NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
58
"these particular rooms are disinfected and neither more nor less : on the arrival
of the muccadam and his gang at the place, the rooms ordered are disinfected as
laid down in the circular above quoted.
All houses were treated alike whether plague cases had occurred
or whether the case was only suspicious, but in the latter case, especi-
ally in the Central District, endeavours were made to get the whole
work done in one day so as to put the people to as little inconvenience
as possible. Endeavours were also made at the end of the epidemic to
disinfect houses which owners had locked up and deserted. The
desirability of this was evidenced by the number of such houses where
dead rats were found.
Captain Cuppage writes :
" Apart from the disinfection of plague-infected houses or rooms, it is the
" practice in C Ward to open and thoroughly disinfect and clean any rooms, shops,
" lofts or dwellings of any kind that have been untenanted or unused and closed up
" for over a month. This has entailed very heavy work on the disinfecting staff ;
" and at the commencement the people objected to it, but patience, combined with
" firmness, justice and tact, gained the day, and there is now little or no difficulty
" experienced in carrying this measure out. I have known instances in which on the
tf disinfecting staff arriving at a house of this kind the people have demurred, but
" on rats being found , they themselves willingly set to and assisted our men in
" every way."
Difficulties were specially experienced with the higher classes of
Mussulmans, with Parsees, Bhattias and Bannyas in the matter of
disinfection. In the case of the Mussulmans referred to the principal
difficulty was when a death occurred. For 3 days after, during
the performance of the ziarat ceremony, friends and relations congre-
gate in and about the house, and during this time disinfection is
practically impossible. The difficulty with the Farsees was very
much the same, and can be and was got over in many instances,
thanks to the assistance of the Secretary of the Farsee Punchayet,
by using the services of Farsees to disinfect. The Bhattias and
Bannyas are specially sensitive about intrusion upon their rooms and
damage to their often valuable belongings, and their objections could
only be overcome by the employment of Hindus of good caste and the
exercise of great patience.
In all districts every endeavour was made to induce the owner
of a house or chawl or his agent to be present while disinfection was
going on, and either one or the other generally appeared. In some
cases, however, they were unavoidably absent or persistently refused
to come. On these occasions one of the Volunteers or two or three
respectable persons living in the vicinity were called, and the work
was carried on in their presence. When a door had to be broken
open it was the practice to call in a police sepoy to see that no
property was stolen, and in C Ward when the owner was absent
t was usual to have all members of the disinfecting gangs searched
59
Improvement
and demolition
of insanitary
buildings.
Notices.
on entering and leaving the house. If the owners were poor the value
of any articles destroyed was assessed on the spot and compensation
paid. These measures were very successful, and one of the most
gratifying features of the year's work has been the extreme rarity
of complaints of loss or damage to property arising from plague
measures.
In one of the few cases of complaint, the matter was at once put
in the hands of the police, and it was found that a by-stander had entered
the house while it was being evacuated and had rifled the contents of a
box. He was tracked down, tried and convicted, and the property
restored to the owner.
In the matter of ventilation, men were specially employed to remove
the tiles in strips from the roofs of infected houses and of all houses
in infected localities. Doors and windows were invariably left open
after completion of disinfection till the house was re-occupied, bamboo
partitions were often pulled down and holes occasionally made in walls
where there was no other means of admitting light and air ; but
in really bad cases the house was reported to the Executive Engineer
for survey. The work done by his department in the matter of improv-
ing the buildings of Bombay is given in his report below.
During the year ending 31st May 1899, a systematic inspection of houses in
the following districts, which was in hand at the commencement of the year was
continued :—
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lower Colaba.
Fort.
Dhobitalao.
Chukla.
Mandvi.
Urnarkhady.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Dongri.
Bhuleshwar.
Kamatipura.
1st Nagpada.
2nd Nagpada.
Byculla.
