'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1914-1915' [‎177v] (24/150)

Local funds.
Vital statistics.
Emigration
and
immigration.
Medical relief.
Epidemic
diseases;
Plague.
Cholera.
• BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT. r
XV1 ' ,
in trade during the year 1913 -*4 and to an improvement in the method of coll •
of the tax on salaries and pensions.
51. The accounts of all the district local boards have been audited
the end of March 1914. These and all other local funds are solvent T
Steam Boiler Inspection Fund again had a deficit at the end of the year and 6
forced to resort to a further sale of the securities held by it.
1^2. The prevalence of cholera contributed ^ ar § e ly to the rise in the death
rate from 26-63 to 29-48 per mille. This was however counterbalanced by j
rise in the birth-rate from 34-96 to 37-43 per mile. This is probably an indication
of the increased prosperity brought about lay two consecutive favourable seasons
The noteworthy feature of the statistics is the high mortality among childre
under 5 years of age (95-5^ P er mille )- This is due.to the prevalence 0 [
intestinal disorders which are directly attributable to defective sanitation.
53. Bombay as usual attracted a large number of labourers from the Deccan
and the Surat, Kolaba and Ratnagiri districts. Other centres of attraction for
labour were the cotton-picking areas of the Broach district and Baroda territory
the railway works in Thana, the Bhandardara Dam works in Ahmednagar arid
the Tata works at Lon avia in the Poona district. The injury inflicted on the
weaving industry by the war caused a considerable exodus of weavers from the
Thana, Ahmednagar, East Khandesh and Ndsik districts, chiefly to Bombay,
There were the usual movements of labourers at harvest time. Emigration by sea
from Bombay was normal, The principal destinations were East and South
Africa and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The usual batch of employes on the Uganda Railway
left Karachi. Emigration to South Africa has received a decided checkowingto
the strictness of the new immigration laws. A large proportion of this year's
emigrants to South Africa consisted of persons who had returned home through
fear at the beginning of the war and then having become reassured returned to
South Africa taking with them their wives and children or those of their friends
in the colony.
54. There was a considerable increase in the total number of patients treated
during the year. Amongst out-door patients malaria furnished the largest number
of admissions, next in order coming diseases of the digestive and respiratory
systems, and diseases of the eye, ear and skin; while injuries, malaria,labour cases,
turbercular diseases, dysentery, leprosy and diarrhoea in the order named brought
most in-patients to hospital. The rise (51-2 per cent.) in the number of labour
cases indicates the popularity of maternity wards attached to hospitals and
dispensaries. The opening of several private non-aided institutions was the mam
cause of an increase in the total number of institutions. The scheme for the
establishment of special dispensaries for the treatment of women and children
had to be deferred owing to the financial situation created by the war. The total
expenditure on medical relief rose from Rs. 23 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 25 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees .
55. Plague continued the tendency shown during the past few y eat ) t0
decrease in virulence. The mortality from plague was considerably lower t an
that for any year since 1903. The tracts most affected were the Southern
Maratha Country and parts of the Deccan. The returns show that both t
incidence of and mortality from the disease are incomparably less among pet 50
who have been inoculated than among those who are not so protected.
Almost the whole of the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. proper was severely affected by
the total number of deaths from which rose from 5,134 t° 1 7 ) 779 - /^ e , ^
districts suffered worst. This was owing to the introduction of infectio ^
Pandharpur at the time of the spring fair. Only. one fatal case was P
from Sind.