( 4 )
remaining third up to a limit of Rs. 5,000 for any one district, and of
Rs. 50,000 for the whole province. These conditions have been imposed so
that the gifts of Government may take a form which will encourage the
villagers to help themselves, and which will foster a spirit of co-operation
between the Government and the people.
14. The account given of the work of the Sanitary Board in section XI
of the report can hardly be regarded as of much interest. It is a somewhat
uninstructive list of items of business. It would have been desirable rather,
for the information of Municipalities and District Boards, to have given some
account of the large drainage schemes that have been undertaken, and of some
of the works connected with water-supply and drainage. It is impossible
within the limits of this Resolution to supply this defect.
15. The difficulties connected with the installation of septic tanks have
come prominently into notice during the year under review. The interests
involved are very great, namely, those of the public, those of the mill-owners
who have sunk large sums of money in these installations, and not least those
of the various municipalities scattered throughout the mufassal; for if the
system can be made thoroughly efficient and unobjectionable one of the most
difficult problems of Municipal administration will be solved. The Lieutenant-
Governor has accordingly appointed a small committee under the presidency
of the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals to enquire into and report on this
question with special reference to existing installations.
16. Plague followed its usual course, rising in the beginning of the year
till it reached a maximum in the month of March, and then again rapidly
declining till September. The areas affected were the Metropolitan districts
of Hooghly, Howrah and the 24-Parganas, and eight districts of Bihar.
Elsewhere the cases were only sporadic. The number of deaths was 65,680
as compared with 32,967 in 1902 and 78,629 in 1901. The number of
attacks in 1903 was 74,265 as against 38,920 in 1902, so that the ratio of
attacks to deaths rose from 84.7 to 88.4. This may possibly be due to greater
virulence in the epidemic, but is more probably attributable to less care being
taken when the disease is finally established to search out cases that do not
end fatally than was exercised at the first outbreak. In this connection it may
be noted that before the final disappearance of the disease from Hongkong the
Medical Officers of that Colony discovered a large number of cases of pestis
ambulans amongst persons who to all appearance were well. Although
probably nothing could be done to segregate cases of this kind the knowledge
of the existence of the disease in this form may prove very useful.
17. Although the mortality from plague during the year under review
was much larger than during 1902 and considerably below that for 1901, no
satisfactory explanation has been put forward for these somewhat violent
fluctuations. One fact seems clear, viz., that the disease has established
itself firmly in the North-Western part of the Province coming and going
with the seasons with wonderful regularity. The disease may in fact be
looked upon in much the same light as any other vegetable crop ; it is affected
by climatic conditions and by the nature of the soil in which it grows. The
conditions, whether of soil, climate or habitations, or all three, in the Eastern
districts seem to be inimical to the propagation of the microbe. The remarks
of the Civil Surgeons of Murshidabad, Patna and Saran, and of the Magistrate
of Patna are worthy of consideration, especially those of the last named
officer. It is a question whether enough is being done in the infected districts
in the way of providing medical relief and advice. Although no preventive
measures can now be carried out except with the consent of the people, still
a great deal can be done through the influence of medical officers acting in
sympathy with the people, and the conditions are sufficiently serious to justify
exceptional efforts. Before the commencement of the next cold weather the
Lieutenant-Governor will take an opportunity of consulting personally on
this subject with the Commissioners of the Presidency, Patna and Bhagalpur
Divisions, and will ascertain their opinion on the views expressed above, and
will consider any suggestions they may have to offer.
18. Tho Sanitary Commissioner does not refer in his report to the
mortality from plague amongst persons who have been inoculated with anti-
plague vaccine. Apparently he has overlooked the orders of the Government