The following additional districts were also taken up during the year :—
1. Market.
2. Kharatalao.
3. Kumbharwada.
4. Tardeo.
5. Walkeshwar.
The inspection of houses in Kamatipura and in the Dhobitalao District has been
practically completed and the improvement of several houses has been already earned
out, while that of others is in progress. Stray cases in other parts of the city were
also inspected when their improvement was urgently demanded. Altogether 2,553
houses were inspected during the year under review, of which 2,178 houses were
found more or less in need of improvement, 364 houses were found incapable of
improvement and fit for demolition, the remaining being such as not to require
any improvement. In all 242 houses were actually demolished during the year.
During the year 2,182 notices were issued requiring the house-owners to improve
their buildings, out of which the owners of 838 houses took the work of improvement
in hand, 714 houses had to be declared unfit for human habitation, out of which 76
60
Compensation.
Abatement of
overcrowding..
houses were closed permanently for demolition, 350 temporarily for enforcing
improvements in them, and 288 were declared unfit for human habitation to allow of
action being taken for the immediate improvement of their ventilation.
The amount of compensation awarded during the year by the Government Assessor
for buildings condemned for demolition under Sections I and IX of the Notifi-
cation was Es. 8,880. Rs. 2,989-6-7 was paid by way of compensation during the
year for huts and sheds demolished under Section 426 of the Municipal Act and a sum
amounting to Rs. 1,154-1-5 still remains to be paid owing to the owners not
having proved their title to receive the compensation awarded to them.
f
As a rule the residences of the poor classes of the communities are insanitary,
ill-ventilated and damp. Many of the rooms have absolutely no light or
venti-
lation and the floors being low are generally damp and fruitful of disease. It is
sometimes found that ten people live in a room hardly sufficient for one-fourth
the number. Attempts have been made to abate the overcrowding in these
buildings, but without much success, as it was found that the rooms were re-occupied
shortly after the officers of the Municipality left the scene of action. The only
remedy is to increase the amount of house accommodation and it is hoped that the
work of the City Improvement Trust will help the City in this matter. Only one
Inspector was employed during the year for inspection of houses with a view
to abate the overcrowding. This work is, as stated above, difficult of accomplishment
owing to insufficient house accommodation for the poor. The overcrowding was
naturally found only in chawls occupied by the poorest classes of the people. Until
sufficient house accommodation suitable for these people is provided, the effects
of overcrowding must continue. Reduction is, however, more rigidly enforced
in cases where the creation or spread of disease is apprehended.
61
CHAPTER V.
CAMPS.
Provision of
Camps.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
G.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12,
13.
Narielwadi.
Wari Bander.
Elphinstone Bridge.
Modykhana.
Gocuirlas Tejpal.
Sankli Street.
Victoria Bandar.
Ellnpa B a 1 a r a m
(Foras Eoad).
Byculla.
Dadar.
Cruikshank Eoad.
Kennedy bea Faco.
Elphinstone.
The Municipality inherited the marginally noted camps from the
Plague Committee—of these the first 7 were retained
and strengthened for the monsoon. The huts on
high-lying ground at No. 8 were retained ; the rest
demolished. All the other eamps were pulled down,
with the exception of a few huts, which subsequently
proved uninhabitable at Byculla, and some huts
appropriated to the use of Government peons at
Kennedy Sea Face. Of the first 8 camps it may
be noted that that at MoayKhana was practically not used lor purely
Municipal purposes—a portion of its area had to be returned to the
Port Trust authorities for the construction of kerosine oil sidings : about
half of it was made over to the Port Health Officer, when with the
rise of the epidemic it became necessary to discontinue the use of the
Modykhana Hospital for observation cases detained at the Bandar :
and the remainder was eventually made over to the Parsee Panchayet for
Use as a hospital and segregation camp. The camps at Sankli Street and
Victoria Bandar were occupied by permanent residents and were never
available for evacuation purposes. All the other camps except Wari
Bandar were, during the monsoon, occupied by semi-permanent residents
who had to pay a rent of Rs. 2 per hut : or in some cases Re. 1.
A Ward — Vittal Sayana camp.
