NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
( 8 )
No. 898, dated Gya, the 3rd October 1875.
From—E. MACLEOD, Esq., M. D., Civil Surgeon of Gya.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Dinapore Circle.
WITH reference to your circular memorandum No. 11, dated the llth April
last, and enclosures, on the subject of leprosy as it exists in Bengal, I have the
honour to submit the following remarks on the disease as it prevails in this
district.
2. Through the assistance of the District Magistrate I obtained a return
from the areas, urban and rural, selected for the registration^of deaths. As the
collecting agents were in some measure acquainted with this sort of enquiry,
I thought more reliable returns would be obtained than if the scheme embraced
9
the district generally.
3. The census return for 1872 gave the number of lepers among a population
of 1,949,750 at 1,912, whereas the return under report puts the number among a
population of 401,623 at 1,382. I have reason to believe that the latter statement
is approximately correct,
4. Of this number 108 are unmarried, 1,110 are married to healthy persons
who are alive, 159 were married to healthy persons who are now dead, while only
three are married to lepers who are alive, and two were married to lepers who are
dead.
5. One thousand two hundred aud twenty-six are said not to have inherited
the disease, 70 have relatives who are affected with leprosy, and 86 have had father
or mother similarly affected.
6. The following statement shows the age and the duration of the disease
of those affected :
A ft "R .
2
36
172
374
398
265
135
1,382
DURATION OP DISEASE.
...
44
81
257
414
363
102
78
20
23
1,382
NO. 91, dated Calcutta, the 6th January 1878.
Endorsed by the Government of Bengal.
COPT of the following and its enclosures in original submitted to
the Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department, for
information, with reference to the letter from that Department
No. 659, dated 25th September 1877, and previous correspondence.
No. 1336, dated Fort William, the llth December 1877.
From—J. F. BEATSON, Esq., M. D., Surgeou General, Indian Medical Dept.
To—The Secretary to the Govt. of Bengal, Judicial Dept.
RECALLING your letter No. 3797 of the 5th December last and
subsequent reminder of the llth October 1877, I have the honour to
submit the reports, received up to date from Civil Surgeons, on the
distribution and causation of leprosy and the prevalence of that
disease in the districts of the Lower Provinces.
* Prom the Civil Surgeon of —
Midnapur.
Eungpur.
Burdwan.
Pooree.
Hooghly.
Jessore.
Serampore.
Moorshedabad.
Jalpaiguri.
Sontbal Pergunnahs.
Dacca.
Cbittagong.
2. Many of the reports* now submitted exhibit a certain amount
oi care in tneir pre-
paration ; but the
majority, I regret to
say, contain little in-
formation of any
practical value.
24-Pergunnahs.
Patna.
Lohardugga.
Mongbyr.
Bhagalpur.
Kucb Behar.
Arrab.
Furreedpur.
Maldah.
8. Beports are still due from the districts marginallv noted :
these have again
been called for and
will be duly for-
warded on receipt.
No. ai4e, dated Burdwan, the 27th February 1877.
From.—Surgeon C. H. JOUBERT, M. B., F. κ. ο. s., OfFg. Civil Surgeon of
Burdwan.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Presidency Circle.
IN accordance with your circular memorandum No. Ill of the 5th January
1877, received by me on the 17th of that month, I have the honour to forward for
the information of the Surgeon General such facts regarding the prevalence of
leprosy in this district as I have been able to gather since the receipt of the above-
mentioned circular.
The original circular dated 17th April 1875 (Surgeon General's No. 12)
was overlooked by me during the pressure of work in 1875, entailed by the
endemic fever relief operations. I may mention, however, that I have submitted
two special annual reports on leprosy and the lepers under treatment in the
Burdwan Leper Jail.
I would refer to these reports as giving details regarding individual cases of
lepers from this district.
I regret extremely that the preparation of all my other sanitary, dispensary
and jail reports, which occupies fully the first two months of the year, renders it
impossible for me to submit the full report urgently called for without neglecting
other equally important work.
