the east of it from inundation. Along that road every village to the -west which had suffered from inundation was visited at once
cholera, while the villages of the other side of the escaped at first. A poisoned state of the atmosphere was added to the bad drinking-water, for the storm-wave swept away every thing before it, and the whole sea-coast towards
DIVISION. The
supplement
to
the Calcutta Gazette of the 9th
the Commissioners' report gave the Chittagong Division after us
"
by
a
outbreak
This
October 1876. ed
was
on
May last the
the cholera outbreak in
north was strewn
with
the
carcasses
of
cattle
and
human bodies. In other places also the khals, tanks, and the the storm-wave of 30th sea-shore were full of carcasses and corpses. No vultures were fearfully violent and attend- to be seen at first, and the people, who have suffered a great
mortality unprecedented
even
in the annals of
cholera." Almost
immediately after the cyclone, cholera appeared places which had suffered the most from the stormIn Chittagong, cholera broke out wave. immediately after the cyclone in Seetacoond and Cooinirah, north of the station those
in
with
road
the cholera epidemic in the chittagong
shock from dead bodies.
the
cyclone, could
not be persuaded to
The local authorities tried their
best,
bury
the
with the
small agency at their disposal to bury or float away the carcasses, but long before it could be accomplished the atmosphere
tainted, and so great was the smell that travellers passing along the road, especially along the Seetacoond road, kept their on the Dacca Road. About the same time (7th of November) nostrils and mouth covered with their hands or dress, and the cholera appeared at Bakolia and Changao, east of the station, same state of things in an intensified form was to be found all in the town thana, and extended to the adjoining villages1 over the islands forming part of the Noakhally district. SaltOn the 19th November it broke out in Moishkhali, Goshail water, too, accumulated in innumerable ditches and other low Dengah, and Potengah, also in town thana : these places lie west places from which it was impossible to drain it, and this added of the station, and these villages had also suffered from the to the evil. The water of almost all the tanks on the sea-coast storm-wave. On the 8th December the epidemic reached was rendered either salt or brackish, while all vegetation in them Kolagao, on the left bank of the Kurnafoolee, south of the was destroyed by the admission of salt-water, and the accusudder station, in Puttea thana, whence it extended by degrees mulation of carcasses and debris in them made the water more to the adjoining villages. Kolagao had also been inundated impure than ever. The narrow strip of country, about 24 by the storm ?wave. On the same date it appeared in Noapara miles long and four miles wide, along the west of the Dacca and Raojan, where the storm-wave did not reach, though a Trunk Road, portion of the east bank of Kurnafoolee, Bunskhali, small portion of the former was inundated by the overflowing and northern part of the Kutubdea, as well as the islands and of the river Kurnafoolee and its tributary the Halda; and on coast of Noakhally were submerged, and the people had no the 27th December it reached as far south as Banskhali on the alternative but to use the water of those tanks, for by digging Sungoo River in Satkanea. It thus gradually extended through small wells for themselves, they obtained, it is true, brackish the whole sudder sub-division of the district and Kutubdea, water, but water that was less contaminated by decayed vegetathough it first appeared and raged with greater virulence in ble matter. places inundated by the storm-wave. The disease reached The disease was further intensified by the use of bad food, its climax about the end of December, when several European the greater portion of the grain and other food upon which residents were attacked. Soon after this there was heavy rain, the people depended for their living having been destroyed or which checked the virulence of the disease to a certain extent. damaged. The people used the damaged grain for about a In Chittagong, cholera has abated sinco the heavy rains in fortnight after drying it in the sun ; large quantities of grain February last, but it is yet to be found more or less throughout contaminated by salt-water were also carried away from the district where it appears to be generally endemic. Towards the town by the people, who mobbed the merchants' the end of April cholera broke out in Cox's Bazar, and in the to restrain godowns for the same, the police being unable extreme south of the district, a part of which had previously them." escaped. The statement on next page shows the deaths from cholera in The storm-wave in Noakholly district was more severe and the districts of the Chittagong Division, from 31st October extensive than in Chittagong, and the cholera outbreak was more 1876 to 31st March 1877. It appeared simultaneously in virulent and widespread. From the history of this awful epidemic we gather that if nearly all parts of the districts, as well in the groups of thickly we were to sweep an alluvial tract of country with a storminhabited islands of Sundeep, Hatea, Bamni, &c., &c. The wave of sea-water, destroy the purity of the drinking water, disease first appeared where the salt-water had penetrated, and and strew the ground with carcasses or corpses so as to taint in Noakhally also in the it seems to have reached its climax the atmosphere, we should be nearly certain to produce de novo end of December. In the island of Sundeep there was frightful We hope that a virulent and widespread epidemic of cholera. was
4
"
in November.
mortality As
regards
Writes.
?
