82

Report on Kála-ázar.

tabloids will be indicated, and will be of the greatest service
in restoring the nutrition of the body if only fever remains
in abeyance. It will, however, be of little use as long as
there is fever of a marked degree, but a temperature running
up to 101ºF., or so occasionally, will not be a contra-indication
to its use.

     A nutritious and easily digested diet will be of the first
importance, especially in the later stages of the disease. The
craving for meat has already been mentioned, and should,
when possible, be satisfied. All indigestible food should be
prohibited, as it is very likely to start uncontrollable diarrhœa.

     From what has been written, it will be evident that I look
upon the disease in its earliest stages as curable by sufficiently
vigorous and constant anti-malarial treatment; but that it
is rarely that cases are seen early and often enough to
allow of this being carried out, even in in-door dispensaries,
while it is almost impossible in the case of out-door ones,
although much relief is doubtless given by them; while no
known treatment will save more than a small proportion of
the chronic cases. The disease is then essentially one in
which prevention is better than cure, and in which any
measures which would limit in the smallest degree the
prevalence and spread of the disease, will save infinitely
more lives than all the dispensaries in the province put
together.