I have ascertained approximately the number of lepers in the district and the
villages in which they live, and will indicate those villages and thannahs where the
number appears excessive. To go fully, however, into the special peculiarities of
these localities and the special circumstances of these lepers would be impossible
A
Statement showing the number of lepers in each thannah in the District of Burdwan.
Thannah.
Burdwan
Khondghose
Indus
Selimabad
Gangooriah
Sahebgunge
Culna
Bhatooria
Montessur
Cutwa
Katoogram
Mungulcote
Bood-Bood
Ausgram
Sonamookhi
Eaneegunge
Eaksha
Neyamutpur
Jehanabad
Goghat
Kotulpur
Eayna
Total
54,419
67,665
77,084
84,702
131,200
81,896
121,480
81,677
83,181
83,099
82,064
77,655
91,301
115,393
75,407
132,282
41,282
71,453
128,969
136,246
110,255
102,005
2,030,715
83
180
231
240
364
181
296
237
248
157
249
171
224
255
260
289
111
278
259
262
337
269
5,181
44
79
115
62
123
95
34
83
82
87
91
88
116
128
93
183
74
75
17
96
87
33
1,885
NUMBER OP LEPEHS.
49
131
262
65
158
233
53
143
168
174
209
236
274
297
264
691
234
220
22
208
208
46
4,345
14
26
38
23
57
43
5
27
30
32
37
40
60
30
28
37
7
,.,
3
13
8
12
570
Not
132
Not
75
184
230
Not
146
Not
Bit
Dit
238
268
272
Not
564
196
180
22
Not
Dit
44
2,551
returned
25
returned
13
31
46
returned
24
returned
to
to
38
66
55
returned
164
45
40
3
returned
to
14
564
63
157
300
88
215
276
58
170
198
206
246
276
334
327
292
728
241
220
25
221
261
58
4,915
Oil
0-21
0-40
010
0-16
0'33
0-04
0'20
0'23
0-24
0-30
0-35
0-36
0'28
0-38
0-55
0-58
0-30
0-02
016
018
0-05
0-24
Names of villages in which more than ten lepers are to to
found ; with numbers.
Khondghose (14).
Belanal (10), Palit (10), Beur (11).
Nashgram (22), Bhatakul (10), Mohunpur (11).
Karooi (10), Korojgram (10), Amool (10).
Dutta Barati (10), Agordangha (10), Moorgram (10), Kandra (10).
Jheeloo (18).
Marh (13), Gulshi (11), Baraj (11), Shamnori (11).
Mancoor (13), Soai (17), Ansgram (11).
Sonamookhi (61), Eadhamohunpur (17), Patrosayer (25).
Agara (11), Banati (10), Eaneegunge (10), Gourbazaar (10), Kowar-
bazaar (10), Shachow (12), Modontor (13), Amrai (13), Bharoodi
(13), Shurpi (14), Ichapur (14), Chachoora (15), TTmroorah (15),
Jamoorah (30).
Eukhitpur (11), Grambnsti (11), Ajoodha (10), Gopalpur (13).
Lalra (17), Eamnagar (13).
Shambazaar (17).
Moynapur (22), Outurbar (12).
C. H. JOUBERT, M.B.,
Civil Surgeon, Burdwan.
(15)
Statement of 59 cases examined in twelve of the villages from which the largest number of lepers were returned.
12
59
SEX.
45
14
Condition of the per-
sons attacked.
...
4
55
Castes.
2
53
4
...
...
...
Propagation.
30
1 ...
4
...
24
Varieties of disease.
9
37
13
NYA DUMKA;
Z. A. AHMED, M. D.,
The 16th March 1877.
Offg. Civil Surgeon, S. P. Dumka.
(16)
Statement of eight cases treated in the Dumka Charitable Dispensary.
Out-door and
in-door.
Out-door
In-door
Sex.
6
2
5
2
1
Conditions of the
persons attacked.
4
2
4
2
Castes.
2
2
1
• ••
2
1
...
...
Propagation.
...
...
* • •
1
1
5
1*
Varieties of
disease.
1
2
3
2
* Could not say
whether his parents
suffered from it.
NYA DUMKA;
Z. A. AHMED, M. D.,
The 16th March 1877.
