Annual sanitary report of the Province of Assam.

  • Assam
Date:
[1927]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    10/64 page 4
    will be asked to direct the vaccination inspecting staff to specially verify the vital statistical registers of these circles. 6. The total deaths numbered 160,813 giving a ratio 23*47 per 1,000 of the po- , pulation against 157,787 with a ratio of 23*02 in 1926 eat registration — enera, a]1(j 24*65 the average for previous five years. As compared with the preceding year, a higher mortality was recorded in the districts of Cachar (5 30) which was due to the prevalence of cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea and fevers and also in Sylhet (3*42), Lakhimpur (1*09) and Nowgong (’9 3) which was due to the prevalence of cholera. The death-rate in the Kamrup district fell from 25*93 in 1926 and 25*48 in the previous quinquennium to 18*60 in 1927. An Epidemic Unit writh its headquarters at Gauhati is located in this district. This unit provides facilities for dealing promptly with epidemics of cholera and smallpox immediately they make their appearance and thereby checking their spread. The death-rates in the districts of Goalpara, Kamrup, Darrang, Nowgong and Sibsagar were well below the quinquennial average but those in the districts of Cachar, Sylhet and Lakhimpur were a little higher and in no case above 1 per mille. The decline in the provincial death-rate is attributable very largely to the preventive measures against kola azar. Death areas. 7. During the year 1927, the total number of deaths recorded in towns amounted to 3,533, representing a death-rate of 23 68, as compared with 3,372 and 22 60 in the preceding year and 23*79 the quinquennial average. registration in urban Tezpur stood first, amongst the towns, with a death-rate of 34*60. This high mortality was due to phthisis, pneumonia, dysentery and cholera. This town is provided with a fairly efficient water-works but the supply of good filtered water for domestic purposes is limited and does not extend to all parts of the town. Barpeta comes next with a death-rate of 34*02 and this is attributable largely to malaria and cholera. The above are followed by North Lakhimpur with a death-rate of 33*06, attributable to diseases grouped under “ Other causes ” and fevers and Nowgong (31*95) due to cholera, dysentery and hala azar and Habiganj (28*89) due to dysentery and cholera. The prevalence of cholera and dysentery in Nowgong and Habiganj indicates the necessity for an early improvement of their water-supplies. As in 1923, the lowest death-rate (7*50) was reported from Maulvi Bazar. Other low rates were Hailakandi (10*32) and Tinsukia (11*69). These low rates indicate defective registration. 8. The totil number of deaths registered in rural areas in 1927 was 157,280 _ . ( .. . T or 23 46 per mille of population, as compared with 154A15 6 and 23*03, respectively, m 1923 and 24*67 the quinquen¬ nial average. The highest rates, 36 93 and 36*37, were reported from the Kalaigaon and Paneri- hat circles in the Darrang district. The cause is believed to have been an unusual prevalence of fevers. Other high rates were Katigora ( 34*26) and Udarband (31*63) in Cachar and attributable to cholera and fevers, Dudnai (34 25) due to small*pox and fevers and North Salmara (32*02) in Goalpara attributable to fevers, Lakhai (31*15), Tahirpur (33*75), Karimsanj (33*74) and Sylhet (sadar) (31*10) in Sylhet attributable to cholera and small-pox, Dhakuakhana (32*44) in Lakhimpur due to cholera, UdaJguri (31*23) in Darrang due to fevers. The rates returned for Marghe- rita circle (3 02) in Lakhimpur district, Titabor (10*85) in Sibsagar and Gohpur (11*18) in Darrang are low and attributable to defective registration. The Civil Surgeons concerned will be asked to pay special attention to the verification of vital statistics in these circles. 9. In Municipal and Kegisiration in compul-ory a eas.—Prosecution under Act, IV(B. C.) of 1873. small towns, where registration is compulsory, 267.omis¬ sions were detected, 296 prosecutions were instituted and 270. convictions were obtained. The total amount of fines inflicted was Rs. 171-6-0 or annas 10 per person convicted. It will be observed that registration is very defective in the small towns of Tinsukia, Manga Llai and Maulvi Bazar. No omission was detected in Silohar, Dhubri, Gauripur and Shillong and only one omission in each of the towns of Hailakandi and Doom- Dooma.
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