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The Hospital was divided into two portions—one wing for females, and the other
for males; but as the patients flocked in, and the female ward in particular got much
overcrowded, I had three long sheds built in the quadrangle. The two long pucca-built
wards were then given over to the females—who had by far the greater number of
sick—and one of the chappars or sheds given for the males with a small ward in the
building (where about 30 cases could be accommodated). This relieved the tension in
the wards, and we used the second shed as a convalescent ward for females and the
third as a convalescent for males.
A batch of coolies were always on the premises with plenty of lime ready, and
the wards were kept as clean as possible, and the use of disinfectants was free. To
allow of greater ventilation the tiles were removed here and there and roof ventilation
was then obtained.
It is impossible to describe in words the Hospital and its sights. The two long
wards full of sick lying side by side in every stage of this dreadful disease ; the
nurses going about here and there in their merciful work ; the ward orderlies, and
other attendants ; outside the constant admission of patients in carts and ambulance
carriages ; and in one angle of the square the dead lying in numbers prior to removal
to the Burning Ghat near. It was a mournful sight that met our eyes every morning
and evening when we had to pass near the Burning Ghât and saw the numerous
fires which told of the heavy mortality. The whole of May and the first week of
June, or for about five weeks, the admissions and deaths were heavy, and it was not
till about the second week in June that anything like a sensible diminution in the
admissions and deaths occurred. The discharges cured, also, were few till about the
middle of May, and I am afraid many were sent out with their buboes not quite
healed, so as to make room for others who had to be admitted. When it is considered
that in this Hospital alone 937 cases have been admitted up to the third week in June,
it will be seen that the work was of no light character.
The Hindu Hospital was in charge of Surgeon-Captain Mason, A.M.S., and he
will give in a separate-report an account of the work in its clinical aspect of the disease.
There were at one time from 4 to 8 nurses attached to this Hospital, where the number
of patients were far above any of the-others.
Two medical practitioners from Bombay (Drs. Shroff and Nanji) were under
Dr. Mason. Three Hospital assistants, 12 military ward orderlies, 6 ayahs for the
female wards, sweepers, &c., formed the establishment. There were necessarily many
changes as patients increased in number or decreased.
On the 16th June a case of erysipelas broke out in the female ward, and 5 cases
with wounds got infected; but these were promptly isolated and the disease stopped.
The Hajeera Hospital.—The Borah community of Mandvi numbers about 1,500
souls, and their Hospital was situated outside the city in the Hajeera, one of the
suburbs. Owing to the foresight and thoughtfulness of the leaders of this community,
Messrs. Jafferji Carimji Maldiwalla and Mahomed AH Khanbhoy, measures to meet
all requirements for the plague were taken at an early date, about the first week in
April, and the whole of the community were taken out of the city and segregated in
huts constructed for them at Hajeera, and a line of cháprás was constructed near at
hand for the sick.
It was not till 30th April that returns from this Hospital were begun, and from
30th April to the 12th June, on which date the Hospital was closed, the following are
the admissions, &c., according to our registers :—
Admitted.
91
Discharged.
33
Bled.
53