Offg. Civil Surgeon, S. P. Dumka.
( 21 )
Drinking water.—From wells, except one who used river water.
Bathing.—Ditto
ditto.
Privations.—Nothing severe for condition of life.
Diet.—Totaey Dossad acknowledges to have been a great pork-eater ; Lukhoo
Danghur is a pork-eater also ; Mowlabuksh, a native of Tirhoot, of murwah bread ;
Budhia female, of Purneah, of fish, jungly sags or greens, and the vegetables
known as ole and cutchoo ; Ruggoonath, of stale rice, and many of new rice, which
is always cheaper. None can say whether the cereals or pulses on which they lived
were in any diseased or unfit for human consumption, but there is no doubt that
food of this nature and decomposing fish is largely consumed by the lower classes
of people, and that their diet is generally indiscriminate.
Abstinence,—Lepers abstain from eating the red pumpkin, which they consider
unwholesome and stimulating diet, which they say produces great heat of skin and
feverishness.
Contagion—Is clear in the case of the female Bilasee, who contracted the dis-
ease from her husband ; and in the case of Mowlabuksh, who was in the habit of
coming always in contact with his brother ; and of Secom Gowla, whose father was
a leper.
Assigned causes.—Cultivation and purchase of a plot of ground belonging to
a leper, cohabitation with a diseased husband, hereditary transmission and conta-
gion, and will of Providence.
In addition to the above summary, it may be stated that, if malaria was among
the causes of leprosy, this district would furnish a large amount of cases, which it
does not, and the disease is not endemic in it either. Of the six Purneah cases, in
one village only are there two lepers ; in all the rest single cases.
PDrNEAH ;
L. PICACHY,
The 13th March 1877.
Civil Medical Officer.
No. 1.
Name.—JAGArNATH KeTHRIE.
Age.— 64 years.
Sex.—Male.
Caste.—Hindu.
Particular caste.—Brahmin.
Occupation.—Broker.
Birth-place.—Lahore.
Present residence.—A. prisoner in the Purneah Jail.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—Ditto.
Married.—Wife alive, healthy.
Progeny.—Has two male children, adults.
Condition of community about birth-place.—Healthy.
Intercourse.—Sexual with wife and other females.
Syphilis.—Primary with buboes and secondaries.
Salivation—Yes.
Medicaments.—-Every description of European and Native medicines.
Drinking water.—Well and river.
Bathing do.—Ditto ditto.
Privations.—None.
Diet.—Hand-bread, milk, dalls, vegetables, fish, sweets and ghee.
Asbtinence.—None.
Contagion.—- Ditto.
Assigned cause.—Syphilis and mercury.
Duration of disease.—Four years.
F
( 22 )
No. 2.
Name.—MOWLABUKSH.
Age.—25 years.
Sex.—Male.
Caste.—Muhammadan.
Particular caste.—Sheikh.
Occupation.—Grass-cutter.
Birth-place.—Village Soopul, Tirhoot, cultivated property.
Present residence.—Purneah.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—His two brothers—one a leper.
Married.—Seven years, wife alive, healthy.
Progeny.—One boy and two girls born before disease.
Condition of community about home.—Knows of three other lepers in a
locality.
Intercourse.—With wife suspended.
Syphilis.—Never.
Medicaments.—None.
Drinking water.—Well.
Bathing do.—Ditto.
Privation.—None.
Diet.—Mur wah bread, kalaey and khesarey dalls, fish and vegetables
and sags.
Abstinence.—Kadeema, or red pumpkin.
Contagion.—From his brother, with whom he came constantly in contact,
and who was not separated from the rest of the family.
Assigned cause.—Contagion.
Duration.—Three years.
No. 3.
Name.—DAHOO.
Age.—30 years.
Sex.—Male.
Caste.—Hindu.
Occupation.—Kidmutgar.
Birth-place.—Bhagalpur.
Present residence.—Purneah, Rambag.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—Ditto.
Widower.—Wife died healthy.
Progeny.—A male child who died in ten days.
Condition of community about home.—Healthy, cultivated locality.
