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Maravan-madam. —A village on the junction of the cotton and red sand soil ; water rather poor ;
site healthy and we'll drained. There was one case of cholera, and it proved fatal.
Melseithalei.—Is a market town about ten miles north of Puthiamputtur ; it stands upon a gravel
soil, the rock below being gneiss. It has excellent water, but not an abundance of it. The black
cotton soil entirely surrounds it. It contains 600 inhabitants. There was one case of cholera, and
it proved fatal.
Kalanperambu.—Is a village on the black cotton soil ; it is about two miles east of Melseithalei ;
it contains 300 inhabitants. There were four cases of cholera, and all terminated fatally. The
water in this village is very bad, and the village itself is a conglomeration of filth of every
description.
Sackamalpuram.—Is a village three miles from Kallanperambu to the north ; it is on the black
cotton soil, and contains 300 inhabitants. There were two cases of cholera, but not fatal. The
water is bad, and the village is extremely filthy. As a rule, villages on the black cotton soil are
kept in a very filthy state-
Veppalodei.—Is a village four miles due east from Kallauperambu ; it is on the " red sand soil;"
is buried almost in palmyra forests, and contains a population of 600. There were three cases of
cholera, all of which proved fatal. The water here is pretty fair ; but the diet of the people is
poor, besides which they are for the most part badly housed.
Nagalapuram.—Is a market town on the north bank of the Veypar river, and is about thirty-
five miles north from Puthiamputhur. With its hamlets it contain 4,500 inhabitants. There were
ten cases of cholera, all fatal. This town is built on rock ; it is dry and has excellent water, but the
streets are kept in a filthy state, especially at the back of the town. There is one street or road
adjoining the houses used by the people for a common privy, and to pass near it is simply horrible.
Thuresamipuram.—Four miles to the east of Nagalapuram ; is on black cotton soil ; it contains about
400 inhabitants. There were ten cases of cholera, and all proved fatal. It is worthy of remark that
these ten cases were confined to one house, all of them relatives, and all took the disease after a
heavy meal. This and the fact that it ceased immediately led me to suppose that there was
something in their food, which accelerated other predisposing causes.
Water-supply, Puthi-
amputiur.
Such is the information which I have been able to glean for you. I have only a few more
observations to make- The water in Puthiamputtur is obtained from springs
in the natural rock, to reach which we have to dig wells. These wells are
walled up, and the water is raised by the ordinary pecotah. To explain
why the water in Puthiamputtur is so pure is, perhaps, beyond me, but very pure indeed it is.
It appears to me that its purity is due in part to two causes, first, the springs are in rock ; and
secondly, the rock is overlaid by a thick close concrete, fifteen feet in depth, through which the
surface water, i.e., rain water, &c., &c., must percolate or filter, before it can reach the water in the
wells. This filtering must necessarily act as a purifier.
Water of the black
cotton soil districts.
The water in villages on the black cotton soil is simply execrable, both as regards taste and
smell. It abounds with the ova of the guinea-worm, and during the hot
season it is no uncommon thing to find one-fourth of the inhabitants suffering
from guinea-worm. Ordinarily the people use some alkali to precipitate the
vegetable matter, &c., &c., with which the water is impregnated (the commonest in use being- the
ashes of burnt cholum straw), and, although this does clear it to a considerable extent, it is neverthe-
less far from being pure drinking water. With such water, the wonder is, that there is not more
illness, but possibly this can be explained.
The food of the people, even of the wealthy in North Tinnevelly, consists of a grain-called cumbu
(Penicillaria Spicata.) It is highly nutritious far more so than rice, and has an acidity that is
considered very agreeable. This grain is cooked but once daily, i.e., for the evening meal, but
sufficient is then cooked to last for twenty-four hours. What remains after the evening meal is
rolled up into huge balls and immersed in pots of butter-milk, or of water only, according to the circum-
stances of individuals. During the night it undergoes a process of fermentation ; at morning the
cooked grain and the milk are as acid as possible. The balls of grain serve for breakfast, and the
milk or water is carried to the fields for their mid-day repast. Whether this description of food
acts as a preservative against cholera, or fever I know not. I submit it to your judgment, but I
remember a Clergyman pointing out to me a tract of country which had never been visited by
cholera, and the general belief was, he said, that this immunity was due to the cider-drinking- habits
of the people. I cannot just now remember anything more likely to interest you, but I shall feel
happy to give you, at any time, any information in my power."