18
Some interesting observations were made by Dr E Houseman, District Plague
Medical Officer, concerning the influence of the soil upon outbreaks of plague. His general
conclusions are that, while the soil has but little- effect upon the course of an outbreak of
plague, once the disease has been introduced into a town or village, places situated upon
certain soils are less liable than others to outbreaks of plague, due either to the introduction
of infection or to recrudescence.
Dr. Houseman's figures tend to show that villages on a rich alluvial soil are both
more liable to primary infection and to recrudescence than villages built on poorer and more
sandy spills. The case of recrudescence is very marked. He also adduces from his figures
that villages on a rich soil with natural irrigation enjoy high degree of immunity. It
should be remarked, however, that the evidence that the nature of the soil is responsible
for the differences noted is one that cannot be accepted without fuller enquiry.
Plague among rats and other animals;
At the end of the previous plague season it had been observed that rats had almost dis-
appeared, but by the beginning of November
they had again made their appearance. There
was much mortality among them this- year also. It was generally observed that people
developed plague from 3 to 7 days after the death of rats in their houses. It was noticed in
several villages that mortality among rats was not followed by outbreak of plague among.
human beings. This was supposed to be due to the more cautious way in which the
villagers handled them, as such a thing had never been observed during the previous
epidemic.
Type.
The bubonic type of the disease- prevailed, and, though the pneumonic form was
largely reported, it was suspected from the low
case mortality returned that simple pneu-
monia was largely confounded with it. In the Kharar Tahsil 6 cases were observed in-
which there was profuse diarrhoea with bloody stools, associated with collapse and death
within 48 hours.
Medical Staff and Establishment.
The following Medical Officers and subordinates were employed on • plague duty
in the district : — Captain J. Stephenson,
I. M. S , District Plague Medical Officer,
Dr. E. Houseman, Dr. G. Taylor, Dr H, Fraser, and Dr. J. S. C. Elkington, Inoculating
Medical Officers, Assistant Surgeon S; N Mozamdar, Assistant Surgeon Jugal Kishore, two
Hospital Assistants, and 6 Compounders
SIMLA DISTRICT.
Epidemic.
30. This district did not suffer from an epidemic, but at the commencement of the
season there were 9 cases and 9 deaths in the
Subathu Cantonment, which were the last
cases of an outbreak which had occurred at the end of the previous season. During that-
outbreak there had been 66 cases and 45 deaths recorded.
The outbreak ceased during October of the present season.
Three imported cases of plague occurred in Simla itself during the year under report,
2 of which came to the Ripon Hospital for treatment. All cases were segregated, the
infected houses chemically disinfected, and the personal effects of the patients disinfected
in a steam disinfector.
The same precautionary measures as were described in last year's report continue
to be maintained. A Bowman steam disinfector was erected in the bazar.
Medical Staff and Establishment.
The Medical staff on plague duty was as follows :—Captain E. L. Perry, I M S.,
District Plague Medical Officer, Dr. C. V.
Naidu, Assistant Surgeon Jagan Nath, Assist-
ant Surgeon Moti Ram,- 5 Hospital Assistants and 2 Dhaís.
KANGRA DISTRICT.
31. The only outbreak of plague in thé Kángra District was at the municipal town
of Nárpur, where 16 indigenous cases with 12 deaths occurred. The first case was a child
2 1/2 years old who was seen on the 14th February in the convalescent stage. Her infection
was attributed to the visit of some relatives who 'had come from an infected' village in the
Páthnkot Tahsíl on February 9th.
All the cases were isolated and the houses in which they occurred chemically disin-
fected.
Rats.-
There were reports from some of the villages in the Hamirpur and Núrpur Tahsíls
of slight mortality amongst rats, but this was
not followed by any outbreak of plague among,
human beings.
No special Medical staff was sent to this district.