Intercourse.—With wife was kept up.
Syphilis.—Never.
Salivation.—Ditto.
Medicaments.—None.
Drinking water.—Well.
Bathing do.—Ditto.
Privations.— None.
Diet.—Ordinary.
Abstinence.—Kalaey dall and kadeema.
Contagion.—None.
Assigned cause.—-Ditto.
Duration.—Four years.
( 23 )
No. 4.
Name. —KUGGUNATH,
Age.—30 years.
Sex.—Male.
Caste —Hindu.
Particular caste.—Gowla.
Occupaion.—Cowherd and water-carrier.
Birth-place.—Moorshedabad, in. a cultivated country.
Present residence.—Purneah.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—Ditto.
Married.—Not.
Condition of community about home. —Healthy.
Intercourse.—With people kept up to a certain extent.
Syphilis.—Primary, sore on prepuce and subdued buboes.
Salivation.—None.
Medicaments.—From hakeems.
Drinking water.—From river.
Sathing do.—Ditto.
Privation.—None.
Diet.—Cereals and pulses ; stale rice cooked and kept in water over night.
Abstinence.—None.
Contagion.—Ditto.
Assigned cause.—Ditto.
Duration.—Twelve years.
No. 5.
Name.—LUKOO.
Age.—40 years.
Sex.—Male.
Caste.—Hindu.
Particular caste.—Danghur.
Occupation.—Gardener.
Birth-place.—Purneah.
State of cultivation.—Good.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—Brothers, healthy.
Married.—Yes.
Wife.—Alive, healthy.
Progeny.—Two girls, four years old, alive.
Condition of surrounding community.—Good.
Intercourse.—With wife continues.
Syphilis.—Never.
Salivation.—Ditto.
Medicaments.—None.
Drinking and bathing water.—Well.
Privation.—None.
Diet.—Nothing particular, but a pork-eater.
Abstinence.—None.
Contagion.—Ditto.
Assigned cause.—Purchase and cultivation of a piece of land from a
leper.
Duration of disease.—Eight years.
( 24 )
No. 6.
Name.—RAHIM ALI
Age.—32.
Sex.—Male.
Caste.—Muhammadan.
Particular caste.—Sheik.
Occupation.— Cultivator.
Birth-place.—Ekumba, Purneah.
Present residence.—Ditto.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—D itto.
Married.—Yes.
Wife —Alive.
Progeny.—Two girls, five years and eight years, alive and healthy.
Condition of surrounding community.—Good.
Intercourse.—With wife maintained.
Syphilis.—Never.
Salivation.—Ditto.
Medicaments.—Took strychnia.
Drinking and bathing water.—Well.
Privations.—None.
Diet.—Ordinary.
Contagion.—None.
Abstinence.—Ditto.
Assigned cause.—Ditto.
Duration.—Five years.
No. 7.
Name.—SECOM.
Age.—40 years.
Sex.—Male.
Caste.—Hindu.
Particular caste.—Gowla.
Occupation.—Cart-driver.
Birth-place.—Kusba Amoor, Purneah.
Present residence.—Purneah.
Parentage.—Father was a leper.
Relations.—Healthy.
Married.—Not.
Condition of surrounding community.—Unaffected.
Intercourse.—With the public pretty free.
Syphilis.—Twice with buboes and secondaries.
Salivation.—Never.
Medicaments.—None.
Drinking and lathing water.—Well.
Privations.—None.
Diet.—Milk and the other ordinary cereals.
Abstinence —None.
Contagion.—From father,
Assigned cause.—Hereditary transmission developing after syphilis.
Duration.—One year.
( 25 )
No. 8.
Name.—Totoey.
Age.—40 years.
Caste.—Hindu.
Particular caste.—Dossad.
Occupation,.—Labourer.
Birth-place.—Sursa, Purneah.
Present residence.—Ditto.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—Ditto.
Married.—Yes.
Wife alone.—Ditto.
Progeny.-—One child three years old, healthy,
Condition of surrounding community,—Good.
Intercourse.—With. wife kept up,
Syphilis.—Once.
Salivation.—None.
