Annual public health report of the Province of Bihar; and Annual vaccination report.

  • Bihar (India). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1937]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

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    ] 2 of cholera occurred in the mela area. All of them were removed for treatment to the temporary cholera hospital and of them 9 died. The health staff delivered a number of lectures on health and hygiene illustrated with magic lantern slides. Printed leaflets on public health subjects in different vernaculars were widely distributed as in the previous years and illustrated coloured posters were also pasted at prominent places. The Health Officer of the district board of Patna who was deputed to take a batch of volunteers for training in the construction of septic tank latrines to Ushagram in the district of Burdwan, put up two such latrines in the mela areas for demonstration proposes with a view to stimulate interest in the visitors for introducing these latrines in private residences, it was found that this type of latrine could he best adapted for places where sufficient water-supply for flush¬ ing of the seats was available and where the effluent could be safely discharged, without contaminating the water of the neighbouring wells. A census taken of the prostitutes camping in the mela area revealed the presence of 327 prostitutes as against 302 of the previous year. In the absence of legislation to abolish the brothels in the mela area, steps were taken to collect history of antecedent incidence ot venereal disease amongst them and stress was laid in demonstration lectures on the importance of precautionary measures against such infection. 3. The Pitripaksha mela at Gaya commenced from the 20tb September and lasted till the 5th October 1937. 70,875 pilgrims visited Gaya during the period as compared with 67,442 in the previous year. 245 lodging houses were licensed during the year as against 192 in the previous year, under the places of the Pilgrimage Act which is enforced in Gaya. Most of the pilgrims were accommodated in the lodging houses and Hharamshalas. Adequate sanitary arrangements were made in the mela areas by the Lodging House Committee assisted by the health staff of the Gaya Municipality. Piped water supply wras made available for 18 hours a day from 4~30 a.m. to 10-30 p.m. throughout the mela period. Cholera cases wrere present in Gaya town before the mela commenced. The danger of the introduction of the infection among the pilgrims was fully realised and every effort w7as made to apply intensive pre¬ cautionary measures. Although well wrater was rarely used for drinking purpo¬ ses, all the wrnlls in the lodging houses as well as those on the road sides within the mela area were regularly disinfected. There were 20 attacks and 8 deaths from cholera during the whole mela period. All these cases wrere removed to the cholera hospital for treatment and of these 10 attacks and 7 deaths occurred among the pilgrims. Immediate steps were taken to check the disease from spreading among the other visitors. 504 persons were inoculated against cholera in the mela areas, but inoculation was restricted only to those persons who offered themselves to get inoculated. Reliance was mainly placed on cholerapbage which was extensively used both as a curative and prophylactic agent throughout the mela period. Choleraphage was also used in the treat¬ ment of the cases at the hospital supplemented by transfusion of saline only where necessary. Results were very encourging and the disease did not spread in epidemic form. 4. The Bhadra Purnima mela held at Heoghar was attended by 4,069 pilgrims. The Places of Pilgrimage Act is also enforced in Heoghar and licenses for 79 lodging houses with a capacity of accommodation for 3,154 pilgrims at a time was issued during the year. The town of Deoghar being considered as a sacred place of pilgrimage about 40,000 pilgrims occupied the lodging houses and the camping ground for varying periods during the year. A health officer for Heoghar municipality was appointed during the year who also looked after the sanitary arrangement of the mela area. There were 63 cases of cholera during the year and of them 42 occurred during the Bhadra Purnima mela. 17 of these cases proved fatal. All the cases except two recorded during the mela period occurred among the pilgrims and were traced to have been infected before their arrival in the mela area. Elaborate precautionary measures organised during the mela period prevented tbe spread of the disease in epidemic form in the towrn.