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their services. We have not heard that the medical staff of a garden
is responsible for vaccination in any way.
Epidemic dropsy.-Several considerable outbreaks of epidemic
dropsy occurred during the course of our enquiry in the Duars. In
some gardens a hundred coolies or more were attacked, but the mor-
tality from this disease appeared to be trifling. We saw a considerable
number of cases on one garden, but no serious ones, and the epidemic
soon disappeared.
Plague.-No case of this disease has come under our notice, and we
have not heard of any case having been recognised in past years in
any part of the district.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR TREATMENT OF THE SICK.
The arrangements for the treatment of the sick in the Duars con-
sist of-
(1) A European medical officer in each sub-division.
(2) A so-called "doctor babu" on most gardens.
(3) A building or part of one, utilised as a medical store-room
and dispensary.
(4) A coolie to assist the "doctor babu" and carry round medi-
cines to the lines.
The European medical officer, to quote Mr. Arbuthnott's Report
on the Duars (vide page 8), "is not retained on account of the coolies,
nor is attendance to the labour force regarded as his legitimate work,
though he would be called in to attend to a serious case or in the
event of an epidemic."
In some instances the medical officer is supposed to give some
general oversight to the medical arrangements for the coolies; but the
"doctor babus" do not appear to be.directly responsible to the me-
dical officer, while the absence of real facilities for serious medical
work among the coolies renders such supervision as may be given more
or less futile.
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