Medicaments.—Ditto.
Drinking and bathing water.—Well.
Privation.—None.
Diet.—Indulged greatly in pork.
A bstinence.—None.
Contagion.—None.
Assigned cause.—None.
Duration.—Four years.
No. 9.
Name.—Bellasey.
Age.-—30 years.
Sex.—Female,
Caste.—Muhammadan.
Occupation.—Labourer.
Birth-place.—Sarsy, Purneah.
Present residence.—Line Bazaar, ditto.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—Ditto.
Married. —Was.
Husband.—Died lately.
Progeny.—None.
Condition of surrounding community.—Good.
Intercourse.—Was kept up with husband.
Syphilis.—Never.
Salivation.—Ditto.
Medicaments—None,
Drinking and bathing water.—Well.
G
( 26 )
Privation.—None.
Diet.—All kinds of dall and fish and vegetables and wild saugs.
Abstinence—None.
Contagion.—From husband.
Assigned cause.—Infection from husband.
Duration.—Ten years.
No. 10.
Name.-— Bhudree.
Age.—35 years.
Sex.—Female.
Caste.—Muhammadan.
Occupation.—None.
Birth-place and residence.—Rambag in Purneah.
Parentage.—Healthy.
Relations.—Ditto.
Married.—Widow.
Husband.—Dead long ago.
Progeny.—One boy, before leprous state.
Condition of surrounding community.—Good.
Intercourse.—Discontinued when she became diseased.
Syphilis.—Never.
Salivation.—Ditto.
Medicaments.—Bleeding, physics, the flower of the ole and wild herbs and
strychnia.
Drinking and bathing water.—Well.
Privation.—None.
Diet.—Fish and wild saugs and vegetables.
Abstinence.—Red pumpkin, kalaey dall and boaly fish.
Contagion.—None.
Assigned cause.—Husbanc's curse when she left his protection.
No. 100, dated Rungpur, the 28th February 1877.
From—Babu K. D. GHOSE, M. D., M. R. c. s., Civil Surgeon of Rungpur.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Presidency Circle.
WITH reference to your circular memorandum No. 11 of the 22nd April 1875,
giving cover to departmental circular No. 12, dated the 17th April 1875,I have the
honour to submit the following report on leprosy in this district. Before entering
into the subject I ought to make an apology and explain the cause of delay in the
submission of this report. A thorough enquiry into the subject with a. view to the
ascertaining of the detailed circumstances under which the disease exists requires
travelling over a large tract of country far from head quarters and requiring pro-
tracted absence from the station. I have therefore taken the opportunities of my
visits to the dispensaries in the interior of the district, from where I made excursions
to the villages in which leprosy prevailed, and took careful notes of the history of
the cases, and made personal observation of the circumstances under which the
affected people live. I had heavy responsibilities in the shape of an unhealthy
jail, and could not therefore protract my stay in the interior sufficiently long to
( 28 )
to be precise and brief, I will place them in a tabular form in the following
manner :
Points of difference.
Soil
Physical features.
Character and con-
dition of people.
Prevalence or other-
wise of other dis-
eases.
Tract of extreme prevalence.
Almost pure alluvial deposit with
here and there sandy loam.
Abounding in marshes and old
river-beds of meandering hill
streams.
Most part of it
flooded during the rains. Un-
cultivated bits overgrown with
high and dense jungle. Toler-
ably high patches are met with
which yield a variety of crops.
The semi-aboriginal races con-
verted to Muhammadanism or
assimilated with the low caste
Hindus.
The chief occupa-
tion is agriculture or fishing,
and often both, and in their
occupation are much exposed to
wet and rain and exhalations
from marshes.
Extremely
home-loving, simple in their
habits, very lazy, living in
wretchedly built mat or grass
huts. They live almost exclu-
sively on rice and fish. They
export their fresh fish to better
markets in the Western parts
of the district and even to
Dinagepur, and themselves
live on the dried fish imported
from Sylhet and other places.
They are miserably clothed.
