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others, however, are situated in the centre of densely inhabited places.
* * * Throughout the district generally the dead are buried in the first waste
piece of ground in the neighbourhood of the village. The Hindu dead are
burnt on the banks of some stream or watercourse. When the deceased is a
beggar, and has no friends, the mouth is touched with fire, two ghurras filled
with earth are fastened—one round the neck the other round the loins—and
the body is thrown into the river. A bamboo pole is driven through the belly
into the bed of the river, so as to prevent its floating away. Where the
river has lofty banks, * * * the public ghats are selected as the fittest resting
place for corpses. The living, however, have no scruples in drawing water
from the vicinity."
Mymensingh.—* * Cholera may be considered endemic in this district ;
sporadic cases are of frequent occurence ; occasionally the disease assumes
the form of an epidemic. * * * For some years the disease has assumed
an epidemic form, more or less severe, during the months of April and May.
* * * During the year 1868, cholera twice assumed an epidemic form, during
the months of April and May, and during the months of October, November,
and December. * * * During both epidemics the disease was almost entirely
confined to the poorer classes of the community ; sex appeared to exercise
no influence, children were less frequently attacked than adults. Epidemics in
this district have generally lasted about two months.* *
Tipperah.— The whole district is under water during the months of
June, July, August, September, and October. * * * Cholera, small-pox,
and fevers prevail during the cold and hot seasons, the monsoon being the
healthiest time of the year. * * * The whole district is eminently malarious.
Drinking water is obtained from tanks chiefly. * * * The people drink water
indiscriminately from tanks, rivers, and marshes. * * * No wells are used.***
Cholera is endemic in the station and district, and sometimes assumes an
epidemic form. In this station an epidemic of cholera occurs every third year
according to the statements of the oldest inhabitants, my experience confirms
the above, an epidemic having occurred in 1863 and 1866.
Noakhali.—Sub-soil water is found at a depth of 8 or 9 feet. No wells
are used. Tanks are numerous and filthy. Cholera prevails more or less every
year.
Kushtia.—Dr. J. G. Grant, Civil Surgeon, writes:—'' I believe cholera, like
fever, to be endemic here, due to natural conditions of soil and climate
intensified by neglected sanitation and favoured by poverty. The poor,
especially those of most marshy parts, suffered earliest and most severely,
without reference to caste. The epidemic of 1868 commenced in November
1867 and ended in May following ; 2,778 cases, with 1,799 deaths were reported
by the police."
Pubna.—A great part of the district is under water in the months
of July, August, and September to the extent of several feet. * * * Wells
are not used for irrigation, but many kutcha ones exist in the town and
district, with good water at a depth of 12 to 15 feet in the dry weather
and 6 to 8 or less in the rains. * * * Tanks are not so numerous as in some
other districts.
Rajshahye.—Cholera prevails annually, usually from March to May,
during which period also a good deal of diarrhoea is met with. The whole
district is very dirty, jungly, malarious, and subject to inundations.
Maldah.—Cholera, malarious fevers, and dysentery prevail after the
rains when the waters begin to dry up. Generally the poorer classes of
the people, and those who neglect the laws of health, suffer mostly from
diseases ; such as those who live in low, damp houses, eat the most unwhole-
some food, drink unclean water, and by their avocations are exposed to sudden
changes of temperature. The sub-soil water is found at an average depth
of 20 feet. In inundations of the Ganges the whole district of Maldah
remains under water. During the inundation of the last year the country
was for four months, from July to October, under water. Nearly half
the land in the district lies waste and covered with jungle or water. The
climate of Maldah is not like that of other places in Lower Bengal ; situated
on the extreme limit of the north tropic, the heat of summer and the cold of
winter are both comparatively great, for furthest from the Bay of Bengal,