36
MALER KOTLA.
5t. Plague first appeared in the Máler Kotla State in October 1902, having been intro-
duced from the town of Bassi. The epidemic came to an end in June 1903 and between the
date mentioned 45 towns and villages were infected, in which 2,024 cases of plague with
1,882 deaths were reported.
The tahsils of Máler Kotla and Punjgarain, together with their head-quarter towns,
were infected, 1,158 cases with 1,112 deaths occurring in the city of Máler Kotla.
The Medical Officer of the State remarks that though the people were much frightened
of plague in the previous epidemic, they bore the present one with much patience and did
little or nothing to protect themselves and were strongly opposed to any State measures.
Inspection posts and quarantine camps were established for the protection of the
capital, but with this exception no precautionary measures were observed. An attempt
was made to isolate persons suffering from plague and to segregate contact in the
city of Máler Kotla, but the opposition was so great that this had to be abandoned. A few
villages were evacuated ; some on the occurrence of mortality among rats.
A little chemical disinfection with perchloride of mercury and phenyle was carried
out in the city of Máler Kotla, but desiccation was preferred. This was performed by the
people themselves under the supervision of an Hospital Assistant, wood or charcoal being
burnt in open fires on the floors.
The only inoculations performed in the State were done by Dr. Fatteh Chand, the
Civil Surgeon of Ludhiána, who at the invitation of the State authorities visited Máler Kotla
in October 1902 and addressed a meeting on the subject of inoculation. As the result of
this address 1,501 persons were inoculated during the following few days.
The infection of plague is said to have been carried by human intercourse and rats.
The relation as to time between mortality of rats and outbreaks of plague among human
beings was not accurately observed, but the former usually preceded the latter, often by
about 12 days.
The bubonic type of plague prevailed and the poorer classes were most affected.
FARIDKOT STATE,
52. The only outbreaks of plague in the Faridkot State during the year under report
were at the capital and at the town of Kot Kapúra. Details of these outbreaks are given
in a tabular form below :—
Town.
Faridkot
Kot-Kapúra
...
...
Population.
10,405
.
9,519
Date of first case.
21st December 1902
22nd January 1903 ...
Date of last case.
28th June 1903
22nd May 1903
Total
...
...
...
Cases.
468
576
1,044
Deaths.
215
395
610
Inocula-
tions,
651
243
894-
Infection was introduced into Faridkot by passengers from infected towns in the
Ferozepore District in spite of inspection posts and quarantine camps. No mention is made
as to the method of the introduction of infection into Kot Kapúra, though, as the Raja and
his following went to live there when plague was severe at Faridkot, it is possible that this-
may have been responsible for the outbreak.
No details are given concerning disinfection in the State. Lieutenant-Colonel
Mulroney, I.M.S., performed 610 inoculations.
The bubonic type of plague was most common, and affected chiefly the poorer classes.
DUJANA STATE.
53. Only three villages were infected with plague in the Dujána State, all of which
were infected from the neighbouring town of Rewári in the Gurgaon District.
In these villages 148 cases of plague with 118 deaths occurred between February
14th, and April 7th.
The people readily complied with the advice offered by the Civil Surgeon of Gurgaon,
who was-placed in charge of plague measures in the State, and evacuated their villages, the
people of infected villages taking great pains to exclude strangers. All infected houses were
chemically disinfected, except three, in which desiccation was practised. Mr. Charters
remarks that the inflammable nature of the houses renders desiccation dangerous.
No inoculations were performed.