Diseases of a malarious nature
extremely common. Pulmonary
phthisis and scrofula prevail
to a very great extent, and the
skin diseases of a parasitic na-
ture and of the squamous
variety are very common. Goi-
tre and cholera are endemic.
Tract of comparative
immunity.
Had red laterite soil.
Extensive level plain covered
with paddy, with here and
there wastes grown over
with ant-hills.
The only cultivation is that
of paddy.
The people have a much
greater Aryan mixture.
Given to other pursuits be-
sides agriculture, trade pret-
ty active. The rice they
get in abundance is ex-
ported. They move about
more and seem more civi-
lized. The huts are better
built, and the soil admit of
the erection of dry mud
walls in them. Their food
is more varied, and they use
more clothing.
This tract is not so malari-
ous as the other. Phthisis
and scrofula less common,
and parasitic skin affec-
tions are not prevalent
Goitre rarely seen, cholera
breaks out in epidemics,
but does not exist through
out the year.
Daring my travels of enquiry I found the disease more common towards
the rivers than in villages far removed from them ; but when the immediate banks
are high, it is almost altogether absent from them. A marked contrast of this
kind I observed in one part of the River Teesta. Either bank here is inhabited
by Hindus of the fishing castes, but being of different sub-castes they do not
intermarry or mix in other way. They follow the same occupation and live
otherwise under similar circumstances. Among these fishermen on the left bank
I could not find a single case, whereas among those on the right bank numbering
about 80 individuals there were six lepers.
In the laterite tract the majority of the lepers that I found were inhabitants
of the alluvial portions of the tract.
The villages where I found the disease most prevalent are either on the
banks of a river or surrounded by marshes and old river beds. Dry and high
spots, whether near a river or not, enjoy a marked immunity from the disease.
( 29 )
Other skin diseases, such as itch, ringworm and psoriasis of a chronic character,
are very common in villages where lepers are found. The food supply in these
villages is defective. There is little or no variety in it. They are badly supplied
with markets, and the people, as a rule, live on the rice they cultivate, and consume
a large quantity of imperfectly dried fish as well as the small fish found in
bheels which are unfit for purposes of export. Their houses are low mat huts
surrounded by dense jungle and clumps of bamboos. These latter overhanging
the yards exclude the sun from them. In the occupation of fishing these people
often immerse themselves in muddy water and smear themselves with mud for
hours and pass sometimes a whole day in wet clothes. This constant contact of
water with the skin, I fancy, has much influence in the production of the disease.
It undoubtedly is a potent cause of the other skin diseases I found prevalent in
these villages. In fact, the atmosphere charged with vapour ; their occupation
requiring constant immersion in water ; their damp, ill-ventilated habitations,
and the want of clothing, all tend to interfere with the healthy functions of the
skin. The people in these villages seemed to be extremely fond of their homes,
and never emigrate. The population of a whole village I sometimes found related
to each other, and married and intermarried among themselves, and lived and died
in it. I found a number of old people who told me that they never spent a night
away from home.
The low caste Hindus I found suffered more specially than the Muhammadans
or Aryan Hindus, and among the Hindus jalias (fishermen) and Rajbungshis
(a Hinduized aboriginal tribe given exclusively to agricultural pursuits) suffer a
great deal more than men of other castes.
III.—I now analyse the 378 cases I took notes of, and give their circum-
stances in the following concise manner :
(1.) Sex.—Out of the 378 cases examined 253 were males and 125 females.
(2.) Race.—Two hundred and eighty-six were Hindus and 92 Mussulmans.
In point of caste of Hindus they were—
Rajbungshis (a race of Hinduized aborigines)
Jalias (fishing castes)
...
...
Other castes
...
(3.) Occupation—
Agriculturists
Fishermen
Boatmen
Beggars
Artizans
Writers
Priest
Trader
Prostitutes
...
General servants
...
Total
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
. . .
...
...
.. .
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
. ..
...
...
...
...
Indefinite occupation and women depending entirely
on others
Total
125
81
80
286
198
56
15
78
4
2
1
1
2
3
18
378
(4.) Heredity.—Only in 11 eases could I trace evidence of hereditary taint,
but I have no doubt that there were others among them who either concealed the