The Necessity of Pure Am for Health. 267 



Mortality of Indnt'd Immigrants Mortality of General Population 

 on Estates per looo. per looo. 



1885 2S'3 29-52 



18S6... ... 27-4 25-86 



1887 232 32'4i 



1888... ... 197 29*27 



1889... ... 12-5 2813 



Here the death rate in a population of 20,000, scattered 

 in groups from one end of the inhabited part of the 

 colony to the other, has been in a few years reduced by 

 about half, by simple attention to the proper rules of 

 sanitary science. And on enquiring what has actually 

 achieved this, one finds that it is mostly by giving 

 the coolies pure air. The ventilation of the ranges 

 has been much improved, by cutting a hole here 

 and there, by putting in jalousies and in some 

 places by ere6lion of new ranges from time to time with 

 proper openings for perflation. The hospitals have been 

 modified to the requirement of our better knowledge and 

 patients consequently stay in them fewer days. Put in 

 another way, it can be stated thus : in 1885, out of every 

 1,000 indentured coolies 25*3 died; in 1889 (only 4 

 years after) I2"5 only died, giving a saving in that year 

 of 13 lives per 1,000. This is 260 lives in the year 

 valued at $20,000. It is to be noted that this result has 

 not been obtained by the expenditure of large sums of 

 money, for I am told that a liberal estimate for the 

 alterations in the buildings would be much less than the 

 monetary value I have given to the lives saved. And if 

 such a result can be achieved under medical guidance on 

 the estates of the colony, surely in the towns and villages 

 it can be done also. That this is so is further shewn, 

 if it is required by the past history of the West Indies. 



LL 



