Intestinal Parasites as Factors in the Mortality of Prisoners in Cannanore and Rajahmundry Jails

73-82 26-52 41-62 10-20 28-59 4421 41-29 72-23 27-21 19-15 50-88 84-46 76-65 26-04 22-21 12-49 60-79 21*55 20-81 6-12 14-30 24-56 13*77 49 01 9*89 9-57 35*62 32*99 49-00 10*96 9*72 1*56 In Table No. I will be found statistics showing the daily average population of the jail, the number of deaths from all causes, the deaths from intestinal affections, such as dysentery, diarrhoea, enteritis, but excluding cholera, and the deathrate for the same for the period of sixteen years between 1881 and 1896. The total death-rate has been uniformly high, and that from bowel affections has generally been considerable, Only during the last three years included in the series has there been a steady reduction in the mortality generally and especially in that due to bowel complaints. This reduction is believed to be due to the recognition of the fact that ascaris lumbricoides is excessively prevalent in this part of India, and that to its presence may be traced many of the diseases which have caused mortality in previous years. My attention was first drawn to the importance of this parasite by a post-mortem examination made a few days after 1 took charge in 1894. The case was one of diarrhoea, with anaemia and dropsy. In the post-mortem