10
and 60 coolies respectively. A special temporary staff was organized during
1909 for anti-mosquito work. It consisted of 10 sub-inspectors and 50 coolies.
27. During 1908-1909 Rs. 24,34,002 was spent on the Public Health
Department, Rs. 4,64,535 on Hospitals and Medical Relief and Rs. 2,23,328 on
special plague work, or a total Medical and Sanitary expenditure of Rs. 30,91,865.
This is equivalent to an expenditure of just over Rs. 3-2-6 per head of
the population (about As. 21/2d in sterling). The annual expenditure on the
Health Department of the City has averaged over Rs. 20,00,000 during the past
ten years. During the sixteen years since the advent of plague in 1896-1897 a
total sum of Rs. 70,00,000 has been spent on measures directed against that
disease or an average expenditure of about 41/2 lakhs or £30,000. The expendi-
ture on anti-plague measures in 1908 amounted to nearly £15,000.
28. The Department of Public Works is under the Executive Engineer,
assisted by a large staff of Deputy and Assistant Engineers in charge of differ-
ent branches of work. Thus there is a Drainage Department in charge of a
Special Drainage Engineer and two Assistant Engineers ; a Water Department,
v\ith two Engineers in charge; a Road Department, controlled by another
Engineer ; a Streets and Buildings Department, possessing three Engineers ;
besides several smaller branches in charge of special officers.
The City has spent a total of Rs. 2,82,00.000 upon water-supplies and water
works. Large sums have also been spent upon drainage. In the ten years since
1897 57f lakhs has been spent on drainage, and it is proposed to carry out further
drainage works in the nest few years at an estimated cost of 50 lakhs. The
expenditure on the Public Works Department of the city has averaged over
Rs. 2 ,00,000 per annum during the past five years.
Section 4.
29. VITAL STATISTICS OF BOMBAY.—It is now generally recognized
that accurate vital statistics are of great importance to the sanitarian, and in
the investigation of any condition bearing upon the health of a community,
reliable figures regarding,
(1) total births and deaths ;
(2) birth-rates and death-rates ;
(3) cause of death, etc.,
may be of great assistance. As is well known, the figures relating to vital
occurrences in India generally are not reliable ; but in large cities like Bombay
and Calcutta, registration though not perfect as regards the recording of births
and the causes of death, is fairly accurate as regards the total number of deaths.
Years ago Dr. Hewlett, when Health Officer of Bombay, stated that, in his
opinion the total number of deaths recorded in that city was accurate, and more
recently Dr. Turner, the present Executive Health Officer, has expressed the
same opinion.
30. Annual Mortality.— The total number of deaths recorded each
year since 1848 is as follows : —
1848
1849
1850
i«51
1S52
1S53
1854*
1855
1856
1857
185S
1859
1S60
1S61
1862
Î868*
10,051
U,S28
15,137
15.980
14,022
13,647
17,541
14^6
14,761
17,826
14.3 42
14,249
14,409
15,014
15,809
1S,G96
1864* ...
1865*
Ib66
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875*
1876* ...
1877*
1878* • ...
1879
25,015
28.531
10,865
15,500
15,702
.17,713
14,888
lö,064
18,990
15665
15,496
18,734
20,873
33,511
26,999
22,527
1880
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1S86
1S87
188S
1S89
1890
1891
1S92
1833
î!r:94
1895
21,146
21,856
20,468
* 3,530
22,542
2i,S50
20,074
*0,513
r2,421
i 3,3 78
20,534
23,847
10,618
23,142
27,330
25,081
1896* ...
1897* ..,•
1898* ...
189J* ...
1900* ...
1901* ..
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906* ...
1907
1908
1909 ...
1910 ...
33,451
47,896
51,901
56,4£4
79,350
59,495
43,414
50,513
42.676
¿7>fi2
52,874
38,687
38,271
31,878
* Indicates years in which scarcity or famine existed in parts of the Bombay Presidency.
Increased mortality in the City in these years was probably dus to a temporary influx of large numbers of people
in excess of the normal.