NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
8
The same plan shows by a yellow circle, with a number in it, the
position of the 15 Government hospitals as per list printed on plan.
The position of these hospitals was fixed with a due regard to districts
and population.
The private caste hospitals are shown by red squares with a
number in each, which corresponds with the index given on the plan,
which also gives the name of the caste or community to whom the
hospital belongs.
All these districts and hospitals were brought into operation as
soon as possible, and they all remained in force until the plague had
declined sufficiently in May to allow of the Committee reducing the
hospitals and the staff. At the same time some of the districts were
amalgamated, but the original disposition of the City has been faithfully
kept up to the last.
In Appendix No. II will be found a list of district staff detailed
for the several districts, which was made as complete as possible to
enable it to cope with any difficulty.
The following duties were laid down for the Medical Officers and
Nurses working under the Committee :—
Instructions
for Medical
Officers.
1. To superintend and exercise sanitary supervision of the whole
district in their charge, reporting fco the Plague Committee and Health
Officer daily.
2. To supervise the working" of the district hospitals and to attend
the same in routine.
3. To supervise the work of the search parties in conjunction with
the Justices of the Peace.
4. To control the disinfection of the infected areas and buildings.
5. To inspect all segregation camps in their districts.
6. To call the attention at once of the Officer appointed by Gov-
ernment for the condemnation of insanitary buildings to any such pre-
mises in their districts.
7. To report on registration of burials and cremations in their
districts, and to supervise sanitary condition of cemeteries.
8. To send daily reports to the Plague Committee and Health
Officer of casualties occurring during 2,4 hours preceding' 6 a.m., with
details of—
(a) what has transpired during the preceding 24 hours in their
districts ;
(b) any suggestions they have to offer.
9
Instructio n s
for Nurses un-
der the Plague
Committee.
1. Nurses are engaged by the Plague Committee for the particular
purpose of nursing at the Special Plague Hospitals.
2. The Reverend Mother Superior, All Saints' Sisters, Mazagon,
has kindly undertaken the duties of general supervision of the Nurses,
and they are therefore ordered to comply with her instructions. For all
purposes of Hospital nursing and discipline, the Nurses will be under the
orders of the Officer in charge of the Hospital or of the District Medical
Officer.
3. The Reverend Mother has authority to transfer and change
Nurses according to the requirements of the various Plague and General
Hospitals, but intimation should, if possible, bo given to the Medical
Officer of the District or Hospital.
4. Nurses will be engaged by the month, and the pay will be as
follows :—
Matrons—Rs. 150 per mensem, with quarters, food, lights, and all found.
Senior Nurses—Rs. 100 per mensem, with quarters, food, lights, &c., all
found.
Junior Nurses—Rs. 80 per mensem, with quarters, food, lights, &c, all
found.
Subordinate Nurses—Rs. 20 to Rs. SO per mensem, with quarters, food,
light, &c., all found.
5. When food is not provided, a board allowance of Rs. 1-8-0 per
diem will be allowed for Europeans, and As. 8 per diem for Natives.
6. In the case of Nurses engaged from England on Rs. 175 per
mensem, board allowance at the rate of Rs. 1-8-0 per diem will be
deducted from their pay.
7. The duties of Matrons and Senior Nurses will be as follows :—
The management of servants, providing meals and general
care of Nurses' messes. All Ward arrangements to be
under their supervision. The cleansing of Wards, latrines
of hospitals, &c., the disinfection of. clothes, and entire
control over Nurses, Ayahs, and Ward Boys ; also the
disbursement of all petty cash.
8. The duties of Junior and Subordinate Nurses will be as
follows :—
To assist the Matron generally ; to be responsible during
her temporary absence ; to go round with the Doctors ;
to receive orders and to see that the orders are carried out.
9. All Nurses are requested to carefully attend to the directions
given for general precautions for troops and others employed on Plague
work.
10
General Precautions for Troops and others employed
on Plague Work.
To be segregated in a suitable camp.
Clothes to be changed on return from plague duty ; the suit that
has been worn to be hung up in the sun.
