66 L. Rogers — Special Report on Fever in Dinajpur List. [Supplfc. 



as much as lie can bear, and should also, if possible, be in close touch 

 with the children, whom it is particually desired to reach. Such a 

 maa is the village schoolmaster, for a primary school is now to be 

 found in nearly every village, or group of villages, and it would be 

 to the advantage of the master to get his pupils to take quinine when- 

 ever they get fever, for he is interested in keeping up the figures of his 

 attendance-roll, which is greatly affected by absence on account of 

 malarial fever in the rains. I am informed that the masters of the 

 primary schools get only about Rs. 10 a month, so they would not be 

 above accepting a small commission on their sales, which would encour- 

 age them to do their best in the matter. The headman of the village 

 might in some cases also be enlisted among the dispensers of quinine. 

 I have spoken to many intelligent natives, both official and unofficial, 

 about this plan, and they have all approved of its being given a trial. 

 "Whether it would be advisable to supply packets free to the schools or 

 to sell them below cost-price at first in the most malarious tracts is 

 rather difficult to decide, as it might lead to purchase for the sake of 

 selling again at a higher price, while difficulties might arise when the 

 drug had become sufficiently popularised to make it advisable to raise 

 the price to its cost-point. I think, however, some packets might be 

 supplied free to the schools. This is a matter for the sanitary and 

 administrative authorities to settle, but that some system of village 

 distribution of quinine, among the children more especially, is an 

 urgent necessity if the heavy death-rate from malarial and chronic 

 cachexial fevers is to be lessened, is quite certain, for it is the only 

 practical method of prophylaxis in the swampy mosquito-swarming 

 tracts of Lower Bengal. 



