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middle of the day the sun's rays are very powerful. The cold season is thought
very healthy by the natives, and numerous oases of sporadic cholera and fever
make their appearance at this time of the year. The hot weather sets in
about the end of February and terminates about the middle of June, when
the rains commence. During the hot season frequent storms occur, which
clear the atmosphere, and render it very pleasant and cool for a few days.
The heat at Barrisal is never very oppressive, and the sea breeze, which gene-
rally sets in about sunset, is very refreshing and conducive to health. The
rains in the district are very copious. The whole country seems like a vast
swamp, and the growth of vegetation proceeds with wonderful rapidity. The
rainy season terminates generally about the middle of September, when the
sea breeze lulls and the air becomes loaded with moisture and intolerably
muggy. From this time to the setting in of the cold weather fevers are preva-
lent among the natives, cholera is not usually heard of during the rainy
season, and that is the only disease directly influenced by any particular season
to a marked extent. All the other diseases prevail to a greater or less extent,
quite irrespective of the season of the year.
The sub-soil water is found at an average of 4 feet from the surface.
The water-supply for the inhabitants is principally derived from tanks, of
which nearly every ryot has one on his holding. Diarrhœa is a very common
affection. It is usually accompanied by severe dyspepsia with flalutent
distention of the bowels and stomach, causing considerable pain and distress.
The people believe that this disease is caused by bad water, and certainly
the water procurable in the Barrisal tanks is bad enough to cause any disease
of the description; but the popular belief admits of doubt, inasmuch as the
prisoners also suffer much from the disease, and they are never allowed to use
any water that is not quite pure and carefully filtered.
Dhaka or Dacca.—The following peculiarities regarding cholera are dedu-
cible from the records of the various hospitals :—First, since cholera first appeared
in an epidemic form in Dacca in August 1817, the disease has not failed to
appear in the city during each year up to 1868. Second, April, November,
December, and March are, in the order named, the most sickly months in
the year. In Calcutta cholera is most prevalent in April, March, May, February,
and then November. Third, among the lunatics in the asylum the sickly months
are November, December, October, and January, and of the deaths 20 per cent.
takes place in those months. Fourth, among the European residents 26 deaths
have been registered during the last 13 years, of these 7 died in November, 6 in
April, 4 in March, 3 in October, and 2 respectively in the months of June,
August, and December. Fifth, late rains and a slow subsidence of the inun-
dations postpone the outburst of cholera ; an early cessation of the rains is
followed by an early outbreak of cholera. In 1867 heavy rain fell in the
middle of November : cholera did not break out till the end of December. In
1868 the rains ceased by the 10th October : cholera appeared in various parts
of the district, and in Dacca about the 26th October. Sixth, cholera is most
prevalent at those seasons, when there is the greatest range of temperature
as in April and November, and there appears to be a close connection between,
the attacks and exposure to chills, especially at night. (Dr. J. F. Wise,
Civil Surgeon, Dacca). He also writes :—'' There is one peculiarity about the
epidemic cholera of Dacca, that only on rare occasions does it spread among
the members of a household. During 1868 these exceptional cases were more
frequent than usual. In the village of Groran, on the 1st Februry, I saw 6
members of one family in the colapse of cholera at the same time ; in another
house 3. Early in August 4 people were attacked in one house in Dacca ;
in a second instance, in another part of the town, 4 were also attacked,
and 2 died. *** The cholera peculiar to Dacca is not spread by contagion.
One school boy, living with 20 others in a room which ought to contain only
10, is attacked with cholera, no disinfectants are used, and no measures of
cleanliness are enforced, yet the disease never spreads to any of the other
inmates. It is the general impression among the natives that it is not comu-
nicable from man to man." Regarding the disposal of the dead, Dr. Wise
writes :—" In Dacca, within municipal boundaries, there are 56 recognized
Mahomedan burial-grounds. The majority are in the outskirts of the town
and in the jungly tract bounding the north and north-western suburbs ;