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divisions assigned to them; and their-duties were to search all-houses in such
sections as frequently as possible, and send all cases they found into the sub-divi-
sional hospital and submit a daily return on a prescribed form to the District
Medical Officer through the sub-divisional clerk.
Some of them worked singly, others in bodies, and periodically a large
number would combine and visit some large locality.
The District Medical Officer and Sub-divisional Medical Officers accompa-
nied them in turns, and there is a good reason to believe that most of the cases
were discovered.
(5) Sub-divisional Staff.-—Under this heading, the duties of the Sub-
divisional Medical Officer and the sub-divisional clerk require more explanation than
the remainder enumerated, whose designations sufficiently describe their duties.
The Sub-divisional Medical Officer, as a rule, was the visiting Medical Officer to
the sub-divisional hospital. He held himself available each morning to assist Search
Parties in diagnosing cases, and to issue detailed directions as to disinfection of
infected quarters, destruction of suspicious articles, etc. He visited houses periodically
in the sub-division to inspect them as to their fitness for human habitation, and
as to the condition of their water-connections, making. notes of his observations.
He also made notes of all sanitary defects in the sub-division, and submitted a
weekly report of such work to the District Medical Officer, who periodically
inspected the sub-division with him, in order to see for himself such matters as
required action.
The sub-divisional clerk was responsible for submitting all returns regularly ;
for receiving and despatching reports of Conductors of Search Parties ; for keeping
hospital accounts ; for preparing indents for disinfectants, stationery, and other
requisites ; for keeping time of employes, and preparing the paysheets of all
employés in the sub-division who were paid by the Plague Committee, and nominal
rolls of all who worked in the scheme.
Of the rest included under the heading of sub-divisional staff, medical
subordinates, nurses, ward-orderlies (military sepoys), Police Ramosees (watchmen),
and hospital servants, all constituted the hospital staff and did the duties usually
assigned to such appointments.
The military detachments were for the purpose of providing sepoys to
accompany Conductors of Search Parties, and were located near the hospitals so as
to constitute incidentally additional protection.
The sanitary staff was the usual Municipal sanitary staff of the district, placed
at the disposal of the District Medical Officer, and augmented according to require-
ments.
The workmen were taken on temporarily and placed under an experienced
inspector, who divided them into batches under sub-inspectors for each sub-division ;
and their duties were lime-washing, erecting huts, demolishing insanitary structures,
tile-turning and digging up of floors.
(6) The ambulances provided were most useful and much appreciated.
They consist of iron frames upon which rest movable stretchers, and small curtained
frames are attached for keeping the sun off patients' faces and heads. The wheels
are constructed after the style of bicycle wheels with india-rubber tyres, so as to
reduce jolting on being propelled by coolies. They have all been provided with
monsoon frameworks and stout curtains.