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The largest number of admissions into hospital occurred between the ages
of 20 and 30 years. At the Arthur Road Hospital, Bombay, out of 1,275
admissions, 445 or 34.9% occurred between the ages of 20 and 30 years ; 291 or
22.8% between 10 and 20 years ; and 255 or 20% between 30 and 40 years.
In the Poona Plaguo Hospital out of l,130 admissions, 263 or 23'27%
occurred between the ages of 20 and 30 ; 137 or 2097% between the ages of 10
and 20 years, and 197 or 17.43% between the ages of 30 and 40.
A constant source of error in theso statistics is that the ages of those
admitted aro seldom or never exactly known, consequently those given are only
approximate Another source of error is that in young children death from
plaguo frequently occurs before the nature of the disease- is recognised, so they"
are not admitted into the plague hospitals. In the case of children, however, the
very small number of admissions (vide Tables Î. and II) is no doubt partly due
to the smaller number exposed to infection, as the exodus which took place on
the outbreak of the epidemic was very largely confined to women and children.
The withdrawal of the women gave rise to a marked decrease (vide Tablo VII.)
in the birth-rate of the city, which during the ten months under review fell below
the mean of the preceding five years for the same period by 3,685,
That young adults should give the highest number of admissions is not
surprising, as they form the largest proportion of the population, and they
travel about more, and so are brought more frequently into contact with the
disease. The greatest number of admissions into hospital occurred among
domestic (cooks, hamals, massalehis,) and personal servants, (vile Table V.)
who formed 20-88%; mill-hands came next forming 11-53%; coolie 8.8%. The
comparatively largo number o£ dhobies (nativo washermen), dirzis (tailors),
gowlies (milkmen) and hajams (barbers) deserves notice, as from their occupation
they are likely to spread the disease. The large percentage of admissions
among domestic serrants is doubtless duo to tho disease being detected early,
and to their mastera seeing that they were taken to hospital. 1 "
It is impossible to estimate the influence of race and caste on susceptibility
to plague, owing to Europeans living under very different sanitary conditions
from natives, and to the effect of social position in altering the conditions
obtaining among natives themselves ; besides, correct statistics cannot be obtained
as to the native population present during the epidemic and the numbers attacked
by plague,
That more males than females were attacked (vida Table IV.) is probably
entirely owing to the former having been present in larger number.
The exciting cause ox plague is the plague bacillus of Kitasato, which is
believed to gain admission to the body, usually through an abrasion of the skin,
or more rarely of a mucous surface. In a number of instances in the present
epidemic points of inoculation were found on the extremities of plague patients,
from which plague cultures wore obtained, and in these caces buboes were found
above the point of inoculation. In the majority of instances however no local
indication could bo found marking the point at which the microbe was implanted.
Less frequently infection is believed to have occurred in the respiratory organs
or in the digestivo tract. When the disease appears in the form of primary
plague pneumonia, it may be caused by the inhalation of bacilli disseminated in
the air by patients as they cough, or it may be carried by the blood vessels, or
lymphatic vessels to the lungs, where it developes.
When a monkey is inoculated by pricking its hand with a needle dipped in
plague culture, the slight wound made disappears in a couple of days, and leaves
no indication of the point at which inoculation was performed. After 4 or 5
days a bubo appears in the axilla or at the bend of the elbow, and the symptoms
of plague develop. The lymph from the bubo in these cases contains plague
bacilli in great numbers, from which cultures can be made. In the case of man
also, as already mentioned, the point at which inoculation occurred was but rarely
discovered. Plague bacilli could however be obtained in immense numbers, and
cultures made, from lymph taken from buboes. In septicœmic cases they could
For the purpose of comparison, it was intended to Lave also given a statement showing, the
number of deaths from plague in Bombay City according to occuration (Tablo VI), but information
could only be obtained up to 31st December 1896.