Annual sanitary report of the Province of Assam.

  • Assam
Date:
[1914]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual sanitary report of the Province of Assam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    approved routes for indentured labour traffic, and the supervision of the sanitary arrangements on this route from Sara to Amingaon has been entrusted to the Sanitary Department of this province with the consent of the Bengal Government. Similar arrangements to those made by the Assam-Bengal Railway for the feeding and general comfort of labourers eft-route to tea estates in Assam are being worked out by the Eastern Bengal State Railway in consultation with this department. The post of the Travelling Inspector of Emigrants, which is held by a Military Assistant Surgeon, was filled by Mr. Munrowd from 1st Januxry 1914 to 26th March 1914 and Mr. Blinkworth from 27th March 1914 to the end of the year. 3S. Proposals for the creation of a separate Sanitary Commissionersliip were submitted to the Local Administration, by whom they eisona piotee mgs. were approved and submitted to the Government of India. The sanction of the Secretary of State to the creation of the appointment is now awaited. Sanitary Commissioner.—I visited Dhubri, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Silchar towns and the emigration coolie depots and hospitals at Dhubri, Gauhati, Tezpur, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. Deputy Sanitary Commissioner.—In the month of January, Dibrugarh was visited for the purpose of making an analysis of the water of the borings for the proposed water supply scheme, the emigration arrangements in the Brahmaputra were inspected, and the Sanitary Conference at Lucknow was attended as a provincial delegate. On his return from Lucknow in February Major Young inspected the kala-azar operations in Golaghat, the Municipality of Jorhat, and the vaccination work in the Sibsagar district. In this month an enquiry into the prevalence of dysentery on tea estates was commenced and continued during March, when numerous gardens in the Sibsagar and Lakhimpur districts were visited. The Municipality of Dibrugarh and the vaccination in both these districts also received attention. The month of April was spent in the preparation of the Sanitary Report and in a detailed inspection of the Municipality of Shillong. In May and June some laboratory research work on the Shillong water-supply was completed, and the supplement to the Sanitary Report was prepared for the press. Major Young proceeded on three months’ privilege leave on June 22nd, making over charge of the duties of the appointment to Captain J. E. James, i.m.s., who visited Lumding and Manipur during his tenure of the appointment. On recall from privi¬ lege leave the duties of the post were re-assumed by Major Young on September 17th. Touring was re-commenced in November, when the Municipality of Gauhati was inspected, the equipment of the kala-azar dispensaries was partially completed, and their working inspected. The Municipality of Barpeta was visited and an enquiry into the accuracy of the collection of vital statistics in the Kamrup district received attention. The district vaccination was also tested. In December, the Municipalities of Dhubri and Goalpara were visited, and a travelling dispensary in Mangaldai was inspected. During the year the routine work of the Sanitary Commissioner’s office, together with that of the Secretaryship of the Sanitary Board, was carried on by the Deputy Sanitary Commissioner. Major Young’s intimate knowledge of the province and of local conditions has been of great value to me and to the Department. Be has worked with his usual zeal and energy, and I have much pleasure in bringing his services to the notice of the Administration. Shillong, The 1th May 1915, H. E. BANATVALA, Colonel, I.M.S., Sanitary Commissioner, Assattu
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