316

EPIDEMIC CHOLERA OF INDIA OF 1875 AND 1876,

[ Section IV.

   On 23rd November, a woman of the Battery at Neemuch died, and shortly afterwards a
severe outbreak occurred among the labourers employed in constructing the railway near
Neemuch.

   In Western Malwa, the escort of the Political Agent was attacked while marching, and 5
cases occurred from 8th to 11th December. This case recalls the attack of the Governor
General's escort in Rajpootana in December 1860.

   On 12th, 14th, and 15th December, three fatal cases in men belonging to Her Majesty's
2-12th, 34th, and 70th Regiments, occurred on the line of railway between Jubbulpore and
Bombay, showing that the Nerbudda valley was affected.

   It was at this time that cholera broke out in Arabia, and the coincidence is worthy of
record. The same occurred early in 1856, in anticipation of the great cholera of India of that
year.

   In the spring of 1878, this cholera has re-appeared over this natural area, earlier or later
according to the local conditions afforded; for example, in March in Malwa, and in May at
Gwalior.

   On 2nd and 3rd May a mother and child died in the Fort at Agra, and on the same day
cholera was reported in the Lushkur at Gwalior. This is the homologue of the appearance of
cholera on 4th May in 1875, illustrated in the second chapter of the cholera section of this
report.

   In 1869, cholera broke out virulently on 22nd April at Morar. In this year, the first case
appeared on 7th May, and up to date upwards of 30 European soldiers have died. And one of
the most fatal outbreaks recorded of late years which has just ceased, has caused 55 deaths,
out of 113 cases of cholera in a treasure escort of Native troops, 379 strong, on the road between
Agra and Gwalior, which was attacked on the evening of the 12th May.

   In Jhansi, Bundelkhund, and Rewah, which lie to the east of the epidemic tract, no cholera
is reported; and, as I have already said, no cholera has yet appeared to the north of the
epidemic line.

   In the west, the same cholera appeared six weeks earlier. Malwa, Dhar, Mundesore,
Rutlam, Oojein, and Indore were affected in March; and at Bhilsa, in the Bhopal territory, a
localised outbreak caused 64 deaths in March.

   In the last week of March, the camp followers of the 3rd Hussars, stationed at Mhow,
were attacked; and out of a strength of 700, 70 were seized and 35 died. At Sehore, the first
death was reported on 29th March, and a man of the Bhopal Battalion was attacked on 31st.

   From west to east there has been no movement of cholera, as the consecutive appearance
of the outbreaks of 1878 might suggest. The present is merely an illustration, in a different
aspect, of what I have so often urged, that the appearance of cholera in Nimar or Khandeish,
a month before its appearance in Malwa, does not imply the conveyance of the cholera from
the one district to the other.