3
last big epidemic. This increased mortality in 1909 was undoubtedly
an after effect of the. epidemic of 1908, as is evidenced by the facts, that
(1) the autumnal fever mortality in 1909 was 85,594 against 92,936 in the
year under review, and (2) the rate of mortality was more marked during
the early months of 1909.
Explanation of Charts I and II of
Appendix A.
This is borne out by Chart I of Appendix A, which shows the mor-
talities in round figures, and in Chart II, which
gives graphically the mortalities per mille. In
these charts a fall in total -deaths for the year
under review is also noticeable. The rise in total deaths last year and in the
year 1911 was chiefly due to an epidemic of plague. The same charts
show the autumnal fever mortality. The fever deaths during the months of
October and November in 1916 were more than double those given in the
same months for 1915. The autumnal fever mortality figures for the year
under review were 92,936 against 45,686 m the previous year and 70,389 in
the year 1914.
Autumnal fever mortality for 1916
compared with that of last decade.
The following table shows that the fever mortality of the whole
or the last decade was at no time higher than
it was in 1916 except in 1908 :—
TABLE I.
Showing the autumnal fever deaths and ratio per mille durimg the last decade.
1907
Fever Deaths
80,365
Death-ratio
3· 99
1908
Fever Deaths
307,310
Death-ratio
15·28
1909
Fever Deaths
85,594
Death-ratio
4·25
1910
Fever Deaths
64,572
Death-ratio
3·21
1911
Fever Deaths
42,208
Death-ratio
2·18
1912
Fever Deaths
51,656
Death-ratio
2·67
1913
Fever Deaths
73,334
Death-ratio
3·79
1914
Fever Deaths
70,389
Death-ratio
3·64
1915
Fever Deaths
45,686
Death-ratio
2·36
1916
Fever Deaths
92,936
Death-ratio
4·80
From this table it appears too, that malaria passed through a succes-
sion oí low years after 1908 reaching its lowest level in the year previous
to the one under review.
Unreliability of vital statistics.
It is as well perhaps to mention, that the fallibility of the medium, through
which vital statistics are recorded, and the great
variety of diseases included under the head of
fevers, are duly recognised, but in view of the universality of malaria, the
inflation of the figures, by any disease except plague, is not likely to affect
the general conclusions arrived at in this report.
A short resumé of the Punjab me-
teorological features for 1916.
In the month of January the total rainfall was much below the normal,
whilst in February it was fairly widespread
except in the south-west of the Province.
Except for the district of Rawalpindi the fall
was much less than the average in March. In April it was hardly half the
normal fall. In the north and east the fall was normal, but a little above
this in the south-west in May. In June it was remarkably heavy in the hill
tracts of Simla and Kangra, and above the average in the plains.
Monsoon.
The monsoon broke in the middle of July, and was more marked in the
north and east or the Province than in the
south-west ; the rainfall was. remarkably heavy
in the neighbourhood of Sialkot, Gurdaspur Lahore, and Montgomery, so
much so that it exceeded the normal by 50 percent, in the north and east, and
21 percent, in the south-west.