PART I.
Brief review.
2. Between October 1st, 1902, and September 30th, 1903, 325,747 cases of
plague and 195,141 deaths were reported in
British districts of the Punjab. In addition
the number of plague cases reported by Native States was 25,051 and of deaths 19,583,
bringing the grand totals for the Province as a whole up to 350,798 cases and 214,724
deaths.
In Table No. 1 attached are given the statistics of plague in the Punjab for each
year from 1897 onwards.
It will be seen that while the number of attacks during the present exceeded that
of any previous epidemic, the number of deaths was less than that of the year 1901-02,
hitheito the worst season.
This applies only to the Province as a whole, for it will be seen that the numbers,
both of attacks and deaths, in British districts exceed those of any previous epidemic. A
portion of the increase in the number of cases reported in British districts is perhaps
attributable to the improvement in reporting of plague occurrences during the present
season, owing to the supervision that was exercised by the large number of Medical Officers
on duty in the Province in connection with the work of inoculation. This remark does
not apply, however, to the reporting of deaths, which are believed to have been as correct
during the previous as the present season.
3. At the commencement of the season in October 1902 there were 12 districts
infected. Of these 12, the Simla District, in which the disease had broken out, at Subathu,
towards the end of the previous season, ceased to be infected during October and subsequently
remained free. However, two more districts, Karnál and Jhang, became infected during
October. Thus in 13 districts the epidemic ran its course from the commencement of the
season. These districts were Jullundur, Hoshiárpur, Gurdáspur, Siálkot, Ludhiana, Lahore,
Ambala, Ferozepore, Gujrát, Amritsar, Jhang, Gujránwála and Karnál. In addition to
the 14 districts above mentioned, 7 others became infected later in the season, v/z., Gurgaon
in January, Hissar and Rohtak at the end of February, Montgomery and Shahpur in March,
and Jhelum and Rawalpindi during May. While 21 districts were thus actually infected,
4 districts, viz., Kángra, Delhi, Mooltan and Mianwali, reported imported cases which did not
give rise to epidemics.
The Native States of Patiála, Kapúrthala, Nábha., Kalsia, Máler Kotla, Jínd,
Farídkot and Dujána also, suffered from epidemics.
The Hissar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Kángra and Montgomery Districts and the Farídkot
and Dujána States reported cases for the first time. The Rawalpindi District may also
be included in this category, as with the exception of such as were imported the few cases
previously reported had been of a very doubtful nature and the disease had never spread
from the villages the places in which it was reported to have occurred.
Comparison with previous epidemic.
4. Compared with the previous season the Karnál, Hoshiárpur, Jullundur, Lahore,
Amritsar, Gujránwála, Gujrát, Shahpur and
Jhang Districts and the Kapúrthala and Jínd
States suffered more severely. The greatest increase occurred in the case of the Gujránwála
District in which 70,329 cases with 45,456 deaths occurred as compared with 3,319 cases with
2,244 deaths during the previous epidemic.
The Ferozepore District and the Máler Kotla State experienced epidemics about
equal in severity with those of the previous season.
The Ambala, Ludhiana, Gurdáspur and Siálkot Districts and the Patiála, Nábha and
Kalsia States suffered less severely than during 1901-02.
The decrease was most marked in the case of the Ludhiana District, in which
8,048 cases with 4,929 deaths were reported as compared with 65,390 cases with 48,028
deaths during the previous season.
The Native States of Baháwalpur and Nálagarh which had suffered from an
outbreak of plague during 1901-02 escaped entirely during the year under report.
A comparison of the map given in this report with that showing the distribution of
plague in 1901-02 will show that the area affected by the epidemic has extended both to
the north and to the south.