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6. The cattle are at present stabled in the city. This must be put a stop to in
every case. Means are now being taken to make the Gowlees keep their cattle out-
side the city walls, and a place has been selected for them. But no cattle, even of
private owners, should be allowed inside the city walls, and a fine should be levied on
those breaking this rule. Cattle at present are found infesting nearly every road, and
so are the dogs, which lie about the roads utterly regardless of passers-by. The
numbers of these latter animals might very conveniently be diminished.
7. The fish and meat market must be outside the city, considering the densely
overcrowded condition it is in. The spot for this market has already been selected
by Mr. Pestonji and myself outside the Sonawalla Gate.
8. The oil-mills, of which there are about 50, ought to be outside the
city walls. They are very insanitary as at present conducted. A site for these has
also been selected outside the city. The houses at present used as oil-mills ought to
be thoroughly cleansed or demolished, and air space allowed. The city is very much
overcrowded, and air spaces badly required.
9. I should urge that a competent European Engineer and Medical Officer be
resident at Cutch-Mandvi to see that these and other improvements they consider
necessary be properly carried out. An Engineer might give advice as to the silting
up by sand of the western parts of the city walls, and its prevention ; the construction
of proper roads through the city, and of gutters to remove the surface-water ;
construction of proper permanent latrines ; a proper water-supply for the city. The
present water-supply is very inferior in quality, and the only good drinking water is
obtained from a long distance ; well water is used, and the people suffer from intestinal
worms to a great degree ; in fact, nearly every patient suffered from them. There
are many other points in which the presence of an Engineer would be advisable.
As for the presence of a Medical Officer, considering the severe nature of the
epidemic, the present very insanitary condition of the town and its dense over-
crowding, considering also that this large town is in direct communication with
Bombay, Karachi, and many other ports, and its inhabitants are traders in nearly
every city in the Presidency, it is of vital importance that every sanitary measure
be taken to ensure its purification, and a careful watch ought to be kept on the health
of the city to enable this to be done.
10. A proper system of registration of deaths ought to be kept, and every
means used to see that no cases of deaths are smuggled away to the burial and burning
grounds without being properly certified. In a town, a square mile in area, with
high walls all round it and the gate-ways where the dead must be removed through,
it cannot be very difficult to have this carried out. I would further advise that the
Medical Officer and Engineer be members of the Municipal Board.
11. The burial grounds for the Mahoniedaus ought to be far away. At present
they ave a source of great danger, as they encroach on the town, especially in
the case of Salaya, where there is a very large cemetery quite near the village. The
river ghât burning ground might be removed further ·, at present it is much too
near the bridge over the river, and is anything but a pleasant sight. There is a
large number of burial grounds around the city.
12. An Engineer might advise on the removal of quite a number of -badly-
constructed houses inhabited by meghwars, brickmakers, &c., on the outside of
the city walls, and select sites where they may have built for them proper houses.
There are some thirteen small blocks of houses built of wood on piles facing the Post
Office and along the bank of the river. These are unsightly and ought to be removed
as they face good substantial stone houses on the river bank.