Annual public health report of the Province of Bihar.

  • Bihar (India). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1940]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual public health report of the Province of Bihar. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    3. Cholera in the province.—The total number of deaths from cholera in the province was 18,929 in 1940 as compared with 16,771 in 1939. The districts of Shahabad and Champaran registered highest number of deaths from this disease during the year, namely 3,218 and 3,263 deaths respectively. Of the other districts Gaya, Patna and the Santal Parganas recorded 3,122, 1,763 and 1,220 deaths from cholera during the year, respectively. The disease started in sporadic form in all these districts from January and prevailed till the end of the year. The maximum intensity was reached in all of them in September. 4. Cholera preventive measures.—In the absence of protected water-supply and efficient sanitary arrangements in rural areas it is a difficult problem to prevent the occurrence of cholera in villages and at times the infection assumes serious proportions. But in districts where a proper health organisa¬ tion under a qualified health officer exists much has been done to control the epidemic of cholera and to prevent the spread of infection. To supplement the efforts of the local bodies in the control of cholera 34 Government epidemic doctors were detailed in the districts during the year under report. Anti-cholera inoculations have now become very popular with the people who come forward voluntarily in increasing numbers for inoculation. Cholera vaccine is supplied free to the district boards and the municipalities and to other bodies or institutions on payment. A sufficient quantity is purchased and stored at the Government Vaccine Depot at Namkum from where the supplies are made on the requisitions by the local bodies and other institutions. To ensure the supply of requisite standard of vaccine, 21 samples of vaccine of different brews were sent to the Central Research Institute at Kasauli for analysis during the year and only the vaccine that proved satisfactory on analysis was issued for use. Proposals for regular testing of cholera vaccine at the Public Health Laboratory at Patna are under consideration. Stock of disinfectants such as bleaching powder and phenyle is kept in reserve at the offices of the district boards and municipalities. In cases where the stock is exhausted and the local bodies are not in a position to replenish them, the Civil Surgeons and the Medical Officers of Health send their requisitions for the same to the Director of Public Health. In the rural as well as in the urban areas the health staff were given special instructions to collect and dispose of the discharges of cholera cases and to disinfect the infected places. General instructions regarding the protection of food stuffs from flies were also given to the local bodies. The number of doses of cholera vaccine issued to the districts during the year was 828,200 as against 913,715 doses during the previous year. With a view to combat epidemics and to give speedy medical relief to the people in the rural areas and also to carry out propaganda, a motor van was purchased and equipped with necessary drugs and appliances to be used as a Travelling Epidemic Dispensary under the charge of a qualified doctor. It was deputed to work in the cholera affected districts of Patna, Gaya, Shaha¬ bad and Hazaribagh. It was also utilised as an ambulance van during the session of the All-India Congress held at Ramgarh in the district of Hazari¬ bagh in 1940 where it rendered valuable service by conveying patients to the hospitals. The Travelling Epidemic Dispensary visited 78 villages and 4 towns and the doctor in charge carried out 26,619 inoculations and distribu¬ ted phage to 43,880 people. The utility of the Travelling Epidemic Dispen¬ sary has been much appreciated by the public. 5. Small-pox.—The total number of deaths from small-pox during 1940 was 18,384 as compared with 8,362 in 1939. The mortality rate for the year 1940 was 0‘5 as against 0’2 of the last year. From a study of mortality rate from small-pox from 1922 to 1940 it appears that the lowest number of deaths from this disease was recorded in the province in 1922. The number of deaths then gradually increased every year till the maximum was reached in 1926. The figure then declined annually till the lowest was touched in 1929 with another gradual rise and a peak rise in 1933. From 1934 onward a gradual lowering in the yearly deaths from this disease was again experienced and 1937 recorded the lowest number of deaths since the last peak rise and the year 1940 witnessed another peak rise. A cyclic rise appears to be well marked in the epidemicity of small-pox in the province. The exact cause of this cyclic rise is not definitely understood, but it is believed that the effect of vaccination wears out between three to five years, with the result that greatest accumulation of susceptible individuals occurs during the year that correspond peak years. The highest death-rate from small-pox was registered
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