76
On the 8th she was at a ball, and after being heated by dancing rode home (about ¾ths of a
mile) in her ball dress without any additional covering. The attack was a very severe one,
the girl narrowly escaping with her life. The bowels were constipated throughout her illness,
even when their contents were passed involuntarily. The house is built on the top of a hill
with excellent natural drainage, but the ground immediately surrounding it was in an in-
sanitary condition. There was no latrine in the compound for the servants, who resorted to
a nála and to rocks in immediate proximity to the house, the inmates however declare that
no smell was ever detected. House No. 1 is separated from No. 2 by two steep hills and a
ravine, and they are about a mile apart. The habits and mode of life of the two families
living in these houses differ greatly. Besides the difference of race, one family is high in
the social scale and the other is not. Careful and minute enquiry has failed to discover that
any article of food or drink was consumed alike by both patients. The Pársi did not drink
either sodawater or lemonade.
Case No. 3.
The next person attacked was a girl aged 9 years and 5 months, the eldest of a family
of 6, aged respectively 9, 8, 6, 5 and 3 years, with a baby of 3 months. The father is a
European Commissioned Officer. The family lived in the house marked No. 3 on the map
The patient took to her bed on the 22nd June, on which date she had been 8 months in India
and 5 months on Abu. She is a delicate fragile looking child. She had chicken pox some
years ago, of late years her bowels have been relaxed. I may mention that the children of
this family have ' pegged teeth.' All of them were born in India, and except the eldest,
who was attacked with enteric fever, they have remained in this country since their birth.
Mutton and milk were obtained from the bázár; bread from the baker usually employed here;
the club well supplied the household with water which was filtered before being drunk. The
house, which was built this year, is situated on an eminence which insures good natural drain-
age, but the compound was in an insanitary condition, For some time there was no latrine
for servants. Then a temporary one was erected which was found to be in a very foul con-
dition. This house is about 100 yards to the west of No. 2. It is built on a lower knoll
and is separated from No. 2 by a slight dip. The latrine was erected in this dip and im-
mediately to windward of house No. 2.
Case No. 4,
The fourth person attacked was a married lady aged 24 years. She arrived in India
for the first time in December 1876 with her husband. She returned to England in De-
cember 1878 and landed in Bombay on 30th October 1881. On the 24th of June, the date
of taking to bed, she had been 3 months at Abu. She has had one child which was born
in September 1878, now a robust boy. She has been remarkably healthy, and as far as she
knows, has never suffered from the ordinary complaints of infancy and childhood. During
the early part of 1880 while in England she began to feel languid and out of sorts, but
can assign no reason for this. She has been habitually constipated from childhood. Before
coming to Abu this year part of a tapeworm was expelled after taking a vermifuge and a
fortnight after her arrival here, on repeating the dose, the remainder was got rid of. This
household consisted of husband, wife and sister and the child mentioned above. They got
their supplies from the bazar, meat from Chotoo who was also emloyed by the family living
in house No. 2, bread from the same baker (Pir Bux) who supplied the other two house-
holds, and milk and butter from a man (Din Mahomed) who did not receive the custom of
the other families. The water supply was obtained from the club well. The house No. 4
on the map, is beautifully situated as regards ventilation and drainage, but a rather dense
jungle occupies most of the compound. This vegetation concealed a considerable amount of
dirt, and the attention of the master of the house had been drawn to the condition of his
surroundings. The house stands on a hill. Immediately to the west of it there is a deep
gorge, and in this gorge is a public latrine which is in a direct line with the house. This
latrine was frequently very offensive.
Case No. 5.
The fifth person attacked was the sister in law of the above lady and lived in house
No. 4. She was 20 years of age and arrived in India for the first time on the 30th October
1881. On the 30th of July, the date of taking to bed, she had been 4 months and 4 days on
Abu. She was a remarkably strong looking girl and habitually took very violent exercise.
She had always been particularly healthy and strong in England, and in India she thought
she was proof against illness. Before her present attack she had suffered off and on for
some weeks from diarrhœa, but not to any great extent. She also occasionally had a
nasty resounding brassy cough. She nursed her sister most devotedly, performing many
disagreeable offices for her, remaining at her post in the sick room till the morning of the
30th July when she was obliged to take to her bed. The attack from the outset was of a
very severe character. The patient died on the 18th of August. The child was sent to
the house of a friend after his mother's illness declared itself. The father had suffered from
a severe attack of enteric fever in 1878.
Previous Epidemics.
Since and including 1876 only two cases of enteric fever are recorded as having occur-
red at Abu. The return kindly supplied by Surgeon Major Watling in charge of the