Cruikshank Eoad (2
camps).
B Ward — Babula Tank camp.
Umarkhari camps.—
C i. Piru Lane.
ii. Jail Eoad.)
C Ward— Crawford Market camp.
Kennedy Sea Face camp
Northbrook Gardens
camp.
D Ward — Grant Eoad camp.
Chowpatty camp.
E Ward— Byculla camps.
i. for Julais.
ii. for Hindus.
iii. for Mahal's.
iv. for Halalkhors.
Gilder Street camps.
Camp for Mussalmans,
Narielwadi.
Ghorupdeo camp.
F and G Wards— Worli Koliwada
camp.
Mori Eoad camp.
Elphinstone Eoad camp.
Dadar camp.
Worli Pakhadi camp.
The question of providing ample camp accommodation was receiv-
ing attention before the close of the monsoon ; and a great stimulus was
given to this work by G. R. 6254/6405-I of 17th November 1898, communicat-
ing the generous grant by the Government of India of one lakh of
rupees for expenditure independently of the Municipality on plague
camps in and near the City. The marginally
noted public camps were erected and rapidly
pushed forward during the cold weather.
The Ellapa Balaram camp was also consi-
derably extended by its generous founder,
The Vittal Sayana camp also owed its ori-
gin to a gentleman of that name who put
it up in the first instance entirely at his
own expense. All the other camps men-
tioned were erected from the funds placed
at the disposal of the Commissioner by the
Government, an account of which is here
attached. It will be seen that this fund
enabled the Commissioner to give different
communities assistance in the erection of health
camps of their own.
EXPENDITURE on Plague Camps during the year ending 31st May 1899.
Month and Date.
December 8th, 1898..
January 10th, 1899..
, 18th „ ...
February 20th
...
March 30th
„ ...
July 3rd
„ ...
Receipts.
Received from the Accountant-General, Bombay...
Do.
do.
do....
Do.
do.
do....
Do.
do.
do....
Do.
do.
do....
Do.
do.
do....
Amount.
Rs. a. p.
119 7 0
10,000 0 0
35 0 0
20,000 0 0
29,845 9 0
15,000 0 0
Expenditure.
Erecting Gamps at Gilder Street
...
...
...
...
Do. health camps for Mahars at Gilder
Street...
...
Do. camp of 100 rooms
do.
...
...
Do. camp of 50 rooms
do.
...
...
Constructing additional 100 sheds at Churney
Road ... ...
Do.
2nd do. 100
do.
...
...
Do.
camps at Marine Lines
...
...
...
...
...
Do.
a camp of 250 rooms at Kennedy Sea Face
...
Do.
public camps
do.
do.
...
...
Erecting camps at Dadar... ... ... ... ... ...
Constructing 200 rooms at Morland
Road
...
...
...
...
Erecting health camps at Agripada, Morland
Road ... ... ...
Do. Hindu camps at Morland Road
...
...
...
Constructing a shed for the Small Causo Court... ... ... ...
Do.
camps at DeLisle Road
...
...
...
...
...
Do.
do. at Jail Road
.....
...
...
......
Do.
do. at Argyle Road ... ... ... ... ...
Erecting camps at Byculia (additional accommodation)
...
Do. 10 Chawls for Hindus at
Byculia...
...
...
Do. 16 Chawls for Julais at Byculia
...
...
...
Do. Camps for Sweepers at Byculia ... ... ... ...
Making additional 100 rooms to the Mahar Camps at ßyculla..
Erecting Camps at Cruikshank Road ... ... ... ... ...
Do,
do. at Babula Tank ... ... ... ... ...
Amount
Rs.
4,066
4,576
625
6,122
2,387
2,094
287
525
286
351
10,185
2,978
308
nt.
a.
