6o
Dr. Fateh Chand adds :-
" It is also rumoured that sheep and goats, as well as cows and buffaloes, suffered from
big suppurating lumps in their necks during the epidemic in some villages. Personally I
have not seen any case of this kind."
Mr. Silcock quotes this attitude of the people as one argument against any general
campaign against rats.
It should, however, be mentioned that but for the outbreak among rats, it seems likely
that many villages might have escaped epidemic of plague, or would have at any rate suffer-
ed less severely than they did.
Type and severity ef the disease.
(ni) The severity of the epidemic in the Ludhiána District has already been
mentioned.
The case mortality has been shown as 7270 per cent., and if it be argued that this
apparently high rate of mortality is due to imperfect reporting of cases it only shows that
the people suffered more than has been recorded.
The Civil Surgeon notes that the percentage of deaths to the census population was
7.1 and to the population of infected villages 9.26.
He also gives the following table showing the percentage of death to the population
of the infected villages :—
In 274 villages the mortality was under 5 per cent.
"
)>
"
"
"
"
"
149
125
64
33
4
3
1
"
>>
"
above 5 per cent. and under 10 per cent.
>>
"
"
"
"
"
10
15
20
25
3°4
0
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
20
25
30
35
45
"
"
"
"
"
"
The proportion of deaths to the population of each tahsil was as below :—
Samrála
Ludhiána
Jagraon
••«
•••
...
...
•••
...
Per cent.
8.2
6.9
6.3
The Deputy Commissioner remarks that the mortality of each tahsil corresponds with
the order in which it became infected.
The mortality in towns has already been given.
Dr. Fateh Chand states that the bubonic type of plague prevailed throughout the
epidemic, but that at its commencement cases of septic and pneumonic plague were frequently-
observed. Neither of these forms were recognised at first by the people or their hakims as
being plague, nor would they accept the diagnosis of Medical Officers, but accused them
of being " manufacturers" of plague, for the septicimus form of plague was attributed to
fever and then the pneumonic form to ordinary pneumoni
.
Referring to the latter type Dr. Fateh Chand notes :—
u A very interesting feature in regard to pneumonic variety has been noticed that, in
spite of its being highly infectious, it remained confined to three or four families in a street
in villages where it made its appearance. Those families were swept away in whole, and no
more cases of this nature were heard of thereafter."
The number of cases of the different types of plague and the frequency with which
buboes occurred in different positions are given in Statement No. 5 (Appendix A).
Classes attacked.
(;z) The poor classes—village menials—suffered most 9.9 per cent, of these classes
of the population having died of plague.
Next came the Muhammadans, of whom 7.87
died, and lastly Hindus with a mortality of 6-71 per cent.
The Civil Surgeon notes :—
" Of the minor sections of community, 'Lohárs', ' Tarkháns,' ' Jhinwars ' and
'Chamárs ' fell victims to the disease more than other classes. This also is due to the
theory of exposure to infection. In a village every one has something to do with his
' Tarkhán ' and ' Lohár.' In the same way it is ' Jhinwar ' and 'Chamar ' that has to
serve and go to every one's house."
Women of all classes suffered more than men. This is attributed by the Civil Surgeon
to the circumstance that they stay in doors more than either men or children, attend to the
sick and pay visits of condolence, and are thus more exposed to infection.