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Methods of obtaining information.
(t) Very little is said either by. the Denuty Commmisipner or the District Plague
Medical Officer as to the methods by which
information concerning plague occurrences was
obtained. It appears, however, that the methods were similar to those of other districts,
though less complete.
With reference to this subject the following remarks of the Plague Medical Officer
and the Deputy Commissioner may be quoted. 1 he former writes :—
" It is not necessary to go into details of each village,—indeed the details in most cases
are not forthcoming. Much of the information which we tried to collect was given by
irresponsible people living in the villages, and we had neither the time nor the opportunity to
verify their statements "
Commenting on the value of the statistics concerning plague in his district, the Deputy
Commissioner writes : •—
" Except in the Ambala Cantonment (where there was wholesale concealment both of
cases and deaths in order to avoid compulsory segregation), the statistics of deaths from
plague are everywhere approximately correct. But the value of the figures for plague
seizures varies very greatly. In many places it is known that non-fatal cases were not re-
ported. Even when all distrust of the intentions of the authorities had been removed, individuals
were inclined to be reticent about sickness in their households, partly to prevent the neigh-
bours from shunning them and partly to forestall difficulties over the funeral rites of the dead.
Mild cases were often not recognized as plague, and when evacuated villages scattered over
wide areas, as they sometimes did, the reporting agency was not always reliable "
Evacuation.
(g) ' Evaculation was very generally adopted, though the degree of thoroughness with
which it was carried out varied greatly in
different villages and among different classes.
In some towns and villages all that people did in the way of evacuation was to live
on the roof of their houses, -and Mr. Maynard considers that the mortality in the town
of Ambala was probably reduced by the measure. He adds : —
" It is an undoubted palliative, but is apt to loose efficacy because of the temptation to
which people living on their roofs are subject to visit their rooms and keep their clothes
and other belongings there."
Captain James writes :—
" It was common to see a whole village or a large section of it hurrying out into huts and
shelters in their fields on the outbreak of plague in the village. Some nearly always stopped
in, others only slept outside at night, and finally, as confidence was again resorted, back
would come those who first went out."
Mr. Maynard devotes considerable notice to the subject of evacuation ; the following
are extracts from his remarks. After remarking upon the difficulties attendant upon
evacuation during the cold weather, Mr. Maynard notes :—
" As soon as the warmth began, the Ját, whether Sikh or Hindu, who makes up the
bulk of the agricultural population in the affected tracts was ready to live in the open, and
in most cases to provide his own shelter ; and his Muhammadan brother of the Sutlej Valley,
who has heard for several years past of the experiences of the Hoshiarpur District, was
fairly ready to follow his example."
The opposition to evacuation on the part of Rajput Brahmans and the majority of
the shopkeeping classes is noticed, though there were some exceptions among the last-
named class.
" Townsmen," Mr. Maynard remarks, " will never turn out," though he adds that the
town of Kharar was more than half evacuated.
Mr. Maynard goes on to say :—
" The conversion of the rural pouplation to evacuation, as a counsel of perfection, is
the best possible evidence of its efficacy, and this conversion was complete.
" As knowledge spread purely agricultural villages commonly abandoned their houses
immediately on the discovery of dead rats, and in some instances did so merely because
neighbouring villages had become infected. At one time half the country side on the
direct line between Rupar and Kharar was out in camp, though deaths from plague had
occurred in a few villages only."
Of the difficulties connected with evacuation, Mr. Maynard notes: —
" Rain and cold weather are the greatest obstacles to evacuation. In most
villages the people have little spare clothing for themselves, their cattle undoubtedly suffer
much from exposure, and it is impossible to provide satisfactory hutting for large numbers."
He also remarks on the great difficulty in evacuating for men who have many
belongings, and notes :—
<( In the days of police cordons, property was fairly safe even when removed into
camp or left in a deserted town or village.