(114)
September the district was almost free from the disease, which is usually the
case in those parts which are subject to fresh water inundation of the river
Padda which kept the country under water till September. This immunity is
also due to the heavy rains of the season. In October the disease again
became epidemic, and continued so up to the end of the year. The circles in
the north of the district, on comparatively elevated alluvial soil-earlier
formations of the river Padda-suffered more in the earlier than in the later
epidemic. The circles in the central and southern portions of the district are
comparatively low, and suffered most in the cold weather epidemic. In these
low tracts are extensive swamps with an abundant growth of vegetation,
which commences to rot in the cold weather after the subsidence of the
inundation water. Of the two circles on the alluvial formations situated
between the two large divisions of the Ganges in this district, viz., the Padda
and the Areal Khan, that of Sadarpur suffered most in the cold weather
epidemic, and that of Palong almost equally during both epidemics. Every
circle in this district was very severely attacked, and in all of them the
mortality was very high. "The cyclone touched a small portion of the south-
east portion of this district, and very partially flooded this part of the country:
the water was fresh and of little depth; dead animals did not fill the tanks and
streams, and cholera did not ensue."
Bakirganj.-In this district cholera is always present to a great extent.
The extension of the disease from the close of 1875 to the commencement of 1876,
and the March to May, and October to December prevalence of the disease,
with the interval of subsidence from June to September, also obtained here.
It has been observed that in this district the increase or decrease of cholera,
whether the disease prevails epidemically or endemically, is greatly influenced
by the fall and rise of the river streams, tanks, swamps, &c., all over the
district with the seasons of the year. When the water of the rains is evapo-
rating in September, and again after the storms of March, the disease prevails in
the highest degree. When the rains have well set, and the earth is saturated,
and the storm water is flowing freely, it prevails in the least degree. " Bakir-
ganj is a flat alluvial country; the highest parts are the banks of the rivers,
and the lowest levels are those between the large rivers. The whole district
is intersected by numerous rivers having a southerly direction, with numerous
connecting channels between them. Cholera first attacks those parts of the
country which are affected by the fall in the height of the water level after
the cessation of the rains, and these are the highest parts of the country near
the banks of the large rivers. In its spread it follows the fall of the country
and the retreating water. The circumstances attending several local outbreaks
that took place during the year in the district bear out the above observations.
The tanks, which are very numerous in each village, have their banks usually
covered with trees; dead leaves fall into the water, and all sorts of refuse are
cast, and fill the hollows and slopes leading to them.
"The winter prevalence of the disease took place in this district, as
usual, in October with a mortality rising from 37 deaths in September
to 399 in October, against 94 and 490 deaths respectively in the corre-
sponding months of the preceding year. These facts indicate that, independ-
ently of the action of the cyclone and storm wave which visited the east of
this district, and greatly aggravated the severity of the disease, the winter
epidemic prevelance of the malady had been called forth by the other con-
ditions capable themselves of bringing it into activity.
On the night of the 31st October 1876, a severe cyclone, accompanied,
about midnight, by storm waves rising to a height variously estimated at from
10 to 20 feet, and in some places higher, occurred in the Bay of Bengal, and
burst over principally this, the Noakhali, and the Chittagaon districts. The
storm waves affected this district as far as Ferozepur, but especially the eastern
portion-the islands of the Dakhan Shahbazpur sub-division in the estuary of
the Megna and the Ganges.
Besides causing an immense loss to life and property, this calamity
greatly increased the ordinary insanitary conditions of the affected localities.
The dead bodies of men and animals were left exposed on the fields all over
the country. Swarms of flies were generated in the decomposing carcasses,
the stench was unbearable, vultures and jackals would not touch them.