9 8
The first case—a fatal one—occurred in the smalltown of Hàfizabad, the head'-quarters-
of the tahsil of that name, on November 14th, 1901, having been imported from Kila
Sobha Singh in the Siálkot District. Prompt measures saved the town from infection.
The first place in which an outbreak of plague occurred was Ibbránwáli in the
Wazirabad Tahsil, where the disease was discovered on February. 2nd, 1902.
The outbreak, was a severe one, and 159 cases of plague with 114 deaths occurred
among the 1,501 inhabitants of the village.
Ibbránwáli became a centre of infection for the neighbourhood.
The town of Wazirabad, with a population of 18,240, became infected on March 22nd;
1902, the outbreak not ceasing until June 30th. One hundred and forty-three plague cases
with 122 deaths were reported here. There was an outbreak in 3.3 villages-and towns in
the Wazirabad Tahsl, with 1,728 cases and 1,095 deaths. The towns infected besides
Wazirabad itself were Sodhra,—population 5,313, cases 211, deaths 125 ; Akalgarh,—popu-
lation 4,961, cases 58, deaths 43 ; and Rámnagar,—population 7,131, cases 14, deaths 3.
The town of Gujránwála (population 29,315) was the first place to be infected
in the tahsil of that name. Plague broke out here on April 1st, 1902, and between that
date and August 13th, 436 cases-with 400 deaths were reported.
Twenty-two places, including the towns oí Gujránwala and Eminabad, were
infected in the Gujránwála Táhsil, and 1,254 cases of plague occurred with 957
deaths.
Only 3 cases with 2 deaths occurred at Eminabad.
The Khángah Dográn Tahsil became infected on April 2nd, 1902, when the disease
appeared in the village of Shahkot. Only five places were infected in this tahsil, including
the tahsil head-quarters, where 2 cases with 2 deaths occurred. There were 337 cases of
plague with 192 deaths in this tahsil.
Tearing and attitude of the people.-
( ) In his report the Deputy Commissioner, Díwán Narindra Náth, remarks that
although the people feared plague, no panic was
caused by the epidemic and fatalistic ideas
prevailed.
The attitude of the people towards plague measures was fairly satisfactory, and the
inhabitants of many villages adopted the advice of the authorities, at any rate in
town.
No reference is made to any effect upon agriculture or trade, and the epidemic
was so small that its effects in the report was likely to have been very slight.
Measures taken to prevent outbreaks of plague.
(b) In the early part of the epidemic some villages adopted the suggestion' of the
Deputy Commissioner of putting guards on the
approach to prevent the entrance of persons
from infected places.
In Gujránwála Town surveillance over new arrivals was made for some time, and
the Deputy Commissioner suggests that this had the effect of keeping some people away,
though he admits that the surveillance exercised was imperfect and like the village
guards was ineffective. He writes " when persons were determined to come, there was no
effectual barrier. "
Printed copies of the rules authorizing villages to refuse admittance to persons from
infected places were circulated to Zaildárs.
Methods of obtaining information.
(c) Plague occurrences were reported by Patwárís in the Gujránwála Tahsil. The-
returns of some villages were checked by Medi--
cal Officers, but no check appears to have been
exercised on these returns from the remainder of the district.
No reference is made to concealment of cases, though from the high case mortality
shown by the returns of several places it was probable that many non-fatal attacks were
not reported.