8
(/) To see that patients are removed from infected dwellings with relatives
and dependents.
Steps will be taken as soon as possible to arrange all hospitals on the plan of
the Maratha, so that there may be no division of families, and unless
the relatives specially desire it, the patient and all " contacts " should,
whenever possible, be sent to the same place. In selected cases the
patient may be left in his house and treated there, but care must be
taken that the house is suitable, that it is kept clean and disinfected,
the patient provided with a cot and other sanitary rules observed.
Careful notes of any such case should be kept. Two attendants should
be retained for each patient, and the other members of the family sent
to a contact camp, unless they prefer to be inoculated and remain,
when they should be registered and kept under observation.
(g) To disinfect infected houses, Now that plague has almost ceased, it is
most important that every effort should be made to get rid of it
entirely. When a death is known to be due to plague, there is no
question about disinfecting, but when the cause of death is doubtful,
it is advisable to be on the safe side and disinfect, so as, if possible, to
leave no locality, where the plague germ may be dormant for some
months only to spring up afterwards with greater virulence. What-
ever disinfectant is used, the chief points to be remembered are light,
air and thorough cleanliness. During the rains tiles cannot be removed,
but where possible doors and windows should be taken off their hinges.
Every corner of the house must be swept out, all rags, refuse, &c.,
burnt and the surroundings cleaned up. If this is well done, there is
fair chance of the germ dying. It has been the practice hitherto when
a case of plague occurs in a chawl to disinfect only the room in which
the patient was lying, and one room on each side. This practice
should be adhered to, but when a chawl is obviously badly infected, the
whole of the occupants should be removed to a health camp and the
chawl disinfected and cleaned from top to bottom. The District Officer
should satisfy himself by personal inspection that the work has been
properly done, and should note in his house register the dates of vaca-
tion, disinfection, and re-occupation.
(h) To supervise the camps, in his ward. The District Officer will have
control over all camps in his ward, seeing that they are kept in proper
sanitary order, that registers are maintained, all inmates regularly
inspected, and that all requirements, which he cannot himself supply,
such as drainage water and latrine accommodation, are promptly
brought to the notice of the Municipal Commissioner. The camping
space in Bombay being limited, it is necessary that people should
occupy the huts as short a time as possible, subject to a minimum
period of fourteen days. The District Officer will therefore see that
as far as his own ward is concerned, houses from which evicts are
received in the camp are prepared for re-occupation as quickly as
possible, and that officers in charge of other wards are duly informed
that evicts from their wards can no longer be kept in the camp.
Every officer wishing to send evicts to a camp not in his own ward
should enquire first of the officer in charge of the camp whether
accommodation is available.