63
" Of the 653 villages attacked by plague in the last epidemic, 174 evacuated com-
pletely and 353 partially. This action was perfectly voluntary, and it is therefore clear that
there is a strong feeling among the people in favour of evacuation.
" The obstacles in its way are—
(1) The great difficulty the village communities find, when left to themselves, of
coming to any unanimous decision about anything.
(2) The knowledge among those who wish to go out that the disease will continue
among those that stay in, and that therefore they may be kept out in camp
indefinitely.
(3) The difficulty of disposing of their valuables, clothes, house furniture, &c, out
in camp.
(4) The strong objection to leaving their houses, with their grain, fodder, &c,
unguarded and in case of only partial evacuation at the mercy of those who
stay in.
(5) The difficulty among the poorer classes of obtaining shelter outside or of follow-
ing their various occupations.
" These are the objections raised by the people themselves, and they are, I think, to a
great extent well founded, but I have little doubt that a little ¡pressure and a little assistance
would overcome most of them.
" The difficulty about valuables, &c, in camp is a very slight one : as a matter of fact
the people have arranged about them in the past and can do so again, and there have been
very few cases of thefts of valuables out in camp, while thefts in abandoned houses have been
very numerous.
" To protect unoccupied houses a number of extra chaukídárs might be appointed and
paid from the cess : this will be fairly effectual in case of villages wholly evacuated, but will
not be so in cases of those only partially evacuated. In the case of the latter undoubtedly a
large number of chaukídárs would be required, and to provide their pay and at the same
time to put pressure on those who remained behind to go out, I would propose that the pay
of these extra chaukídárs be furnished by those only who refuse to go out.
" The difficulty of providing shelter for the poorer classes can only be met by requiring
the Lambardárs to provide it at the cost of the village malba or by Gorernment making a
grant for the purpose.
" In a large number of villages during the last epidemic no difficulty was found, and in
a certain number the richer classes provided materials, but there are a considerable number
of villages in certain parts of the district where materials (such as thatching grass, chari or
timber) are not available, and supplies would require to be sent from other villages.
" Considerable difficulty would probably be experienced in preventing peculation if
Government made a grant, but the difficulty is not insuperable, and I have little hesitation in
saying that something in this direction should be done."
(p) The following Medical Officers and subordinates were employed on plague
Staff and establishment.
duty in the district :—
(1) Rái Bahádur Dr. Fateh Chand.
(2) Assistant Surgeon Rámji Dás and 3 Hospital Assistants and 6 Vaccinators.
FEROZEPORE DISTRICT.
Review of epidemic,
44. The Ferozepore District was declared to be infected on January 30th, 1902, when
an outbreak of plague was discovered in a
village of Badnal of 2,000' inhabitants in the
Zira Tahsil. There is no doubt, however, that infection had been introduced some time pre-
viously, as by the date mentioned 22 deaths had occurred.
Badnal became the source of infection of a larger number of villages in the neighbour-
hood. On March 14th a new centre of infection in the Zira Tahsil was established at
Malsián, a village of 1,038 inhabitants, near the head-quarters of the tahsil.
The Zira Tahsil remained-infected until July 26th, 1902. There were outbreaks of
plague in 30 villages : 3,489 plague cases and 2,538 deaths occurred.
The Moga Tahsil also became infected during January 1902. Plague having broken
out at the village of Ajatwál on January 25th, the outbreak was not reported however until
February 12th. A severe epidemic of plague followed which, though it died during the
hot weather, had not ceased by the end of the year under report. Sixty villages were
infected and 6,796 cases-of plague with 3,792 deaths occurred.
Four of the above villages were situated in the Mánjha iláqa in which 163 cases with
72 deaths occurred.