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outbreaks occurred as usual in the districts of the Patna Division, and
the period of greatest prevalence was from January to April, the climax
being reached in the month of March when 19,855 deaths were reported.
Only nine districts, including Sambalpur, were entirely free from the disease,
while in Purnea there was only one death. Only 1,777 inoculations were
performed against 1,544 in the preceding year, and only one case of death frem
plague among those inoculated was reported. As no less than 1,146 of the
total number of inoculations were among the prisoners in the Gaya Jail, it is
abvious that inoculation is even now regarded with marked disfavour by
ohe people of this Province. The village of Jagadispur, in Shahabad, where
the work of rat extermination was carried on in a thorough and systematic
manner, enjoyed complete immunity from the disease, although it prevailed
with considerable severity in the immediate neighbourhood. This experiment
has proved a distinct success, and has afforded an excellent object-lesson
of the advantages of a systematic campaign against rats. The Lieutenant-
Governor notices with satisfaction that the measure is becoming more popular,
and that rat extermination is now being vigorously carried out in many
places.
7. Fever.—The deaths from fever represented 65.29 per cent. of the
total deaths recorded in she Province from all causes. But, as the investi-
gations as to the accuracy of the vital statistics tend to show, a large
number of the deaths reported as due to fever are not really to be attributed
to that cause. The total number of deaths recorded, including the district
of Sambalpur, was 1,132,579, representing a ratio of 22.41 per mille. The
districts which suffered most were Purnea, Nadia, Darjeeling, Birbhum, and
Bhagalpur, which recorded a mortality of 35.97, 30.68, 30.48, 29.89 and 28.92
per mille, respectively. Jessore suffered less from fever during the year under
report, the recorded mortality being 27.38 against 33.02 per mille in the pre-
vious year; while Calcutta and Puri returned the smallest death-rate from this
cause, viz., 4.58 and 7.27 per mille, respectively. Anti-malarial operations
were carried out at Ranaghat, Berhampore, Jagadispore and Moheshpur, but it
cannot be said that much advantage has resulted from them. The operations,
at Berhampore and Moheshpur have been abandoned on the recommendation of
the Sanitary Commissioner, while those at Ranaghat and Jagadispur will
be continued for a further period. Steps are being taken to collect
accurate statistics as to the prevalence of fever in places where drainage works
are either in progress or about to be undertaken, showing the death-rate from
this cause both before and after the execution of the drainage works;
the results will demonstrate whether any marked improvement in the
death-rate from malaria is produced by them. The Committee appointed by
Government to enquire into the causes of malaria in the districts of the Presi-
dency Division and to ascertain how for it is due to obstructed drainage and
whether the evil can be remedied completed their enquiries in March last, and
their report which was recently received is now under the consideration of
Government.
8. Dysentery and Diarrhæa.—The number of deaths recorded was 47,069
against 45,260 in the previous year, the corresponding ratios being .94 and .90
per mille, respectively. The largest number of deaths occurred in January
and the smallest in June. Orissa returned the very high death-rate of 3.20
per mille from these causes. A special enquiry into the cause of the high
mortality returned from this Division which was made during the year by
Captain Clemesha showed that it was to some extent due to the bad water-
supply but mainly to the insanitary habits of the people. It is however not
improbable that the high figures returned from these districts are to some
extent due to incorrectness in reporting.
9. Respiratory Diseases.—The total number of deaths reported from
these causes, excluding Sambalpur, was 12,170, or .24 per mille, as com-
pared with 11,189 or .22 in 1905 and 8,325 or .16 per mille in 1904.
In Sambalpur the mortality was 655 or 1.02 per mille. The mortality was
as is natural heavier in towns than in rural areas, the largest number of deaths,
4,384, being registered in Calcutta, where the persistent increase of the death-
rate from this cause is most noticeable. The returns from the districts cannot
however be strictly relied upon, as the reporting agency is not sufficiently
intelligent to be able to discriminate with any degree of accuracy between
cases of respiratory disease and of fever.
10. Sanitary Improvements.—The Lieutenant-Governor has read with
interest the account given in Section 1X of the Sanitary Commissioner's
report of the efforts made by Municipalities and District Boards to promote