TOLL OF PLAGUE

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 56, 7 March 1934, Page 7

TOLL OF PLAGUE

THOUSANDS DYING.

MORTALITY IN INDIA. 2000 Died in United Provinces In February. HUNDREDS PERISH DAILY. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 11.30 a.m.) CALCUTTA, March 8. The present is the season of epidemics in India. Plague is claiming heavy Loll, especially in the United Provinces where, according to official statistics, there were 2000 deaths in February. It is said that 1210 died in one week. It is feared that this week the toll will be much heavier. Twenty of tho smaller towns arc affccted. Many people are fleeing panicstricken into the country. Courts and schools are closed, and thousands of people are being inoculated. Three hundred and seventy-nine people perished from cholera and 148 from smallpox in Bengal last week. Cerebro spinal meningitis is rampant in Bombay Presidency, where 80 died iu a few days.

Though the reporting of vital statistics in India is still defective, it is stated that there were over 12,000,000 deaths from inllucnza in 1918-19. Fevers of various kinds are by far the most common cause of death among the Indians, cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea, smallpox, and, since 1890, plague being other chief causes. The reported deaths from plague up to the end of 19.30 were about 12.280,000 in India as a whole. 11l 4771 hospitals and dispensaries, maintained mostly by public funds, 57,443,000 patients were treated in 1930. The number of persons vaccinated, according to the 1930-31 census, was ]5,265,000. The same census states that there were 147,911 lepers in that year.