§ SIR H. COTTON (Nottingham, E.)To ask the Secretary of State for India, what was the number of chests of Bengal opium remaining in store in India and available for export on the 31st March, 1907.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) The number of chests of Bengal opium available for export which was in store on the 31st March last was 72,000 in round figures. The precise number is not yet available.
| Year. | Number of Deaths from Snake Poisoning. | Population according to last Census. | Death Rate per Million Living. |
| 1876 | 15,819 | 185,163,353 | 85.4 |
| 1877 | 16,723 | ” | 90.3 |
| 1878 | 16,740 | ” | 90.4 |
| 1879 | 17,266 | ” | 93.2 |
| 1880 | 19,150 | ” | 103.4 |
| 1881 | 18,670 | 199,103,821 | 93.8 |
| 1882 | 19,519 | ” | 98.0 |
| 1883 | 20,067 | ” | 100.9 |
| 1884 | 19,629 | ” | 98.6 |
| 1885 | 20,142 | ” | 101.2 |
| 1886 | 22,134 | ” | 111.2 |
| 1887 | 19,739 | ” | 99.1 |
| 1888 | 20,571 | ” | 103.3 |
| 1889 | 22,480 | ” | 112.9 |
| 1890 | 21,412 | ” | 107.5 |
| 1891 | 21,389 | 221,239,515 | 96.7 |
| 1892 | 19,025 | ” | 86.0 |
| 1893 | 21,213 | ” | 95.9 |
| 1894 | 21,556 | ” | 97.4 |
| 1895 | 22,086 | ” | 99.4 |
| 1896 | 21,000 | ” | 94.9 |
| 1897 | 20,959 | ” | 94.7 |
| 1898 | 21,901 | ” | 99.0 |
| 1899 | 24,621 | ” | 111.3 |
| 1900 | 22,393 | ” | 100.8 |
| 1901 | 22,810 | 231,899,507 | 98.4 |
| 1902 | 23,167 | ” | 99.9 |
| 1903 | 21,827 | ” | 94.1 |
| 1904 | 21,880 | ” | 94.3 |
| 1905 | 21,797 | ” | 94.0 |
§ The Returns are probably not very accurate, as they are based on unskilled diagnosis. Rewards are offered in most provinces for the destruction of snakes,