3
0 u
11
15
15
15
13
1
7
13
14
P-
i n
10
1
J- X
5
6
10
1
6
0
9
l
3
62
1
Total ... Es
* la addition to this sum Rs, 1,918-1-0 havç fo
1
75,000 0 0
3on paid írom 1st June
Erecting Health Camp at Ghorupdeo Boad
1
Constructing 100 additional. rooms, £0., at Ghorupdeo Camp ...
j
Converting 2 huts ab Government House, Pare!, into 16 living rooms ..
Erecting health camps at Elphinstone Eoad -..„
Constructing New Camps in Northbrook Garden
Do.
Sheds on the South side of A. 0. Market
Do.
Camps at Imambara Ground
Do.
Nurses' quarters at Modykhana
Do.
huts at Pirn Lane...
,..
..
...
Converting Sheds into health camp at Grant Eoad
Constructing 50 huts for Dhobies at Arthur Road Hospital
Do
40 huts at Worli Koliwada
..
..
.
Do.
Hospital and camp at Narielwady
Do.
20 rooms in the Compound of Ben i Israel Hospital
Do.
30 huts at Worli Pakhadi and erecting health camps at
Valpakbadi.
Constructing ICO huts at Chowpati Dis f illery Site
...
...
...
Erecting huts at Bellasis Eoad (Sbivlal Motilal Ground)
Inspector Solomon's travelling charges on different camps
Railway Pass to timekeeper of the Drainage Department to take muster
at different Camps.
Carriage cb arges incurred for removing stores from Government House
Parel Stores to different camps.
Total payment up to 31st May 1899 ...
Es.
Balance in hand ...
Es.
Total ... Es.
189'J to 7th July 18D9 and bills for Es, 9,500-0-0 are under Audit,
l
3,376 6 S
219 ]5 1
346 38 0
1,122 8 ß
4,199 U 5
220 8 6
2,340 11 4
405 9 10
667 711
v v 4
i xi
1,324 11 6
QÖO
ß A
yo¿ o u
2,176 3 3
36 9 0
3,244 7 7
1 °)ßß i n
-M «/ UU
J.
\J
605 0 10
2 8 0
7 10 0
374 4 0
1,034 11 à
* 59,258 11 11
15,741 4 1
75,000 0 0
63
65
Private Camps-
at the close of the year ; the desirability of these arrangements was
impressed upon the Managers at the various private hospitals, and prac-
tically all those of importance either erected huts close by, or set aside
rooms, or engaged neighbouring houses for the purpose in question.
The various private camps in the City may be roughly divided into
three classes :—
1. Those erected on sites provided by the Municipality for the
various communities along the Sea Face, and at Cruik-
shank and Frere Roads.
2. Those erected on private land in F. and G. Wards in the
North.
3. Municipal sites allotted to private individuals on the Vincent
Road in the North of the Island.
Private camps were erected to a very much larger extent than ever
before, and the following account of a Meeting of Representatives of
different castes of the Dakshani Hindu Community held on 6th Septem-
ber 1898, shows how the movement originated, and gives the names of
the gentlemen who took a special interest in its development :—
Proceedings of a Meeting of Representatives of different
Castes of the Dakshani Hindu Community,
held on 6th September 1898.
A preliminary meeting of representatives of different castes of the Hindu
community was held in Shankarsett House on Tuesday, the 6th September 1898, at
5-30 P.M., to consider the advisability of erecting health camps for those castes, in
view of the apprehended recrudescence of plague this year, and to adopt measures
for the erection of such camps.
The Honourable Dr. Bhalchandra Krishna was called to the chair on the
motion of Rao Bahadur Wasudev Jagnnnath Kirtikar, seconded by Rao Bahadur
Dhakji Kashinathji.
