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at the Sanitary Commissioner's suggestion, undertaken anti-malarial measures,
in many cases with useful results.
7. The report of the Drainage Committee, appointed by Government
to investigate the prevalence and causes of malaria and to what extent it is
due to obstructed drainage, was received during the year, and the orders
of Government passed thereon. Action has already been taken in respect
of most of the recommendations made. The Government of India has just
sanctioned the deputation of a special I.M.S. officer for the purpose of conduct-
ing a systematic and continuous enquiry into the causes of malaria and the
extent to which it prevails; while the question of creating a special engineering
division for the examination of the drainage conditions of specified areas is
still under the consideration of that Government. The Lieutenant-Governor
has sanctioned a scheme prepared by the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals
for the deputation of a large number of selected Civil Hospital Assistants during
the fever season to distribute medical aid in specially malarious tracts. A leaflet
containing instructions for self-treatment with quinine, and stating where the
pice packets can be obtained, has recently been widely distributed in English
and in the vernaculars. His Honour desires to invite the attention of the Sani-
tary Commissioner to the account, given in paragraph 63 of the annual Report
on the Jails in this Province for 1907, of the excellent results achieved in the
jails by administering doses of quinine during the fever season. Sir Andrew
Fraser considers that this and other experience point to the expediency of the
Sanitary Department making an earnest effort to popularise as widely as
possible the use of quinine as a febrifuge amongst the mass of the people. The
question of adopting special measures in this direction will be taken up
separately in consultation with the Sanitary Commissioner and the Inspector-
General of Civil Hospitals.
8. Dysentery and Diarrhœa.—The number of deaths registered under this
head was 51,670, against 48,920 in the preceding year. As remarked by the
Sanitary Commissioner, the causes which contributed to cholera also helped to
Swell the death-rate from these diseases. As usual, the Orissa Division showed
the heaviest death-rate and the Bhagalpur Division the lightest. Of individual
districts, Howrah again heads the list, a position which it has maintained since
1902. No attempt has been made to assign any reason for this coincidence.
9. Respiratory diseases.—The total mortality from this cause was 15,039,
against 12,825 in 1906. There has been a gradual increase under this
head during the past few years, which is most probably due to more careful
reporting. The largest number of deaths was, as usual, returned from Calcutta
(5,007).
10. Injury.—During the year 25,283 deaths were reported under this head,
against 26,695 in 1906, and an average of 24,366 in the five years 1902-1906.
Of these, 3,170 were due to suicide, 1,571 to wounds, 11,327 to accidents, and
9,215 to snake-bite. In 18 districts 215 cases of snake-bite were treated,
17 with antivenene and 198 with permanganate of potash. With the former
mode of treatment 70 per cent. of cases were successful, and with the latter
over 88 per cent. ended in recovery. These results must be regarded so far
as they go as highly satisfactory; and the Lieutenant-Governor warmly approves
of the recommendation made by the Sanitary Commissioner that permanganate
lancets should be widely distributed throughout the districts, so that persons
bitten by venomous snakes may be able to avail themselves of the treatment
without undue delay. The Sanitary Commissioner will be requested to submit
separate proposals, with an estimate of cost, towards this end. Though the mass
of the uneducated population still have faith in the charms and incantations
of ojhas and quacks, still if it can be demonstrated to them that the lancet
treatment is infinitely more efficacious they will gradually take to it.
11. Sanitary Improvements.—Sir Andrew Fraser has read with pleasure
the account given in section IX of the report of the action taken by
District Boards and Municipalities in the promotion of sanitary measures.
The large increase in expenditure of over four lakhs of rupees by municipal
bodies under important heads of sanitation is evidence of the growing interest
taken in these matters. In view of the large number of septic tank installations
that have been set up in the riparian Municipalities, Government has recently
decided to appoint a Special Inspector, whose duty it will be to inspect these