Daily inspection of working parties by a Medical Officer ; those
shewing signs of fever or debility to be struck off work.
Hands and face to be inspected for abrasions.
A good breakfast to be supplied before starting work.
Arrangements should be made to provide a mid-day meal in cases
where the men cannot return to camp for this meal.
Putties should be worn to prevent the dust from infected houses
coming in contact with the legs.
It should be impressed on the men that a fruitful mode of infection
is through abrasions on the skin, and all such should be reported at once
to the Medical Officer.
A supply of carbolic lotion, 1 in 40, should be sent with each search,
limewashing, and demolition party ; and after work the men's hands
should be bathed in this preparation.
Disinfectants should be freely used in the camp.
The limewashing and disinfecting parties should be warned not
to enter an infected house before at least some preliminary disinfection
has been carried out.
A bath, with some phenylc in it, on return from work is desirable.
Sea-bathing to be encouraged.
Drinking-water and milk to be boiled before use.
The wearing of thick gloves by the limewashing and demolition
parties would be a useful precaution.*
When a sick person is found suffering from plague, the stretcher
should in each case be taken up to the room, † the patient lifted carefully
on to it and kept strictly in the horizontal position.
Two blankets should be taken with each litter.
Stimulants for the sick to be arranged for by the Medical Officer in
charge of search-parties.°
Not found necessary.
† Often impracticable on account of steepness and narrowness "of staircases.
11
WARD ATTENDANTS. ON THE SICK.
Each attendant will be furnished with two suits of ward clothes.
A suit will be put on before going on duty.
On coming off duty, the suit will be soaked in a disinfectant (car-
bolic 5 per cent, or perchloride of mercury lotion) and dried in the sun.
All the clothing of men about to rejoin their regiments should be
disinfected before they leave the hospital compound.
PATIENTS.
A patient on admission will be undressed and well washed with
hot water and carbolic soap. Hospital clothing will be supplied.
All articles not worth preserving will be at once burned under the
supervision of some responsible person.
There being no steam disinfector available, clothing of any value
should, if of cotton, be boiled for three hours in a 3 per cent, solution
of soft soap in water, or steeped in perchloride of mercury solution
before being washed.
Woollen clothes worn by the patient should be burned.
WARDS.
The boarded floors should be swabbed twice daily with perchlo-
ride of mercury solution.
The whole of the stone floors will be whitewashed with freshly
made limewash at least once a week.
Should any discharge from a patient fall on the floor, it must be at
once covered with carbolic powder and swept up. Perchloride of
mercury solution should then be applied to the spot, and fresh white-
wash applied to the stone floor.
Crockery and glassware should be washed in a 5 per cent, solution
of carbolic acid before it is allowed to leave the ward.
Beds will be limewashed after a patient's recovery or death, the
straw burned, and the bedding disinfected.
EXCRETA.
A small quantity of some disinfectant, such as carbolic powder,
lime water, perchloride of mercury solution, or chloride of zinc solution
should be placed in each bed-pan before use. After use, the motion
should be covered with a similar disinfectant before being taken out
of the ward.
The solid excreta will be destroyed in the incinerator.
After use, the bed-pans should be scalded with hot water.
CORPSES
Will be wrapped in a sheet soaked in perchloride of mercury solu-
tion before being handed over to friends. The sheet must be burned,
or buried with the body.
12
HOSPITALS.
Nurses.
It has already been mentioned that up to the 6th of February
there were no Nurses in the only existing Plague Hospital. When
this became generally known, the wants of the Arthur Road
Hospital were at once met by the offer of the All Saints' Sisters, who
volunteered their services, which were most gratefully accepted.
With the opening of a number of new hospitals, however, as the
Plague Committee contemplated, it was found impossible to procure
sufficient Nurses in this country. It was admitted that in dealing
with Plague,. for which no unfailing or even moderately successful
treatment had yet been found, nursing and feeding, by trained
Nurses was the most essential element in success, and it was
believed that the presence and the attendance of Nurses would go far to
remove the terror felt by the natives at finding themselves in hospital ;
one of the first steps taken, therefore, by the Committee was to telegraph
to England for 12 additional Nurses.
