I.—Report by Surgeon-Major Lyons, I. M. S., President
of the Plague Research Committee.
The Plague Research Committee was originally formed, under Govern-
ment Resolution, General Department, No. 4533, dated 13th October 1896, to
inquire into the nature and history of the disease, stated to be bubonic plague,
of which a number of cases had occurred in Bombay City.
Surg.-Major R. Manser, President.
Surg.-Capt. L. F. Childe.
Dr. Nusservanji Fakirji Surveyer.
Dr. W. M. Haffkine.
Mr. E. H. Hankin.
The Committee was composed as per margin,
and the members decided to distribute the work
among them as follows:—
SURG.-MAJOR MANSER:—The clinical aspect of the disease; its treatment
by drugs; the source of the Bombay outbreak; the history of its introduction
and spread; and the evidence relating to its incubation period.
SURG.-CAPT. CHILDE:—The macroscopic and microscopic pathology of the
disease.
MR. HANKIN:—Its origin in the outside world; search for the microbe in
food, clothing, bedding, drains and sea-water; and whether the microbes surviv-
ed longer in rotten than in sound grain.
DR. SURVEYOR:—The nature of the disease in rats and fowls; bacteriological
proof that rats are suffering from the disease; the effects of antiseptics on the
microbe, and the relative value of different antiseptics practically.
DR. HAFFKINE:—The study of the microbe and its relation to the patient
and to the animal body; the question of its communicability by infection
or contagion between man and man, and between man and animals, inocula-
tions, etc.; diagnostic methods; the period during which the patient continues
infectious; immunity; and antitoxine and other treatment.
Surg.-Major Manser contracted plague from which he died on 6th January
1897, and his place on the Committee was taken by me on the 25th January
1897.
Dr. Surveyor has been unable, owing to illness, to pursue his line of
investigation or to write a report.
The reports of the other members, with the exception of that of Dr. Haffkine,
are submitted herewith in full detail. Owing to the pressure of laboratory
work, in which he is still engaged, Dr. Haffkine has not yet been able to arrange
the material he has collected in the form of a report. Such suggestions as have
been submitted by the Committee will be found in the General Appendix.
The members of the Committee have in addition examined and reported on
a very large number of specimens from suspected plague cases sent from every
part of India; experimented with numerous antiseptics sent for report; and
answered an immense number of inquiries addressed to them; involving tedious
laboratory work and a considerable amount of correspondence.
The difficulties of laboratory research were very great, owing to want of
apparatus and of trained and intelligent assistants to carry out the ordinary
routine work.
The portions of the programme which devolved on Surgeon-Captain Childe
and myself had to be carried out at such times as we could spare from our other
duties, which, owing to the presence of the epidemic, were unusually heavy.
In the present outbreak of plague the infection was no doubt imported from
some locality in which the disease existed, but the most searching inquiry,
instituted at the time it was first noticed, failed to discover evidence of plague
cases (or indeed of any severe form of sickness except twelve cases of cholera) on
board vessels which entered Bombay Harbour after 1st June 1896.
B 1751 — 1