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Rangpur.-This year cholera prevailed mildly on the whole in this district;
in fact the disease was absent from a great portion of the district for several
months between January and November. Jaldhaka and Dimla escaped entirely.
The disease was severely prevalent in Bhawaniganj and Sadullahpur in
May and June, and again in November and December. At Bhawaniganj it
broke out at the junction of the Teesta with the Brahmaputra, and thence
spread to Sadullahpur; it then abated, but broke out afresh at the end of
October, and soon extending over the area in which it had previously prevailed
spread south-west to Govindpur. The disease is endemic in the district, and,
it is said, " generally breaks out on both banks of the Brahmaputra, attacking
chiefly newly settled villages on the sand banks of that river."
Bogra.-Except some smart outbreaks in the Khetlal circle from March
to May and in the Panchbibi circle from May to July, there was very little
cholera in this district up to September. In October the disease appeared in
Shariakandi, and spreading to the continuous circles of Bogra and Sherpur,
became general throughout the district and rather severe.
Pabna.-Up to June cholera was not severe in this district, and from
July to September the greater portion of the district was free from the
disease. But the winter cholera was very severe. It commenced in Serajganj
town in September, extended to six circles in October and to the remaining
portion of the district in November, in which month and December it prevail-
ed most severely. The disease proved very fatal in every circle. This
outbreak at Serajganj appears to have extended into the Bogra district (above
described) immediately to the north. " A rather smart outbreak attended
with severe mortality occurred among the floating population of the boats
collected for trading purposes at Serajganj. These people numbered from
20,000 to 30,000, and very little sanitary supervision was exercised over them.
They were dispersed; the disease abated, and the diminution was ascribed
to the dispersion. Had it suddenly developed itself all over the country, the
dispersion would have been accused of doing the mischief by disseminating
the germs broadcast."
Dhaka.-As in former years, the January cholera in this district was a
continuation of the autumn outbreak of the preceding year. The disease
declined in February and March, but in April it increased rapidly, and became
very general. In May and June it gradually abated, and in July, August, and
September when most of the country was several feet under water, the greater
part of the district was free from it. In October cholera broke out afresh and
prevailed in several circles with much severity. In November it spread all over
the district and continued to prevail up to the end of the year. Dr. Crombie
commenting on the fluctuations of cholera in this district writes:-"Looking
for causes which are likely to be factors in producing the yearly fluctuations
of cholera giving rise to its spontaneous or at least to its simultaneous outbreak
in certain months and its decline and disappearance all over it in other
months, one is struck, in the first place, by the absence of epidemic cholera
during the season of the annual inundation. During the months of July,
August, and September when about eight-tenths of the district is under 3
to 4 feet of water and all the ground not submerged is soaked with constant
rain, there is no cholera. Whether this may be due to the clearing of the
village nullahs * * * or to the filling up of the village tanks, * * *
or whether it is due to the submersion of the surface of the country from
which the cholera poison emerges at other seasons, or whether or not the
occurrence of the annual flooding and the cessation of cholera all over the
district are simply a coincidence, the two phenomena being independent of
each other as regards causation, are questions upon which there are probably
as many opinions as minds. This at least must be conceded, that on the fall
of the rivers and the exposure of the surface to the sun cholera begins again
to manifest itself, During October cases occur simultaneously in widely
separated parts of the district, and in November there is scarcely a village of
500 inhabitants that has not its cases or deaths from cholera, and so in
December. But in January, February, and March, without any flooding,
there is an evident amelioration of the cholera conditions, which are again
paramount everywhere in April, to lose their power in May without any of
the country coming under water. In June the rivers rise and flood the