Nursing Sis-
ters.
As a first step, the Sisters of the Bandora Convent were put in
charge of the Hospitals at Mahim, Sion, Bandora and Parel Government
House. The Sisters from Clare Road Convent took charge of Grant Road,
while the Mazagon Sisters nursed the Arthur Road Hospital ; the
services rendered by these Nurses, one of whom—Sister Elizabeth
(Fille de la Croix)—succumbed at her post, will not be lightly forgotten
by the public of Bombay.
These preliminary arrangements having been completed, the next
step was to provide Hospitals in sufficient numbers to accommodate the
sick. Eighteen was the number at first suggested, and in the case of private'
Hospitals many persons came forward readily with offers of buildings,
and money to equip them. The Staff, i.e., medical men and attendants
for every private Hospital, were provided by the people of the caste
themselves. The situations, &c, and the dates of the opening of the
various Hospitals are given in the following table. Eighteen were
completed by the end of March :—
District
No
1
2
3
District Hospital.
Pilot Bunder
...
...
...
Jamsetjee Bander ...
...
...
Modi Khana ... ... ...
Modi Khana for Sahebs' Servants ...
De Souza Street, for Lohnna Cutch,
Halari Gogjari community.
Mint Road by Govindji Thakersi
Mulji for Bhattias.
G.
G.
G.
P.
P.
P.
Date
of opening.
10-3-97.
1-4-97;
31-3-97.
1-4-97
18-3-97.
Sections.
Upper Colaba.
Lower Colaba.
Fort, North.
Esplanade.
Mandvi.
Esplanade.
Note.—G stands for Government and P for Private.
13
District
No.
3
4
5
6
7
8
District Hospital.
Jackaria Musjid Street, for Cutchi
Menions.
Clive Road for Dussa Sa Bannias ...
Memon. Moholla Street, for Halli
Memons.
Kolsa Street by Haji Cassum Mitha
for Memon Sunnis.
Imambara, by Aga Abdul Hussein
for Mogals.
Tantanpura Street, Khoja Hospital.
Nagdevi Street, General Mahomedan
community.
Chattri Sarang Street Hospital for
Kocani Sunnis.
Grant Road ... ... ... ...
Bhuleshwar, for Marjadi Vishna
Bunnia community.
Pinjrapol for Marwaris
Nizampara, Bapu Hajan Street,
Bhendi Bazaar, for Kocani Sunnis
Bapu Khote Street, for Kattri Maho-
medans.
Gol Pitha, Falkland Road, for gen-
eral Mahomedan community.
Haji Cassum Joosub Hospital, Ban-
gari Moholla.
Charni Road Hospital ... ...
Charni Road Hospital, one ward pro-
vided by Chubildas Laloobhoy for
Bhangsali caste.
Charni Road by Adamjee Peerbhoy
for Borah, community.
Telugu for commuaity ... ...
. No Hospital.
Arthur Road Hospital ... ...
Foras Road, Police Hospital ...
Ripon Road, Julai Hospital
...
Futtehali's Hospital for Borah
Suliman community.
Parel Road, Parsi Hospital ...
Arthur Road, Jain Hospital ...
Parel Road, Jain Hospital ...
...
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
G.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P.
P
G.
P.
P.
P
G.
G.
G.
P.
P.
P.
P.
Date
of opening.
29-3-97.
17-3-97.
18-4-97.
1-4-97.
15-3-97.
28-3-97.
15-4-97.
25-3-97.
4-3-97.
1-5-97.
1-4-97.
25-3-97.
1-4-97.
7-5-97.
8-4-97.
25-3-97.
20-3-97.
19-3-97.
14-4-97
24-3-97
10-4-97.
30-9-97
1-4-97.
Sections.
Oomerkhadi.
Dongri.
Oomerkhadi.
Chakla.
Oomerkhadi.
"
Chakla.
