PRESIDENCY DISTRICT. 13
cholera, dysentery, and fever, may be ascribed to this cause. The wells in the
lines are very deep, and the means of drawing water not handy, so the river
is their main resort, and the stream flowing from the large town of Dacca
towards cantonments carries every species of impurity and zymotic taint in its
current. Mr. DeRenzy mentions one well " which is within a few feet of the
hospital latrine, and obviously polluted with sewage."
In other respects the hospital and all the belongings were in excellent
order.
18th Regiment, Native Infantry—Buxa.
I. Medical Officers.—Surgeon-Major H. Potter, M.D., held charge from 1st
January to 22nd October ;
Surgon J. Wilson, M.D.,
held charge from 23rd Oc-
tober to 5th December ;
Surgeon W. Corry held
charge from 6th December
to 31st December.
IV. Meteorology and climate.
— T h e m e t e o r o l o g i c a l i n s t r u m e n t s
having been destroyed by fire in
March 1872, observations have
since been defective. From the
occasional records of the past ten
years the following facts have
been elicited :—
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873 . Agra, December 1872 .
161.8
2.0
7.1
1874 .
Ditto . . .
145.2
1.2
4.7
1875 . Buxa, November 1875 .
124.79
1.98
4.59
1876
.
Ditto . . .
168.76
2.44
5.63
1877 .
Ditto . . .
229.07
3.09
8.35
Average . .
165.92
2.14
6.07
1878 . Buxa and Julpaiguri .
209.29
3.02
8.28
Medical
Officers.
Meteorology
and climate.
(a ). Temperature.—The highest
record is 102° in July 1869, and the lowest 40° in March the same year. The average mean
daily range for five years was 29.9°, the average mean temperature 73.4°, and the average mean
humidity 888.
Temperature.
(b). Rainfall.—D u r i n g 1 8 7 8 r a i n f e l l o n 1 4 7 d a y s a s a g a i n s t 1 5 0 i n 1 8 7 7 . T h e g r e a t e s t
number of rainy days recorded in any year was 173 in 1874, and the least number 130 days
in 1871. The average number for 10 years is 144. In the year 1878, 209.96 inches fell
as contrasted with 184.52 inches in 1877. The greatest quantity which fell in one year was
397.63 inches in 1870, and the least 154 inches in 1875. The average amount for 11 years is
235.73 inches. The greatest fall recorded in one month was 138 inches in July 1870. The
greatest daily fall recorded was 12.51 inches on 12th August 1876.
Appended is the rainfall during the last three years as registered by the hospital gauge :—
Rainfall.
Y E A R .
D a y s o f r a i n .
J a n u a r y . F e b r u a r y .
M a r c h .
A p r i l .
M a y .
J u n e .
July.
A u g u s t .
S e p t e m b e r .
O c t o b e r .
N o v e m b e r .
D e c e m b e r .
Total.
1876 . . 142
. 2 2 . . .
.16 11.66 19.32 49.47 29.74 38.64 26.64 10.06 1.59
. 5 6 188.06
1877 . . 150
. 4 5 .14 2.94 6.20 24.39 45.60 49.75 10.84 39.68 3.53 ...
. . . 184.52
1878 . . 147
. 5 3 1.04 2.23 7.49 10.43 53.82 65.46 33.61 31.27 3.55 .53
. . . 209.96
Average . 146.3
. 4 0 .39 1.77 8.45 18.04 49.63 48.31 27.36 32.53 5.71 .71
. 1 9 194.18
IX. Diet.—At the time of writing this report, the following are the contractors' rates of
food :—
Rs. A.
Seers. Ch.
Rice
.
.
.
.
. 7 8
per maund, i.e.
5 5¼
per rupee.
Atta
.
.
. .
. 10 0
4 0
Dhal
.
.
.
.
. 9 0
4 7
Ghee
.
.
. .
. 45 0
0 141/5
Salt
. .
. .
. 6 8
6 2½
Diet.
D
D