4
The house was left standing open for at least ten days and no fresh cases
of plague, as far as can be discovered, other than those brought in for the sake
of concealment, occurred in houses thus treated, on the return of the occupiers.
The total number of houses lime-washed was 3,068 and those disinfected
1,916. This does not include Municipal work or Cantonment.
All houses without efficient ventilation, which was the rule, had square
holes 2 feet X 2 feet knocked in the walls, and, where necessary, tiles were re-
moved from the roofs to let in air and sunlight. The dryness of the climate
rendered this possible. In some cases it was necessary to burn the thatch
roofs full of filth, as capable of no other treatment. In one settlement Bhokar-
vádi, containing about 150 small low castle-walled thatched dwellings, crowded
together, reeking of filth, only equalled by the inhabitants, where the plague was
rampant, the whole settlement was unroofed, the roofs burned being full of filth
and vermin. The interiors and exteriors were lime-washed and the floors re-
moved, with the result, that, on the inhabitants being allowed to return at once,
having nowhere else to go to, no case of plague occurred.
III.—The treatment of Grain.
This was a question of difficulty, especially in large grain stores which had been
infected by the rats being affected by the plague. The
The treatment of Grain, &c. rats in Poona, as far as my experience goes, were not
in excessive numbers, certainly not so numerous as in Hongkong in 1894. In
many stores dead rats were found in every state of decomposition—from those
just recently dead to those dried and hardened to the brittleness of a biscuit.
Their coats were in many instances staring and dull, and abdominal swelling
was frequent, this before post mortem change could have affected it. It was
thus necessary to remove all the grain, to dig up, as far as possible, runs and
holes, and in doing this, many more corpses of rats were found, and to thoroughly
disinfect and lime wash the premises and yards attached. Any grain that had
been in actual contact with infected persons, corpses or dead rats was ordered to
be burnt, but in practice this was luckily hardly ever necessary. The grain on
being removed from the stores was required to be placed in the sun for a whole
day or longer, and in this way sufficient protection was afforded. In a complete
block of grain stores in Náná's Peth, where several cases of plague had occurred,
and where many rats dead of the disease were constantly being discovered, the
whole of the grain was removed, exposed to sunlight, and the premises lime-
washed and floors re-made.
On being re-occupied no further cases of plague occurred, nor were any
more dead rats found. It seems evident that this method of treating grain from
infected houses is sufficient. Again in the case of tobacco, where much valuable
stock might be destroyed, it is only necessary to expose to direct sunlight for the
day. Grain is usually cooked before eating and tobacco burned in process of
consumption.
In the case of cloth merchants, tailors, &c., all rags, which were regarded
as most dangerous in harbouring contagion, were taken from their shops, when
infected and burnt, the other contents were fumigated and afterwards exposed
to sunlight. Fortunately not many shops were infected in Poona, partly from
their owners having fled the city, removing their wares also.
Treatment of infected Clothes, Bedding, &c., at the Government
Segregation Camp.
A part of the segregation camp near the entrance was specially set apart
for disinfection of clothing, bedding, &c., brought in
Segregation Camp.
by
those segregated and consisted of a shed, containing
three large iron cauldrons with fires beneath for boiling clothes, also six caul-
drons of perchloride of mercury 1—1,000 solution coloured with aniline blue.
Around was railed off a portion of ground for the drying and exposure to sun of
articles there treated.
These operations were under the care of a military party, consisting of one
non-commissioned officer and 5 men, whose duty it was to immediately disin-
fect the property of those segregated. On being removed from their houses
the people were allowed to bring with them a change of clothing, bedding,