Part III.]
DISPENSARIES IN THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCES.
105
In the central prison, Meerut, down to the year 1869, the water in the wells stood in the
cold season at 16 to 17 feet from ground level. I have no actual measurements in this case,
but have examined the wells often and satisfied myself of their condition. At the present
moment the level of the water from the surface is 7½ to 8¼ feet.
I might quote from the mortuary registers of the circles in and around Meerut evidence
of the increase of malarial diseases which accompanied this rise of the spring-level and satura-
tion of the subsoil, but I prefer to extract the figures required from the hospital registers of
the central prison, regarding the correctness of which there can be no doubt.
Statement indicating the ratio of malarial diseases observed in the Meerut Central Prison from
1869 to 1873 inclusive.
YEARS.
1869 ... ...
1870 ... ...
1871 ... ...
1872 ... ...
1873 ... ...
Total
population,
2,853
2,525
1,841
1,455
1,965
FEVERS.
Total cases
treated.
216
316
611
694
1,129
Ratio per 100
of population.
7.5
12.5
33.1
47.7
56.9
DIAERHŒA AND DYSENTERY.
Total cases.
133
257
277
267
249
Ratio per
100.
4.6
10.1
15.1
18.3
12.6
SPLENIC AFFECTION.
Total cases.
...
11
13
28
...
Ratio per
100.
...
0.1
0.7
1.9
...
One fact came out in my inquiries, which is, that a general rise in the spring-level does
not apparently occur until some years after the introduction of irrigation. Thus I have been
informed by the executive engineer of the Meerut division, Ganges Canal, that irrigation
within a radius of 2½ miles round Meerut began about 1856, and was gradually extended and
perfected up to 1861; and as I have shown that up to 1869 the spring-level had not been
affected to any serious extent, I conclude that during those years, 1861 to 1870, a gradual
supersaturation of the land had been going on.
Apart from the epidemics of fever which have occurred in late years, there is so vast an
increase of disease and suffering, so marked a deterioration of the physique of the population,
that it is questionable whether immunity from scarcity is not dearly purchased in those
irrigated tracts of country. At all events, experience has shown that it is cruel in the extreme
to push forward irrigation without providing, pari passu, efficient drainage.
Goitre is observed to be very prevalent all along the banks of the Ghogra
in the Bustee district, but, strange to say, only on one side of the river, and no-
where is it to be found, the civil surgeon states, at a greater distance than 12
miles from the river's bank. Dengue paid a short but epidemic visit to Lullut.
pore in September, and its introduction was traced from Tehree.
Hurdwar Fair.
An interesting account of the religious gathering at Hurdwar, by the civil
surgeon of Saharunpore, and of the sanitary precautions adopted to prevent
outbreaks of disease, is appended to the report. No case of cholera occurred
at the Fair, and there was comparatively little sickness of any kind,
Private institutions
for the relief of the
sick and destitute.
In addition to the charitable institutions mentioned in the foregoing pages,
there exist in the North-Western Provinces ten institutions maintained for
the most part by private subscriptions for affording relief to the blind, lepers
and indigent. At each of the following places there was one such institution,—
Agra, Allahabad, Almora, Bareilly, Benares, Furruckabad, Ghazeepore, Meerut,
Saharunpore, and Shajehanpore. The leper asylum which had been established
at Bijnour in 1872 was abolished during the year. Excluding Allahabad, from
which no returns were received, relief was by means of these charities
afforded to 16,244 blind, 13,386 lepers and 12,917 poor persons, of both sexes,
at a cost of Rs. 21,460, of which sum Government only contributed Us. 2,328.
In the Almorah and Saharunpore asylums only lepers are treated. The former
passed through a year of difficulty in consequence of the increased price of food,
and for this reason the allowance of food and clothing had to be curtailed and
led, it is feared, to the increased mortality. The old location of the Bareilly
asylum was abandoned, and a new and suitable building erected near the dis-
pensary.
Railway dispensaries.
In the railway dispensaries there were 1,326 cases of sickness and 55 of
injuries treated, amongst a body of 678 Europeans and Eurasians, but there
are fallacies in the returns which detract from the usefulness of the figures.
b b