Oomerkhadi.
Kamatipura.
Bhuleshwar.
"
"
"
2nd Nagpada.
Market.
Chaupati.
"
"
"
Khetwadi.
Tardeo.
Byculla.
"
"
"
"
Note.—G. stands for Government and P for Private.
4
14
District
No.
9
10
District Hospital.
Wari Bunder
...
...
...
Nariel Wady
...
...
...
Reay Road
...
...
...
...
Port Trust Hospital ...
... ...
Connaught Road, Hindu Hospital...
Connaught Road, Khoja Hospital...
Parel Government House ... ...
Sion ... ... ... ... ...
Mahim ... ... ... ... ...
Worli
...
...
...
...
...
Dharavi, Borah community ...
G.
G.
G.
P.
P.
P.
G.
G.
G.
G.
P.
Date
of opening.
26-3-97.
25-4-97.
1-4-97.
23-12-96.
12-3-97.
26-4-97
18-2-97.
23-3-97.
27-3-97.
1-4-97.
4-4-97.
Sections.
Mazagon.
"
"
"
Tarwadi.
"
Parel.
Sion.
Mahim.
Worli.
Mahim.
Note.—G stands for Government and P for Private.
Mahomed an
feeling on
segregation.
In the case of the Mahomedan community, and particularly of the
Kucani Sunnis, much difficulty was at first experienced in bringing them
to reason. The non-possumus attitude which they at first adopted is well
illustrated by the proceedings at a meeting called by Hadji Oomer
Jamal on December 28th for the purpose of persuading the community
to assent to segregation. Most of the speakers were in favour of prayer
as the best way of averting the disease, and when the promoters of the
meeting tentatively suggested segregation, an old Mahomedan gentle-
man, as spokesman for certain sections of the community, said, "he might
"mention that they were totally opposed to segregation and that nothing
"would persuade them to send their plague-stricken to the Municipal
"Hospital." A young Mahomedan then arose and, in supporting the last
speaker, remarked : " We will not go to Hospital. Our Musjid is our
"Hospital." And this sentiment seemed to find favour with the meeting.
—(Times of India, December 29th.)
As regards the Hospitals themselves, any and every objection was
put forward against them. The same Kazi who is mentioned below as
having an interest in the burial-grounds said in the course of an
inflammatory speech on March 13th : "The vehicle employed to convey
plague patients to the Hospital was regarded as a hearse brought to the
door of one's house to take away the dead. Mothers whose ill and
suffering children were taken away from them would become frantic
and sacrifice their lives ; men's frenzy would turn them into fanatics ;
they would lose control over themselves. How could a husband be
expected to tolerate the sight of his wife's hand being in the hand of
another man ? From the vans or carriages for the sick, patients were
taken out and thrown down upon the floor of the Hospital as if they
were so many pieces of stone. Moreover, in the Hospital one could
not say his prayers so many times a day ; one would be made to drink
spirits." The last argument of all was one urged by a street orator,
who insisted that segregation was contrary to the principles of Islam.
Municipal
vans.
Till the Committee were appointed, there were no ambulances for
the conveyance of the sick to hospital. The only provision for this pur-
pose consisted of three vans constructed for the Health Department some
years ago, which are referred to in the speech of the Kazi quoted above.
15
Motives for
his attitude.
One reason for this obstinacy on the part of the Mahomedans was
undoubtedly that they had suffered less in proportion from the epidemic
than the Hindus, though fewer had left the City. Another explana-
tion of the resistance made, and one which accounts for a great deal
of their opposition, was, that it was well known that one of the steps
which the Committee had resolved upon was the closing of the Grant
Road Cemetery which was terribly overcrowded. This meant the loss
of a large sum of money to the Kazi Meheri and some of his relations in
fees ; and either in revenge, or with the design of obtaining the support
of the community on this point, the Kazi put himself forward as the
champion of the Mussulman community in the matter of segregation.
Interested persons spread many false and malicious reports as to
the treatment of patients in Hospitals which fell upon favourable soil.
