10
military had the effect of causing the public to give information to the Muni-
cipal, authorities of a large proportion of the cases that occurred, and in many
instances even to take patients to hospital without, official pressure having been
exercised.
The Fumigation, Parties.
19. The disinfection by fumigation or otherwise of infected houses and
their contents was an essential part of the Plague Committee's scheme. Parti-
culars of the constitution of the military fumigation parties and of the duties
assigned to them will be found in the printed " Directions for Fumigators "
(Appendix 6). These directions were framed by the Committee and published
for the information of the public.
20. When the operations of the military commenced on March 13th there
were two fumigation divisions, each consisting of 10 parties and under the com-
mand of a British officer. From March 22nd, when the number of search divi-
sions was increased to 6, the number of fumigation divisions was increased to 3.
On April 1st the number of fumigation divisions was reduced from 3 to 2, and on
April 9th from 2 to 1, the number and constitution of the parties in a division
remaining unaltered. On May 6th the strength of the fumigation division was
reduced to four parties, and on May 13th the strength was further reduced to
two parties. On May 6th the fumigation and limewashing divisions were put
under the same officer.
21. Before the operations of the military commenced, a list was prepared
of all the houses in the city in which plague cases or deaths from any cause
had occurred since March 1st and which had not already been disinfected. All
houses on this list had to be dealt with by the fumigators. Thereafter they were
supplied daily with a list of houses from which fresh plague cases or deaths from
any cause had been reported to the Municipal authorities. In addition to the
houses entered in these lists all houses in which cases or plague corpses were
found during the morning's search had to be disinfected.
22. The preparation of correct lists of houses for fumigation was found to
be a matter of considerable practical difficulty. Persons who reported deaths
at the Municipal Office constantly gave the address of the deceased incorrectly,
thereby exposing au uninfected house to disinfection and its inmates to the in-
conveniences of segregation. To get over this difficulty, the Municipal Conser-
vancy Inspectors were entrusted with the duty of verifying the addresses at
which plague attacks and deaths had occurred. The work was indifferently per-
formed by them and was accordingly made over to the Assistant Masters from
the Poona High School, whose services were lent by the Director of Public In-
struction. It was finally transferred to non-commissioned officers of the Native
Infantry.
23. During the greater portion of the operations the fumigation divisions
worked daily over the same local area as the search divisions. One or more
fumigation parties accompanied each search division for the purpose of disin-
fecting any houses where cases might be found in the morning's search. The
remaining parties of the fumigation divisions were employed on the disinfection
of houses entered on the fumigation lists, and situated within the section of the
city to be searched on the particular day. At the close of the operations, when
the number of houses for disinfection was small, this arrangement was not strictly
adhered to, and the fumigation parties were employed in whatever part of the
city there was work for them to do.
24. It will be seen in the " Directions for Fumigators " that two alter-
native processes of disinfection were prescribed. In practice, however, it was
found that most houses could not be made sufficiently air-tight to admit of the
fumigation process; and flushing with perchloride of mercury was the method of
disinfection commonly adopted.
25. Appendix 7 shows the number of houses disinfected on each day of
the operations.
The total number disinfected was 1,918, of which no less than 1,189 were
disinfected before the end of March. The number of houses for disinfection
naturally fell off as the epidemic decreased, and it was therefore possible to make
frequent reductions in the numbers of the fumigation parties.