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In order to meet all requirements, I had small gangs of coolies also placed at the
gates, so that when any cases or dead bodies were removed through them, these men
were employed especially to cleanse and disinfect the houses inhabited by these.
Latterly we have taken whole streets at a time and opened and cleansed the houses
locked by their owners, who were away. These houses are unlocked in the presence of
the Magistrate and Police, and the contents of the houses removed outside and the
houses cleansed ; the goods are replaced by the Magistrate in the evening and the houses
locked and sealed. In this way nearly the whole town is now fairly well cleansed,
and, I have no doubt, is far cleaner than it has been for a century or two.
I enclose report on the number of houses limewashed and disinfected since we
have taken the work in hand.
Mr. Atts reports on the 21st June :—" 3,838 houses were disinfected by me, con-
taining 16,540 rooms. Tiles were taken off partially from the roofs of 2,540 houses
to admit light and air ; 8,843 coolies were employed on the above works from the
5th May to 21st June. I found it necessary to use about 12 oz. of carbolic acid t°e
very half cask of mixed lime, as the lime was more or less slaked. Care was taken to
freely use this solution to the walls, more especially to the flooring until it fairly
permeated it. In every instance the men were not allowed to enter the infected
houses until some chloride of lime was used, and in some extreme cases where the smell
of dead rats and cats was unbearable, I fumigated the rooms with about 2 Ibs. of chloride
of lime with 2 Ibs. of disinfecting powder. This fumigation answered the purpose very
satisfactorily, although expensive. In some extreme cases I used the pump and washed
the walls and flooring with a solution of carbolic acid, and then limewashed the
place with carbolic acid in lime. I found nearly 50 per cent. of the houses disin-
fected by me had dead cats and rats, and I believe if the disinfection had been started
immediately the plague broke out (a month prior to our coming here) one-half of the
mortality would not have taken place. The whole length and breadth of the town was
fairly infected when we came."
On the breaking out of the plague at Mandvi, and when the disease was
pronounced and fatal, a large proportion of the inhabitants, estimated at about 10,000
people, took refuge all around the town in the various gardens there are about, and
also outside the villages within easy reach of the city. On our arrival here, it was
proposed to erect sheds about a mile to the west of the city in a convenient place, so that
the inhabitants of the houses, where there were sick, could be kept under observation ;
and with this view a long row of comfortable sheds were erected, but the people
refused to make use of them and preferred to live in the gardens. Every endeavour
short of actual force wag employed, but failed, and it was concluded that it was better
that they should be allowed to live in huts in these gardens, where they had at all
events pure air and light, than that they should leave their houses and carry in-
fection to other houses in the town. So a careful watch was placed on the villages and
gardens, and the people of the villages warned not to enter Mandvi or allow Mandvi
people to enter their villages- In most instances these warnings were not heeded, and
cases of plague occurred in villages, whether prior to the intimation, when the
inhabitants fled in all directions, or subsequent, it is difficult to determine ; at all events,
the attempt to segregate the inhabitants in these huts made for them failed. The
reason given was that certain classes would not live near others. In case I were
called on to take similar measures again, I think I should feel inclined to act
differently—by calling the headman of each caste and getting him to select a spot for a
camp which would answer the purpose, and making him responsible for his caste people
going there. There are a great number of gardens around the city of Mandvi
and adjacent villages, and these afforded shelter to the refugees, who: n most instances