27
CHOLERA. DEATHS IN BOMBAY PRESIDENCY.
1865. 1866. Remarks.
Belgaum... ... ... ... 1,247 1,962 Cholera revived in May.
Dharwar... ... ... ... 1,191 11,192 The epidemic in Dharwar reviv-
North Canara... ... ... ... 327 859 ed in February and March,
Kuludghee ... ... ... 3,055 3,896 and was active till July.
Mortuary statistics
of Madras Presidency,
for the first time, avail-
able.
37. In the Madras Presidency the system of mortuary registration, for the
first time, came into force for the year 1866, and the statistics,
though not quite perfect, will help to show how famine and
poverty prepare the way for an unusual development of
cholera. Although this was the fourth year of the exodus of cholera beyond
the endemic area in Bengal, we find it actually more destructive in the Madras
Provinces than in any former year of its existence. The following table
exhibits the monthly deaths in each district:-
Table showing Cholera Deaths in 1866.
- Population for which returns were received. January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. Total.
Ganjam 10,16,265 2,376 4,246 3,710 2,452 1,135 4,032 3,833 1,628 717 347 242 211 24,929
Vizagapatam 7,98,877 34 154 58 345 53 149 2,149 4,784 2,172 1,176 492 129 11,695
Godavery 13,29,626 45 205 492 487 465 1,120 4,020 4,304 2,827 1,040 220 51 16,272
Kistna 7,92,744 1 2 138 301 258 521 464 1,204 1,967 613 75 47 5,591
Nellore 9,79,737 3 67 106 42 103 103 279 1,236 2,290 743 241 461 5,674
Cuddapah . 10,40,878 1 30 130 229 425 235 1,229 4,358 4,901 2,096 879 310 14,823
Bellary 12,00,316 ... 28 306 356 948 2,224 3,379 6,596 6,762 1,799 421 14 22,833
Kurnool 7,18,865 1 ... ... 72 89 394 1,417 2,602 2,337 652 119 2 7,685
Madras 6,64,836 189 165 103 77 133 347 1,911 2,276 1,615 737 550 1,191 9,294
Madras town. 4,50,000 99 73 149 83 77 160 577 544 534 283 93 312 2,984
North Arcot. 10,69,685 613 515 158 78 84 446 802 2,120 1,809 772 1,425 1,653 10,475
South Arcot. 11,00,266 1 082 718 198 262 403 780 1,374 1,424 990 430 303 968 8,932
Tanjore 15,72,703 1,116 631 286 670 1,092 854 731 1,053 849 779 406 511 8,978
Trichinopoly 8,35,887 1 144 597 260 551 520 384 889 731 626 450 543 473 7,168
Madura 22,29,378 1,382 824 349 579 340 258 250 379 607 1,155 2,662 3,216 12,001
Tinnevelly . . . 13,63,051 848 185 117 18 91 95 63 53 106 152 324 1,134 3,186
Coimbatore 12,09,740 479 206 269 558 448 225 180 136 545 2,159 2,664 1,508 9,377
Salem 14,93,221 819 728 623 547 800 813 1,173 1,350 1,531 1,506 1,518 1,185 12,593
South Canara 7,81,767 417 306 107 59 38 88 61 149 312 360 265 264 2,429
Malabar 17,16,852 64 111 97 92 22 13 127 2,143 883 242 181 67 4,042
38. This was, I believe, a true cholera of reproduction, favoured, in its terrible
work of destruction, by the impoverished condition of the lower classes, and by
their scanty and indifferent food. My reason for this statement is that the famine
districts of Ganjam, Bellary, Cuddapah, Madras, North Arcot, Salem, and Coimba-
tore experienced the heaviest mortality, in proportion to their populations. It will
be observed that although the mortality rose in most districts after the fall of the
south-west monsoon rains, yet it continued to increase in very many places, all
through the hot and dry months of the. year, when there was no monsoon mois-
ture to aid it. The table embraces the first general cholera statistics of the popu-
lation of the Madras Presidency, and is of great value in illustrating the effects of
seasonal changes upon a cholera of reproduction.
200,000 cholera deaths
in Madras Presidency
in 1866
39. At the end of the year 1866 we see that cholera was still in force in
Nellore, Madras, North Arcot, South Arcot, Tanjore, Trichinopoly, Madura,
Tinnevelly, Coimbatore, and Salem, but dying out in other
districts. In this year more than 200,000 persons (one-third
of the whole number dying) were swept away by cholera.
H