134 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES 



inspect pay-sheets) all look after the coolies' welfare. And when Indian 

 planters objected to this or that proposal, the Royal Commission was 

 able to argue with effect that this very proposal had been introduced in 

 Ceylon at the demand of India's representative in Ceylon, so that India 

 was only being asked to follow the practice which she had helped to 

 impose on Ceylon. 



I was in Ceylon at the tail end of the great malaria epidemic, which, 

 in conjunction with famine, in the space of a year and a quarter destroyed 

 around 100,000 lives. A full account of its cause, course and consequences 

 is given in the Reports of Colonel Gill of the Indian Medical Service 

 (September 1935), of Dr. Briercliffe, head of the Medical Department 

 of Ceylon (September 1935), and of the special relief Commissioner, 

 Mr. H. E. Newnham, Ceylon Civil Service (March 1936). Dr. Gill 

 emphasises the cumulative damage wrought by the epidemic. First, 

 the actual sickness and mortality which attended it. Secondly, the ac- 

 companying privation and starvation. Thirdly, the paralysis of village life. 

 Fourthly, the debility and sickness consequent upon it. The cause of the 

 malaria epidemic, as well as of the famine, was the abnormal drought of 

 1934 and 1935, so that rivers which normally flowed strongly were 

 reduced to stagnant pools in the sand and rock of the river-bed. In these 

 the mosquito [Anopheles culifacies) found an ideal breeding gVound. 

 Malaria is endemic in parts of Ceylon and in the East generally, but there 

 was no epidemic in those parts of the country which normally suffer the 

 most. The epidemic was confined to certain river systems, flowing in 

 the main to the west coast. The area included all but the higher situated 

 tea plantations. At the height of the epidemic in certain regions every 

 other person was stricken. It was the duty of Mr. Newnham to organise 

 the programme of relief. He testifies in his Report to the excellent response 

 of the native self-governing legislature in the crisis and to the honourable 

 conduct of the large majority of those who were relieved. He quotes 

 cases of abuse, but they were in the minority, and he is able also to quote 

 cases of villagers refusing supplies, on the ground that the needs of their 

 neighbours were greater than their own. The blow to the economic 

 life of the country was so complete that it was necessary to organise relief 

 works. The lack of technical experts in sufficient numbers was found 

 a major obstacle in instituting suddenly a largely increased programme of 

 road building. Moreover, the workers were themselves in poor condition. 

 Therefore at first anti-mosquito measures, such as clearing stagnant 

 water and spraying river streams, proved the most suitable light work to 

 those recovering from malaria. In addition to clearing streams they 

 removed undergrowth, filled hollows and burnt rubbish. Thereafter 

 they were employed on road-making and irrigation works. But the 

 financial drain on the State was heavy and, though aid was given freely 

 while the crisis lasted, the State Council felt compelled to curtail its 

 works programme as soon as these were unnecessary for relief ; and 

 Mr. Newnham laments the resulting loss, for ' meanwhile the rain 

 descended and the floods came and beat upon the earthwork, and for want 

 of culverts, etc., some hundreds of miles of roads were becoming derelict.' 15 



16 Report, p. 37. 



