&4
Cholera really pre-
Bent in the district in
February.
72 But the district of Tinnevelly began to yield cases of cholera from the
beginning of the year. In January, eight deaths were noted—
two in the Tinnevelly talook, three in Nangunnerry, one in
Satur. and two in Ottapidaram. In February the cholera
mortality had advanced to forty-six, and in the Tinnevelly talook three villages
had suffered, and it is very clear from the fact that fatal cases had occurred in
twenty villages in the entire district, that cholera had begun to be active so early
as February.
Collector's report.
The Collector of the district, in writing on the 20th May, thus describes the
progress of cholera:—"The disease has been more or less
prevalent in all parts of the district since the middle of March.
It was at first confined to the towns and villages on the banks of the Tambrapawm
river, the waters of which overflowed the banks to a great extent during the
disastrous floods of November. The disease then travelled to the south-west
and south of the Tambrapawni."
" It has been confined almost entirely to the southern and western talooks,
the northern talooks having been almost free."
In a later communication, dated 26th July, Mr. Longley, the Collector of
the district, observes, " I regret to say that information has just reached me that
cholera has also broken out in Streevulliputtur, the northernmost talook of the
district, and which talook up to this date has been perfectly free from the disease."
This latter observation is, however, scarcely correct, as the registration returns
show three deaths in March, twenty-one in April, thirty-four in May, and thirty
in June in the Streevulliputtur Talook, though it is very evident that the disease
had not begun to spread rapidly in that talook. Nor did it, in fact, affect the
Streevulliputtur Talook to any extent.
Marked preference
of cholera for villages
on river banks which
had been inundated by
the late floods.
73. The marked characteristic of the cholera epidemic in Tinnevelly was the
avidity with which it seized upon the low lying villages along
the banks of the Tambrapawni, and other rivers, avoiding in
the first instance the higher grounds, though spreading to
them at a subsequent date. Mr. Longley has been good
enough to furnish me with a list of the villages attacked up to the end of June,
showing those situated on river banks, and those away from the influence of
river moisture. The facts are embodied in the following table, and they are
not a little remarkable as an illustration of the mode in which cholera prefers
a moist soil to flourish in :—
January
February ...
March
April
May
June
Total...
AjfBASA-
AIOODRAM.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
2
85
318
237
642
Deaths away from
river banks.
7
1
8
TlNNE-
VELIiY.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
2
22
15
201
149)
210
602
Deaths away from
river banks.
l
36
75
61
173
TEN Kè.-
KAI.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
...
12
194
85
391
304
986
Deaths away from
river banks.
7
33
92
102
234
NANGTJN-
NERRY.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
...
...
...
14
232
229
475
Deaths away from
river banks.
3
19
127
388
537
TENKASI.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
1
56
40
15
112
Deaths away from
river banks.
2
9
13
24
48
SATUR.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
...
1
6
9
51
20
87
Deaths away from
river banks.
1
5
4
13
46
59
128
3ANK.AR.A-
NAYANAR
COVIL.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
4
4
Deaths away from
river banks.
1
2
13
18
27
61
STREE-
VULLI-
PUTTUR.
Deaths in places on
river banks.
...
21
21
Deaths away from
river banks.
3
21
13
30
67
OTTAPI-
DARAM.
Deaths in places o
river banks.
1
1
12
14
28
Deaths away
river banks.
2
2
7
39
112
190
352
Total.
8
45
243
637
1721
1911
4565