The
the causes of the
of the disease was, of course, the Wherever the salt-water penetrated
cause
primary
and storm-wave.
cyclone vegetation
outbreak, the Commissioner
killed and the drinking water spoiled, and limits of the first outbreak there the cholera first began. The to which the saltwere found to be coincident with the extent water
was
penetrated,
and
this was
peculiarly
marked
along
the
Dacca road, the embankment of which saved the country to
effect of the late lamentable disaster will be to hasten the we shall know the exact condition which tends to and the true cause of this fearful disease. cholera, produce one
day when
The Lieutenant-Governor of
services of the Sanitary
Surgeons of Chittagong
Bengal gracefully acknowledges
the
Dr. Coates, and the Civil and Noakhally, Drs. Murray and Lyons,
Commissioner,
each of whom displayed much zeal and ability during this trying and dangerous time.
June 1,
CUEEESPONDENCE.
1877.]
t* Kame of District.
Name of thana and outpost.
.
a >~-
>-S
3
r? *-? ts 00
o
'A Town Hathazari
... ...
Fattickchey Seetacood Kumaria
liaojan Uamgania
Pattia Anwara Parki
Chittagong..^
...
...
Mi
Satkania Jaldi Banskbali Kutubdea Moishkhali Cox's Bazar Earaoo Chakaria Doolahatara Ukhia Nhila Teknaf Total of trict
...
149 133 161 166 209 120 10 259 193 26 55 116 109 41 4 118 30 32 4 14 4
529 35 49 574 255 140 7 245 43 80 6 118 34
..
...
..
the Dis2,115
f Town
Bamni
?
Sundeep Siddi
Hatea Nulchera
Lakhipora Noakholly.. ?{ Hoypore
Farash gunge
.
Kamgunae
Begumgunge Fenny Chagulnaya
...
Zorwargunge
...
..
Mirkhaserai
5,283
4,890 1,956
1,101 2,817 2,407 2,115 469 1,790 1,044 277 871 37 6,23:! 4,809 63 71 2 690 100 30 196 37 45: 51 41 513 521 711 527
575 229 169
1,611
188 907 385 89S 186 511
87 78s
2,940 1,590
1,632
87 369 79 162 192 475 312
150 589 378
6 355 115
410 165 293
Total of the Disdrict of Noakhol-
11,092 15,755 11,807 6,796
ly Total of the District of Chittagong total Grand the Division
2.115
5,283
4,890
1,956
13,207 21,038 16,697
8,752
of ...
165
cholera, while the villages of the other side of the escaped at first. A poisoned state of the atmosphere was added to the bad drinking-water, for the storm-wave swept away every thing before it, and the whole sea-coast towards
DIVISION. The
supplement
to
the Calcutta Gazette of the 9th
the Commissioners' report gave the Chittagong Division after us
"
by
a
outbreak
This
October 1876. ed
was
on
May last the
the cholera outbreak in
north was strewn
with
the
carcasses
of
cattle
and
human bodies. In other places also the khals, tanks, and the the storm-wave of 30th sea-shore were full of carcasses and corpses. No vultures were fearfully violent and attend- to be seen at first, and the people, who have suffered a great
mortality unprecedented
even
in the annals of
cholera." Almost
immediately after the cyclone, cholera appeared places which had suffered the most from the stormIn Chittagong, cholera broke out wave. immediately after the cyclone in Seetacoond and Cooinirah, north of the station those
in
with
road
the cholera epidemic in the chittagong
shock from dead bodies.
