17
Limit of Invasion on
Eastern Coast, south of
the town of Nellore.
stopped short somewhere between Nellore and Madras, for the Presidency
town during the latter half of 1859 was singularly free of
cholera.
Western Coast dis-
tricts invaded from
Bombay territory.
Calicut Jail—Great
mortality in October
1859.
Cochin.
Travancore.
13. Turning now to the Western Coast, where the Madras Presidency
joins on to Bombay, we find cholera in great force in North
and South Canara, and in Malabar ; in the latter district it
broke out in July on the banks of the Ponani river, causing
8,427 deaths in the last six months of the year. It was in the month of
October of this year that cholera broke out with such extreme
virulence in the Calicut Jail, causing one hundred and fifteen
deaths out of a strength of 412 prisoners. In the town of
Cochin it prevailed all through August, September, and
October. In the Travancore country it was active about the same time.
Particulars of early
cases in Cochin.
There were a few cases at Cochin so early as March 1859,
and with reference to these the following extract is worthy
of note:—
" Cholera in March 1859 did not exist in. Cochin or the surrounding country
when a sporadic case occurred, which terminated fatally about four miles from
the town. The same evening the corpse was brought to the fort. The follow-
ing morning a woman, living in the same street, was attacked and died in the
Dispensary. Another case occurred two doors from this person's abode, and the
fourth in the Dispensary where No. 2 had died. Subsequently the history of
succeeding cases could not be followed out. On March 24th a gentleman, six
miles from Cochin, died of cholera. Two days previously he had spent a day in
Cochin in the same house in which the body of case No. 1 had lain on the 20th
instant; after this person's death his child was seized with premonitory symptoms,
vomiting, purging, rapid and weak pulse, which, however, gave way to treat-
ment. Two natives, who had come from Trichoor, forty miles distant (where
cholera did not exist) to see the deceased, left the place immediately, but it was
too late. They also fell victims. One went to Ernacollum, three miles from
Cochin, where he died ; the other returned to Trichoor, where he also expired."
(F. Day. Med. Topography of Cochin, Madras Med. Journal, Vol. 3, page 253.)
From the details of these so-called sporadic cases it is evident that cholera
influences were in force, so far south as Cochin, early in March 1859. That these
cases were the " outrunners," so to speak, of the invading cholera following in
bulk some months later is, I think, quite conclusive. It is satisfactorily proved
that there was no cholera in Cochin in the years 1855, 1856,1857, and 1858, and
in 1859 the cholera deaths amounted to 259, out of a population below 10,000.
Exemption of the
southern districts in
the year of invasion.
14. This cholera of 1859 though covering so vast an amount of territory in a
short space of time, did not pass down to the southern districts, below the latitude
of Madras. Thus, as regards the southern districts, we gain the
following particulars from the Dispensary Reports of the year:—
South Arcot District.
Cuddalore.—" The latter months of the year have passed without any
appearance of cholera."
Tanjore District.—" No epidemic."
Madura.—" No epidemic."
Tricliinopoly District.—" The year altogether has been remarkably healthy
and free from epidemic disease. Happily the cholera pestilence has not, as usual,
made its appearance in the present cold season." The last cases occurred in