength.
C A U S E S O F D E A T H S .
T o t a l D e a t h s .
D i e d p e r 1 , 0 0 0 o f A v e r a g e S t r e n g t h .
C h o l e r a .
F e v e r s .
D y s e n t r y .
R e s p i r a t o r y D i s -
e a s e s .
P h y t h i s i s .
D r o p s y , A t r o p h y a n d S p l e e n D i s -
eases.
A l l o t h e r C a s e s .
1859
1,413
33
103
7
71
7
221
156
1860
2,096
220
128
20
61
19
448
214
1861
2,189
288
429
343
10
71
46 1,187
542
1862
1,342
61
65
2
8
10
146
109
1863 1,383
7
32
4
6
4
53
38
1864
1,415
12
14
7
1
1
17
52
37
1865
1,242
2
12
3
2
4
1
24
19
1866
1,275
9
2
4
4
10
29
23
1867
1,277
2
22
1
3
7
3
38
30
1868
1,103
3
9
4
3
4
4
27
24
1869
1,257
3
44
11
1
2
5
66
53
1870
1,330
8
82
15
5
14
11
135
102
1871
989
25
103
12
6
7
153
155
1872
877
10
6
63
14
10
1
104
119
1873
1,003
5
38
15
11
3
5
77
77
1.874
1,223
17
85
23
10
10
12
157
1 2 8
1875
1,221
6
8
19
16
7
7
3
66
54
1876
1,228
7
71
29
2
7 I
4
123
100
The Meerut Jail has passed through three phases in these 18 years. In the end of 1859,
Meerut Jail—showing the effects of
contagious fever and famine, and of
dysentery produced by endemic causes
a f f e c t i n g t h e p r i s o n e r s .
contagious lever broke out, which died out m June 1860, after
cutting off 230 prisoners. Cholera, decay from famine, and
contagious fever raged simultaneously in 1861, and nearly 1,200
prisoners died.
The disorganisation of the records caused by this great calamity renders it almost impos-
si bl e t o say how much of t he mort al i t y of 1 861 was due t o t he di fferent di seases. But t he dat e
at which the contagious fever ended in 1862 leaves no doubt as to the character of the fever
that did prevail in 1861:—
November. December. January. February. March. April.
May.
June.
1659-60
4
8
14
35
92
59
15
4,
1861
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
January. February. March. April.
May.
June.
July. August.
1862
71
48
18
15
14
5
1
For the seven years succeeding, Meerut was one of the healthiest jails of Upper India.
Nothing during this period calls for notice.