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about the time of the early rains and prevailing in epidemic form
These ulcers usually attack the lower third of the leg; and while no
particularly intractable to early and thorough treatment they become
when neglected or left to the careless methods and inadequate atten-
tion of the ordinary Duars' "doctor babu," the source of much suffer
ing and disability among the coolies, many ulcers remaining unhealed
for months. The ulcers appear to have a specific origin and a large
bacillus occurring in the granulation tissue is possibly the casual
agent.
Diseases of the eye.-Diseases of the eye, notably infective conjunc-
tivits, are very frequent, and in the absence of effective medical
arrangements, exert very serious effect upon large numbers of the po-
pulation. The actual cases of conjunctivits that occurred in the Duars
during 1908 must have run into many thousands. At the time that
the disease was prevalent from March onwards, numerous cases were
seen on every garden visited; over a hundred cases were seen during
a brief stay on a garden with a total population of about 900 people.
The disease attacks both children and adults, and whole families
may be seen suffering at the same time. We have been told that it
recurs more or less severely every year, but no steps appear to be taken
to check or limit the epidemic. In the case of one garden where very
large numbers of the coolies were seen to be suffering from the disease,
the "doctor babu" was away on several months' leave and there was
no substitute to attend to his duties.
Kala-Azar.-In the absence of hospitals and under the existing
lack of medical system splenic puncture is rarely possible, and the
amount of Kala-Azar infection cannot be gauged; but clinical evidence
does not show the disease to be prevalent in the Duars, and though
occasional sporadic cases may be met with, Kala-Azar does not figure
largely in the pathological picture of the district.
Small-pox.-This disease occurs from time to time in the form of
more or less isolated outbreaks. We have heard of some three or four
such outbreaks during the present year on widely separated gardens.
We are informed that vaccination on the gardens is carried out by
Government vaccinators who, it is statedd, are paid by the coolies for