27
CHOLERA. DEATHS IN BOMBAY PRESIDENCY.
Belgaum...
Dharwar...
North Canara.
Kuludghee
1865.
1,247
1,191
327
3,055
1866.
1,962
11,192,
859
3,896
Remarks.
Cholera revived in May.
The epidemic in Dharwar reviv-
ed in February and March,
and was active till July.
Mortuary statistics
of Madras Presidency,
for the first time, avail-
able.
37. In the Madras Presidency the system of mortuary registration, for the
first time, came into force for the year 1866, and the statistics,
though not quite perfect, will help to show how famine and
poverty prepare the way for an unusual development of
cholera. Although this was the fourth year of the exodus of cholera beyond
the endemic area in Bengal, we find it actually more destructive in the Madras
Provinces than in any former year of its existence. The following table
exhibits the monthly deaths in each district:—
Table showing Cholera Deaths in 1866.
—
Ganjam
Vizagapatam
Godavery
Kistna
Nellore
Cuddapah .
Bellary
Kurnool
Madras
Madras town.
North Arcot.
South Arcot.
Tanjore
Trichinopoly.
Madura
Tinnevelly . . .
Coimbatore.
Salem
South Canara
Malabar
Population for which
returns were
received.
10,16,265
7,98,877
13,29,626
7,92,744
9,79,737
10,40,878
12,00,316
7,18,865
6,64,836
4,50,000
10,69,685
11,00,266
15,72,703
8,35,887
22,29,378
13,63,051
12,09,740
14,93,221
7,81,767
17,16,852
January.
2,370
34
45
1
3
1
...
1
189
99
613
1 082
1,116
1 144
1,382
848
479
819.
417
64
February.
4,246
154
205
2
67
30
28
...
165
73
515
718
631
597
824
185
200
728
306
111
March.
3,710
58
492
138
106
130
306
...
103
149
158
198
286
260
349
117
269
623
107
97
April.
2,452
345
487
301
42
229
356
72
77
83
78
262
670
551
579
18
558
547
59
92
May.
1,135
53
465
258
103
425
948
89
133
77
84
403
1,092
520
340
91
448
800
38
22
June.
4,032
149
1,120
521
103
235
2,224
394
347
160
446
780
854
384
258
95
225
813
88
13
July.
3,833
2,149
4,020
464
279
1,229
3,379
1,417
1,911
577
802
1,374
731
889
250
63
180
1,173
61
127
August.
1,628
4,784
4,304
1,204
1,236
4,358
6,596
2,602
2,276
544
2,120
1,424
1,053
731
379
53
136
1,350
149
2,143
September.
717
2,172
2,827
1,967
2,290
4,901
6,762
2,337
1,615
534
1,809
990
849
626
607
106
545
1,531
312
883
October.
347
1,176
1.040
613
743
2,096
1,799
652
737
283
772
430
779
450
1,155
152
2,159
1,506
360
242
November.
242
492
220
75
241
879
421
119
550
93
1,425
303
406
543
2,662
324
2,664
1,518
265
181
December.
211
129
51
47
461
310
14
2
1,191
312
1,653
968
511
473
3,216
1,134
1,50.8
1,185
264
67
Total.
24,929
11,695
16,272
5,591
5,674
14,823
22,833
7,685
9,294
2,984
10,475
8,932
8,978
7,168
12,001
3,186
9,377
12 ,593
2,429
4,043
38. This was, I believe, a true cholera of reproduction, favoured, in its terrible
work of destruction, by the impoverished condition of the lower classes, and by
their scanty and indifferent food. My reason for this statement is that the famine
districts of Ganjam, Bellary, Cuddapah, Madras, North Arcot, Salem, and Coimba-
tore experienced the heaviest mortality, in proportion to their populations. It will
be observed that although the mortality rose in most districts after the fall of the
south-west monsoon rains, yet it continued to increase in very many places, all
through the hot and dry months.of the. year, when there was no monsoon mois-
ture to aid it. The table embraces the first general cholera statistics of the popu-
lation of the Madras Presidency, and is of great value in illustrating the effects of
seasonal changes upon a cholera of reproduction.
200,000 cholera deaths
in Madras Presidency
in 1866
39. At the end of the year 1866 we see that cholera was still in force in
Nellore, Madras, North Arcot, South Arcot, Tanjore, Trichinopoly, Madura,
Tinnevelly, Coimbatore, and Salem, but dying out in other
districts. In this year more than 200,000 persons (one-third
of the whole number dying) were swept away by cholera.
H