15
GURGAON DISTRICT.
Epidemic.
26. The Gurgaon District became infected with plague for the first time during the
year under report. The epidemic broke out in
Ŕewári Town in January and was confined to
the Ŕewári Tahsíl. Infection was probably
brought from Meerut or Ferozepore by persons who fled from those places and took refuge
in Ŕewári: 4,371 cases of plague with 3,700 deaths were reported.
There can be scarcely any doubt that the disease was for some time prevalent in
Ŕewári before it was brought to notice. A plague inspection post was established here
in November 1902 and several cases of plague were removed from trains coming from
Ferozepore.
Attitude of the people.
Plague measures were strongly opposed and many attributed the spread of plague to
the disinfection of houses. As long as the
death-rate remained low the people did not
take to flight, but when whole families began
to be swept away, a general panic ensued, and by the first week in April the town took on
quite a deserted look. Most of the shops were closed, supplies became scarce, and it was
estimated that only about one-third of the original population remained in the town.
In many instances the dead were forsaken and great difficulty was experienced in
disposing of corpses.
From the town the disease spread to 60 villages of the tahsíl and the epidemic
reached its height during the week ending the 28th of March. In this week 596 cases with
496 deaths were returned. Throughout the epidemic there was extensive concealment of
cases which did not terminate fatally.
Preventive measures.
Surveillance over arrivals from infected areas was exercised only at the town of
Farrukhabad, and the power of refusing access
to villages to persons from infected places was
availed of in but few instances and in only a
half-hearted way.
Information.
Information of plague occurrence in villages was obtained from returns submitted by
Patwárís in accordance with the rules. In the
town of Ŕewári the cases and deaths were
reported to a special Náib Tahsildár through
the agency of a special committee. A check on the number of deaths in Ŕewári was
maintained by placing a Muharrir at every exit from the town to register the number of
corpses carried to the burning ghâts or burial-grounds. As above indicated, the returns were
not very reliable.
Evacuation.
By the time plague was declared in Ŕewári the disease had got such a firm hold of
the place that evacuation was out of the
question. Only five villages resorted to
evacuation, and in only one of them was it
thoroughly carried out and followed up with disinfection and desiccation. These measures
were thoroughly and systematically carried out at Dharuhera. The population of this
village was 2,152 and it had only 13 cases. The infected portions of the population
camped out quite apart from the uninfected. The people themselves made their own
arrangements for guarding the village at night, and no attempts at robbery were made.
The behaviour of the people of this village was mainly due to the action of the Zaildár, who
was also the proprietor of the village ; he not only supplied hutting material to those who
could not afford it, but insisted on having every house in the village desiccated before the
people returned to it. Fuel for desiccation was also supplied by him. No cases occurred
after the return of the people to their houses.
Nowhere else was there any segregation, and in Ŕewári Town only destitute cases
were brought to the special plague hospital.
Disinfection.
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven rooms were chemically disinfected.
At first disinfection was opposed, but later
on the people applied for it. The people
objected to disinfection until a period of
11 days in the case of a Hindu and 1 of 3 days in the case of a Muhammadan had
elapsed since the occurrence of a death. No instances of plague occurring in houses
after disinfection were brought to notice. The Hindus strongly objected to the green
colour of the mercury solution, as they said it was the favourite Muhammadan colour. The
people were averse to the disinfection of household effects and in very few instances did
they allow it to be done.
The attitude of the people towards desiccation was certainly favourable, and it was
hoped that the people would themselves supply the fuel, but in very few instances did they
help in this way in the town. Charcoal and wood were invariably utilised and 20 to