( 6 )
No. 71, dated Arrah, the 10th November 1877.
From—J. C. SHAW, Esq., Offg. Civil Surgeon, Shahabad.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Dinapore Circle.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your memorandum No. 3017
of the 31st ultimo, with copy of memorandum No. 4770 A of 26th idem, from the
Secretary to the Surgeon General, Indian Medical Department, and to state that as
I have only seen and read the circular from the Office of the Surgeon General
(No. 134, dated 30th December 1876) on the subject of a report on leprosy, to
which the above-quoted correspondence has special reference, within the last week,
and not having had any intimation previously of its existence, I have not had time
to pay particularly careful attention to leprosy as it occurs in this district, and I
therefore regret that the remarks I have to offer must necessarily be brief and
meagre.
2. Leprosy does not seem to be a common disease in Shahabad, and the
opportunities of observing cases are very limited. I have not seen more than two
lepers in the town of Arrah and its vicinity, and 1 have ascertained from enquiries
that there are only a few who are professional beggars. This was also the expe-
rience of my predecessor, Dr. Thornton, which he communicated to you in his letter
No. 32 of the 30th June 1875, and he was Civil Surgeon of Shahabad for over five
years. I do not remember to have seen a single case when in the district on inspec-
tion duty. There have been two leprous prisoners in the jail since January last,
and the number of cases seen at the sadr dispensary in the course of each month is
from four to six only. Just at present there are none in attendance. I am told by
Natives that leprosy is very common on the other side of the Gauges, but of this
I have no personal knowledge.
No. 232, dated Ranchi, the 7th December 1877.
From—F. R. SWAINE, Esq., M. B., Offg. Civil Surgeon, Ranchi.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Indian Medical Department, Dinapore
Circle.
IN accordance with the Surgeon General's circular memorandum No. 134,
dated the 20th December 1876, I have the honour to report that leprosy does
not prevail in this district. The Kôls and other tribes appear to be singularly free
from it.
During the past year only six cases have been admitted into the charitable dis-
pensary for treatment, and out of these none were natives of this district. Some
were pilgrims, on their way from the North-West to Pooree, and others were
beggars resident here, who came for treatment when their symptoms became
aggravated.
There are no special peculiarities or conditions to be noticed, and the disease
cannot be said to be localized to any one place in the district.
The delay in the submission of this report has been due to the non-receipt of
the Surgeon General's circular quoted above.
No. 294, dated Kuch Behar, the 7th November 1877.
From—Dr. D. W. D. COMINS, Acting Civil Surgeon, Kuch Behar
Division.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Dinapore.
I HAVE the honour to forward a report on the causation and distribution of
leprosy as observed in Kuch Behar, and report that, owing to the short notice
I received, the information I am able to give in the form desired should be so
scanty.
The total number of lepers in the State last year amounted to 392, or in the
ratio of 1 to 1,275, or 7.8 lepers to 10,000 of the population—a very different num-
ber from that which Drs. Lewis and Cunningham found to exist (1.6 per 10,000)
in the neighbouring country of Assam.
The proportion of Muhammadans to Hindus is as 1 to 2.6; amongst
those attacked with leprosy as 1 to 1.8; showing that the disease affects Muham-
madans more than Hindus—a result the truth of which is supported by popular
opinion.