2
It is the plague of the Biblical and Justinian periods, the " Black Death "
of 1348 and 1485, the London " Plague " of 1592 and of 1603, also the " Great
Plague " of London and the Provinces in 1665, the Bubonic Plague of the
present century, the Volga in Russia in 1871, the Epidemic in Hongkong o£
1894, and the present epidemic in India.
Density Table, City of Poona.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Peth.
Bhavani ... ...
Nana * ... ...
Raste ... ...
Nihal ... ...
Somwar
...
...
Mangalwar ... ...
Kasba
...
...
Rawiwar ... ...
Ganesh ... ...
Vetal ... ...
Ghorpade ... ...
Ganj... ...
Shukrawar ... ...
Budhwar ... ...
Shanwar ... ...
Narayen... ...
Sadashiv... ...
Bhamburde ... ...
Gultekri... ...
Musafargang ...
Total
population.
7,661
7,356
4,828
1,368
4,516
2,558
13,534
10,674
4,078
5,237
1,153
5,425
16,359
6,720
9,132
4,257
15,093
3,334
235
256
Total
mortality.
292
381
114
t 60
129
74
450
574
271
172
36
155
618
253
194
105
284
53
6
1
Percentage
mortality.
3.08
5.01
2.01
5.01
2.08
2.08
3.03
5.04
6.06
3.03
3.01
2.09
3.08
3.08
2.01
2.05
2.08
1.06
2.06
3.01
Area in square
yards.
1,235,000
525,000
365,000
105,000
545,000
485,000
575,000
325,000
155,000
195,000
655,000
428,000
955,000
185,000
445,000
375,000
2,275,000
2,206,220
2,447,300
Included in
Number of
square yards
per head.
161.20
71.37
75.60
76.76
120.68
189.60
42.48
30.44
38.00
37.23
568.08
75.34
58.38
27.52
48.72
88.09
225.40
661.73
10,414.04
Gang No.12
Remarks.
* The mortality from plague in Nana's Peth was large, and the parts where it occurred were densely populated
The 71.37 square yards per head includes much land consisting of open fields.
Although the mortality is shown as small for no apparent reason, there was much plague here.
Consisted of better class native population.
The term " bubonic fever " is misleading and unnecessary, and the nomen-
clature should be confined to the term " Plague." The name of " Bubonic
Plague " has been taken from the appearances of the local symptoms, as the
enlargement of the lymphatic glands are an objective feature ; but many cases,
especially amongst those of a septic type, show no visible glandular enlargement.
Nature of the Disease.
It is a disease essentially propagated by filth and insanitary surroundings
depending on the presence of the pathogenic bacillus, which here finds the
necessary pabulum for its increase, all the factors favourable for the growth of
this species of micro-organism being present. From experience, it seems to
me impossible that plague can exist, except under insanitary conditions, most
especially overcrowding and ground-filth ; imported cases may occur anywhere
but with all the elements of cleanliness, light and ample individual cubic space,
there is little or no chance of its ever becoming endemic. It is probable that
recurrence of the disease may take place in India, but when plague first
reaches new areas it is unlikely to become endemic for more than two or three
years.
Fortunately for the human race, the plague bacillus is an organism of
small virile power, that is, it is killed in comparatively weak antiseptic solutions,
such as 1—1000 corrosive sublimate or a 5 per cent. carbolic acid solution, and
it also probably readily succumbs to the attacks of other non-pathogenic bacilli,
which are always present where the pabulum is abundant. Its mode of
increase is, also, not one of spore formation, spores being even more tenacious of
life than the parent cell, but by fission. Plague may be looked upon as essen-