Finally, the Chairman of the Committee addressed a general meeting
of the Anjuman-i-Islam, assembled by the Hon'ble Mr. Justice Tyabji,
and explained to them once for all that the orders of Government on
the subject would be unflinchingly carried out, whatever might be the
consequences, and at the same time dispelled the notion which some
mischief-makers had pat into their heads, that the preventive measures
which the Committee were taking were opposed to the spirit or practice
of the Mahornedan religion. The address, very ably interpreted by
Mr. Tyabji, was well received. For some time previously frequent house-
to-house searches had been carried out in the parts of the City in which
most of the turbulent classes of Mahomedans live. These searches were
supported by the presence of troops—a silent argument which had
a convincing effect on the minds of the men who till then had
been breathing fire and resistance to Government. These searches
were accompanied by the Justices of the Peace, who lived in the locali-
ties, whose presence gave support to the search parties and reassured the
people that nothing contrary to their religion or needlessly offensive to
their prejudices was intended. These good citizens had come forward
on the invitation of His Excellency the Governor a short time previously,
to offer their help in searching, and the Committee availed themselves
of their services by organising a system under which the Justices could
work by themselves. A certain District was allotted to each Justice
and a small guard of Military sepoys was provided as escort.
The following proclamation was at the same time published in the
Press, and distributed broad-cast through the City :—
BATAKI ON THE SUBJECT OF HOUSE-TO-HOUSE VISITATION ISSUED
BY THE PLAGUE COMMITTEE.
" Be it known to all concerned that Government, in its anxious concern
for the well-being of the inhabitants of Bombay and for the complete
extinction of the plague now prevailing in your homes, have decided
that, in accordance with the opinion of many doctors and hakims, it is
necessary to remove all persons suffering from plague from their houses
for a short time and to treat them in hospitals, public or private. Fur-
16
ther tliat where a sick man has been taken away from a room, his family-
shall also vacate such room and shall take care of and tend the sick man,
so as to enable the room to be cleaned by the Municipality. Be it well
known that where a private hospital has been established in a jamat, all
cases of plague in men, women, or children shall betaken thither, or,
where no jamat hospital exists, to one of the hospitals of Government,
where in the hands of God and the Nursing Sisters the patient may be
cured.
" Be it known that, while such persons are being treated in any hos-
pital, either public or private, all expenses for food, medicine, and clothes
shall be borne in the case of Government hospital by Government, and in
a private hospital by the leading men of the jamat.
" That further it is only those sick with the plague or small-pox who
shall be taken to hospital, and that those suftering from any other cause
shall be treated in their own homes by their own doctors (hakims).
That in every house which is searched in which purdah-women are
living, the purdah-women shall be visited and inspected by lady
doctors only, and shall, when removed to hospital, be taken in a covered
conveyance in charge of a lady doctor, who shall place them in a purdah
hospital, where they shall be treated by women only.
" That all contrary statements to the ahove decrees are lying misrepre-
sentations of the truth, published by designing persons to forward their
own ends. Let all such persons take warning that Government will
view with displeasure and disfavour all such persons as seek to mislead
and do mischief to the ignorant, for these readily believe the word of
their superiors, who can either do much harm by their bad advice or
much good by wise counsels.
" That the Committee approved by Government to stamp out the
epidemic will at all times be ready and pleased to assist with their advice
such as come to them for it, and with money, those who cannot afford to
pay expenses which the plague has cast upon them."
Although the number of the Justices was very largely in-
creased by the free issue of Special Constables' certificates to suitable
applicants, the total of men employed on this duty was so small that
to properly search a city of the size of Bombay they had to be con-
tinually at work, and much excellent service was done by these gentle-
men ; the mere moral effect of their associating themselves openly
with the measures taken to stamp out the plague was of great value
in convincing the masses of their poorer caste-fellows of the good faith
of Government in the matter. Not only was the work of visiting houses
in itself laborious and unpleasant to them, but the Native Justices had
also to face the ridicule, and in some cases odium, of their castemen
in return for their unselfish labours.