§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India if he can state what was the average rate of mortality per 1,000 in Indian gaols on the mainland last year or in 1892; what was the highest and what was the lowest mortality per 1,000 in any such gaol; and what is the rate of mortality in the convict establishments on the Andaman Islands?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOE INDIA (Mr. H. H. FOWLER, Wolverhampton, E.)The average rate per 1,000 in 1892 was 35.94. The highest mortality occurred at Kindat in Burma, where the rate was 250 per 1,000, but the average strength of the gaol population was only 20, and of the five deaths four were due to a short but severe outbreak of cholera which attacked the town and finally spread to the gaol. The 32 lowest rate was 3.75 per 1,000 at Cuddalore, in the Madras Presidency. The rate on the Andaman Islands was 48.24. This high rate was attributable mainly to an attack of epidemic influenza aggravated by exposure, caused by a disastrous cyclone which destroyed many of the barracks.