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Considering that the several thannahs of this district possess no special geo-
graphical or climatal characters to distinguish them from one another, it does
appear strange that the numbers returned by the several thannahs should present
such striking differences. Nattore and Lallpur Thannahs show a large number ;
but I have frequently visited these thannahs and have never once noticed any
lepers.
The Rajshahye Jail, which is a central one, and contains long-termed prisoners
from all the jails of this division, had only one case of leprosy, and he was released
in December last.
With the few opportunities that I have had of studying the disease, I am
unable to enter into the causes that predispose to the disease. I think it is allowed
on all sides that poverty, filth and impoverished diet are not important factors of
the disease ; and popular notion exists among the Natives that a fish diet produces
the disease and aggravates it when it exists. I know that the prisoner above
referred to begged of me to cut off his allowance of fish and to give him ghee
instead.
The leprosy that this man was suffering from was of the anæsthetic form ; he
had had it for upwards of two years. It was confined to the face, ears and the upper
extremities ; some dimness of vision was complained of, and the edges of the
eyelids were always more or less thickened and reddish ; the sense of touch was also
blunted. The man, was about 38 years of age. He was a widower, his wife having
died two or three years before the disease commenced. He could trace no family
history of the disease either in his own or in his wife's family. By occupation he-
was an agriculturist, and by caste a Mussulman.
I should say here that there was some cracking of the skin on the palms of the
hands and the soles of the feet, and he informed me that the disease first com-
menced with these fissurings.
The Natives all believe in the disease being contagious; and this man was so
impressed with this belief, as also with the loathsomeness of the disease, that he
begged of me to keep him apart from the rest.
This man was treated for a long time with chowlmoogra oil, and latterly with
gurjun oil ; and although there was no apparent improvement in the disease, the man
had improved much in health and the progress of the disease was arrested.
He was a native of this district, had never been out of it, and lived on the diet
that is usually taken by the poorer classes.
No. 82, dated Pubna, the 2nd March 1877.
From—H. M. DAvis, Esq., Civil Surgeon, Pubna.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Presidency Circle.
IN reply to your circular No. 111, dated 5th January 1877,I have the honour
to state that leprosy has been seldom met with by me in this district. Cases are
very rare among the prisoners, at the charitable dispensaries and elsewhere. The
Assistant Surgeon in charge of the charitable dispensary, &c., at Serajgunge,
states that he is unable to furnish information on the disease, and there are no data
in this Office from which a report could be compiled of any practical value.
No. 331, dated Darjeeling, the 13th September 1877.
From—H. PURVES, Esq., Civil Surgeon, Darjeeling.
To—The Deputy Surgeon General, Dinapore Circle.
WITH reference to your No. 2691 of the 7th instant, I have the honour to
reply that it is the exception to see a case of leprosy in these hill tracts, conse-
quently the paragraph in the Government circular on the subject stating that
leprosy is " lamentably prevalent in Darjeeling" must have occurred through an
oversight.
Under such circumstances it is obvious that any report on leprosy with
special reference to the Darjeeling District would be of little use or interest.