126
Extract from Annual Abstract Report {Military) to the Inspector-General, Indian
Medical Department, for 1870.
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Slight prevalence of
epidemic disease.
" As regards epidemic disease and noteably cholera, although it has not been
entirely absent, its prevalence has been moderate. In the
province of Mysore, it at one time threatened to become
epidemic. Indeed, a sufficient number of deaths occurred in the cantonment of
Bangalore itself amongst the civil community, to awaken fear that a widespread
epidemic might be impending. The disease first made its appearance in the
month of April in the village of Chumbanhully, in the district of Bangalore,
on the eastern frontier of the province. (I should here remark that, on my
Bangalore District.
assuming charge of my duties on the 1st of April, I put myself
in communication with the Chief Commissioner, requesting
that I might be put in possession, through such agency as he might think best, of
a daily return of deaths by cholera throughout the province, and that I from that
period received from Superintendents of Districts reports of every death. The
first death reported under the order issued by the Chief Commissioner was on the
25th April, but I cannot say that this was the first death of the year, as prior to
April no returns of this nature were rendered to my Office). During April ten
deaths were returned from the talook of Sarjapura. On the 19th May a death was
reported in the town of Colar, in the Bangalore District, and three in two villages
close to Colar. The disease continued to spread in the village of Chumbanhully,
eleven deaths being recorded up to the 11th of May. On the latter date three
deaths were also returned from the Hurryhur Talook, in the Chittledroog
District, quite at the opposite extreme of the province. On the 25th three deaths
were reported at Kingherry and Chennapatam Villages, on the high road from
Mysore to Bangalore,
Bangalore Canton-
ment.
" Towards the end of the month, the disease acquired a wider prevalence, but
was confined principally to the Bangalore and Colar Districts,
Seventy-five deaths in all were reported. On the 30th the
first death occurred in the cantonment of Bangalore. No other deaths were
reported till the 8th June, when one occurred, and another on the 10th. On
the 11th one was reported in the lines of the 27th Regiment Native Infantry.
On the 14th one in the town, and on the 16th two in the Bowring Civil Hospital.
On the 23rd and 24th two other deaths occurred in the bazaar. During this
same period the disease was slowly extending throughout the province. In this
month (June), 114 deaths were reported. In July the disease acquired a still wider
prevalence, the deaths amounting to 122, the southern and eastern districts
being principally, indeed almost exclusively, affected. In August the deaths
fell to eighty-one ; in September to forty-four ; in October to forty-three ; and
in November to forty-three. By the end of this month the disease died out, no
deaths being reported in December. ,
Investigation of early
cases at Bangalore.
" I need not say that I used every endeavour to trace the origin of the. first
cases that occurred in the cantonment of Bangalore. Dr.
Young, the Garrison Surgeon, also gave his attention to the
subject, but was ' not able to get any reliable information regarding the first
cases that occurred.' The fact is, the first deaths occurred some days before
they were reported, and the opportunity was lost of ascertaining the exact condi-
tions under which they originated, as must be always the case, unless the