the
cyclone, could
not be persuaded to
The local authorities tried their
best,
bury
the
with the
small agency at their disposal to bury or float away the carcasses, but long before it could be accomplished the atmosphere
tainted, and so great was the smell that travellers passing along the road, especially along the Seetacoond road, kept their on the Dacca Road. About the same time (7th of November) nostrils and mouth covered with their hands or dress, and the cholera appeared at Bakolia and Changao, east of the station, same state of things in an intensified form was to be found all in the town thana, and extended to the adjoining villages1 over the islands forming part of the Noakhally district. SaltOn the 19th November it broke out in Moishkhali, Goshail water, too, accumulated in innumerable ditches and other low Dengah, and Potengah, also in town thana : these places lie west places from which it was impossible to drain it, and this added of the station, and these villages had also suffered from the to the evil. The water of almost all the tanks on the sea-coast storm-wave. On the 8th December the epidemic reached was rendered either salt or brackish, while all vegetation in them Kolagao, on the left bank of the Kurnafoolee, south of the was destroyed by the admission of salt-water, and the accusudder station, in Puttea thana, whence it extended by degrees mulation of carcasses and debris in them made the water more to the adjoining villages. Kolagao had also been inundated impure than ever. The narrow strip of country, about 24 by the storm ?wave. On the same date it appeared in Noapara miles long and four miles wide, along the west of the Dacca and Raojan, where the storm-wave did not reach, though a Trunk Road, portion of the east bank of Kurnafoolee, Bunskhali, small portion of the former was inundated by the overflowing and northern part of the Kutubdea, as well as the islands and of the river Kurnafoolee and its tributary the Halda; and on coast of Noakhally were submerged, and the people had no the 27th December it reached as far south as Banskhali on the alternative but to use the water of those tanks, for by digging Sungoo River in Satkanea. It thus gradually extended through small wells for themselves, they obtained, it is true, brackish the whole sudder sub-division of the district and Kutubdea, water, but water that was less contaminated by decayed vegetathough it first appeared and raged with greater virulence in ble matter. places inundated by the storm-wave. The disease reached The disease was further intensified by the use of bad food, its climax about the end of December, when several European the greater portion of the grain and other food upon which residents were attacked. Soon after this there was heavy rain, the people depended for their living having been destroyed or which checked the virulence of the disease to a certain extent. damaged. The people used the damaged grain for about a In Chittagong, cholera has abated sinco the heavy rains in fortnight after drying it in the sun ; large quantities of grain February last, but it is yet to be found more or less throughout contaminated by salt-water were also carried away from the district where it appears to be generally endemic. Towards the town by the people, who mobbed the merchants' the end of April cholera broke out in Cox's Bazar, and in the to restrain godowns for the same, the police being unable extreme south of the district, a part of which had previously them." escaped. The statement on next page shows the deaths from cholera in The storm-wave in Noakholly district was more severe and the districts of the Chittagong Division, from 31st October extensive than in Chittagong, and the cholera outbreak was more 1876 to 31st March 1877. It appeared simultaneously in virulent and widespread. From the history of this awful epidemic we gather that if nearly all parts of the districts, as well in the groups of thickly we were to sweep an alluvial tract of country with a storminhabited islands of Sundeep, Hatea, Bamni, &c., &c. The wave of sea-water, destroy the purity of the drinking water, disease first appeared where the salt-water had penetrated, and and strew the ground with carcasses or corpses so as to taint in Noakhally also in the it seems to have reached its climax the atmosphere, we should be nearly certain to produce de novo end of December. In the island of Sundeep there was frightful We hope that a virulent and widespread epidemic of cholera. was
4
"
in November.
mortality As
regards
Writes.
?
The
the causes of the
of the disease was, of course, the Wherever the salt-water penetrated
cause
primary
and storm-wave.
cyclone vegetation
outbreak, the Commissioner
killed and the drinking water spoiled, and limits of the first outbreak there the cholera first began. The to which the saltwere found to be coincident with the extent water
was
penetrated,
and
this was
peculiarly
marked
along
the
Dacca road, the embankment of which saved the country to
effect of the late lamentable disaster will be to hasten the we shall know the exact condition which tends to and the true cause of this fearful disease. cholera, produce one
day when
The Lieutenant-Governor of
services of the Sanitary
Surgeons of Chittagong
Bengal gracefully acknowledges
the
Dr. Coates, and the Civil and Noakhally, Drs. Murray and Lyons,
Commissioner,
each of whom displayed much zeal and ability during this trying and dangerous time.
June 1,
CUEEESPONDENCE.
1877.]
t* Kame of District.
Name of thana and outpost.
.
a >~-
>-S
3
r? *-? ts 00
o
'A Town Hathazari
... ...
Fattickchey Seetacood Kumaria
liaojan Uamgania
Pattia Anwara Parki
Chittagong..^
...
...
Mi
Satkania Jaldi Banskbali Kutubdea Moishkhali Cox's Bazar Earaoo Chakaria Doolahatara Ukhia Nhila Teknaf Total of trict
...
149 133 161 166 209 120 10 259 193 26 55 116 109 41 4 118 30 32 4 14 4
529 35 49 574 255 140 7 245 43 80 6 118 34
..
...
..
the Dis2,115
f Town
Bamni
?
Sundeep Siddi
Hatea Nulchera
Lakhipora Noakholly.. ?{ Hoypore
Farash gunge
.
Kamgunae
Begumgunge Fenny Chagulnaya
...
Zorwargunge
...
..
Mirkhaserai
5,283
4,890 1,956
1,101 2,817 2,407 2,115 469 1,790 1,044 277 871 37 6,23:! 4,809 63 71 2 690 100 30 196 37 45: 51 41 513 521 711 527
575 229 169
1,611
188 907 385 89S 186 511
87 78s
2,940 1,590
1,632
87 369 79 162 192 475 312
150 589 378
6 355 115
410 165 293
Total of the Disdrict of Noakhol-
11,092 15,755 11,807 6,796
ly Total of the District of Chittagong total Grand the Division
2.115
5,283
4,890
1,956
13,207 21,038 16,697
8,752
of ...
165
