104
DISPENSARIES IN THE NOHTH-WESTERN PROVINCES.
[Part III.
year, but in continuation of the notices recorded in the reports of previous
years the following expression of opinion of the local Government is extracted
from the resolution:—
The record of what was done in the way of female medical education was last year
pronounced to be little more than a tale of failure. If anything, the failure is this year
more complete. Dr. Humphrey's medical school at Naini Tal has been closed in consequence
of the departure of that gentleman in bad health, and Miss Swain's school at Bareilly
has also come to an end. Rajah Ganga Parshad's school at Bareilly is now the only
existing regular female medical school, and I am to acknowledge the services of Dr. Corbyn
and Assistant Surgeon Bully Chander Sein in connection with this institution.
Dr. Walker remarks that Rajah Ganga Parstad's school at Bareilly was
less doubtful of success when it was established in 1869 than the others,
because it was intended for the education of female native doctors without
regard to religion or class. There was at the end of the year 26 girls in the
school, who are divided into five classes, the seniors being taught elementary
anatomy, the compounding of prescriptions, &c., and the juniors, some of
them mere children, learn Urdu and the elements of education generally in
that language.
So with the attempt to train midwives there has been nothing but failure.
The most praiseworthy efforts have been made in this direction at Allahabad
by Assistant Surgeon Ram Lall Chuckerbutty, with the minimum of success.
It has been decided by Government to discontinue the class at Allahabad.
There were 29 midwives under training in the provinces during the year, at a
total cost of Rs. 1,039,13,5, for which the good resulting was almost nil.
The Inspector¬
General of dispen-
saries doubts the ac-
curacy of the returns.
In perusing the report of the Inspector General of dispensaries it is dis-
appointing to observe that he regards the returns as being unreliable in
several respects, and the local Government considers his distrust to be " well.
founded." This remark applies more particularly to the numbers attending
the dispensaries and the classification of surgical operations. The attention
of civil surgeons is called to the important duty of verifying by strict investi-
gation at unexpected periods the records of their branch dispensaries, and
Government enjoins civil officers when on tour to examine the books and
working of the dispensaries and to record their observations.
Public health.
The year may be regarded as having been a healthy one, notwithstanding
that there was a tolerably heavy mortality from small-pox, and an appreciable
percentage of deaths from cholera. Diarrhœa appeared to be very prevalent
at Benares. Jhansi, Lullutpore and Humeerpore, judged by the dispensary
returns, show unusually high percentages of fever, while at Saharunpore and
Mozuffurnuggur a wonderful diminution is observed. The people of Azimgurh
do not appear, Dr. Walker thinks, to have yet got over the effects of the floods
of 1871, and since then rheumatism has become more common. The hill dis-
pensaries of Gurhwal, Bhabur and Almorah indicate in their returns the
prevalence of eye-affections among the people; but why lung diseases at
Budaon should give a percentage nearly double that of the whole province,
and diseases of the ear still maintain a high average at Benares and Morada.
bad, are facts of which no explanation can be given. Cholera was epidemic
in the tract of country lying along the foot of the Himalayas, in Kumaon and
Gurhwal.
Dr. Walker records the following interesting remarks concerning the
effects of irrigation upon the health of a district :—
Malarial fevers appear to be lessening in intensity in the Meerut district, following the
same course of increase and decline as has been observed in Saharunpore and MuzufEernuggur.
The facts seem to accord with the opinion that the fearful epidemics of malarial fevers which
have of late years passed over Saharunpore, MuzufEernuggur, Meerut, and Boolundshuhur are
cycles of intensity of the ordinary endemic fevers. This conclusion by no means justifies any
delay in applying the remedy of drainage to the vast tract of country over which our irrigation
operations have intensified malarial disease. Where the spring-level has been raised within a
few years heights varying from nine to twenty feet, there is no room to doubt the cause of the
increase of paludal fevers and their sequelæ.
I have amongst my notes a few figures which are instructive, and cannot be out of place.
On the 10th February 1869, an officer of Engineers measured the distance of the water
from the mouth of a well near the military hospital at Meerut; it was then 17½ feet from
surface level. On the 29th January 1874, the same officer measured the same well, and found
the water standing at 8½ feet from the ground level.