The Chairman explained that the meeting had been called at the suggestion of
Mr. W. L. Harvey, I.C.S., Acting Municipal Commissioner for the City of Bombay,
who had conferred with some Members of the Corporation, and stated that it was time
for the people of different communities to consider the advisability of constructing health
camps, and that so far as practicable he (the Municipal Commissioner) would help
them in the matter of suitable sites and the necessary sanitary and other requirements
such as drainage, latrines, water and lighting ; that the arangements for Marathas,
Telugus, &c., were entrusted to other members ; and that this meeting had to consider
the measures for certain castes whoso representatives had been called to meet there that
day. The Chairman said that Mr. Harvey's suggestion was a good one, and that it
would be eminently desirable to accopt it as soon as possible. He farther said that the
Pathare Prabhu community had already begun work in this direction and wero obtain-
ing the requisite information for their own caste. In answer to a question whether the
Municipality would also supply the Police required to guard the camps, the Chairman
explained that this was a matter on which the Commissioner, of Police would have to be
consulted ; and that if a representation were made, he thought the Municipal and Police
Commissioners would in all probability be willing to meet the wishes of the people.
66
Rao Bahadurs Kirtikar and Dhakji Kashinathji expressed their approval of
what the Chairman said.
It was then proposed by Dr. Shantaram Vithal and seconded by Rao Saheb
Narayan Trimbak Vaidya, that a Committee consisting of the gentlemen named in
the list printed below be appointed, with power to add to their number, to
ascertain how many members of their respective castes would be willing to remove
to health camps constructing sheds at their own expense, and what sites they would
consider suitable for the purpose, so that steps may be taken to secure the sites
required. This proposition was carried unanimously.
Rao Bahadur W. J. Kirtikar proposed and Mr. Balkrishna V. N. Kirtikar
seconded that—
Rao Bahadur Dhakji Kashinathji,
Rao Saheb Narayan Trimbak Vaidya,
Mr. Sundarnath D. Khote, and
Dr. Dadoba Janardan Mantri,
be appointed General Secretaries, and that they should obtain the required
information from the Sub-Committees of different castes, consisting of the representa-
tives of those castes on the General Committee and any other members of the caste
whose names these representatives may consider necessary to add to their number.
This proposition was also carried unanimously.
The Chairman in his concluding speech requested the representatives of each
caste to immediately proceed to form themselves into Sub-Committees and to collect
the requisite information as early as possible.
Votes of thanks to the Chairman for his able conduct in the chair and to Mr.
Raoji V. J. Shankarsett for the use of his Hall for the meeting, terminated the
proceedings.
BHALCHANDEA KEISHNA,
Chairman,
List of Members of the. General Committee.
Anandrao Harishankar, Esq.
Anandrao Vinayak, Esq.
Atmaram Jagannath Kirtikar, Esq.
Balaji Narayan Bhise, Esq.
Balkrishna V. N. Kirtikar, Esq.
Bapuji Dinanathji, Esq.
The Hon'ble Dr. Bhalchandra Krishna.
Bhaskar Bhau Mantri, Esq.
Eao Bahadur Bhaskerrao B. Pitale,
Bhaskar Shivram, Esq.
Bhauram Raghoba, Esq.
Dr. Bhawanishankar Balkrishna.
Dr. Dadoba Janardan Mantri.
The Hon'ble Mr, Daji Abaji Khare.
Damodar Ganesh, Esq.
Dattatraya Narayan Vaidya, Esq.
Rao Bahadur Dhakji Kashinathji.
Gangadhar Devji, Esq.
Gangaram Bapsoba Rele, Esq.
Ganpatrao Chintoba Chhapwale, Esq.
Rao Saheb Ganpatrao M. Pitale.
Ganpat Sadashiv Eao, Esq.
Rao Saheb Ghanasham N. Nadkarni.
Gopal Moreshwar Sathe, Esq.
Dr. Govind Balaji Kher.
Harischandra Baba Joshi, Esq.
Harischandra Jagannath Goregavkar,
Esq.
Harischandva Pandurangji, Esq.
Jagannath Narayan Parmanand, Esq.
Janardan Damodar Kolhatkar, Esq.
Janardan Gopal Mantri, Esq.
Janardan Purushotamji, Esq.
Janardan Raghoba Vanmali, Esq.
Keshav Kushaba Acharya, Esq.
Rao Bahadur Kesbavrao Bhaskarji.
Krishnarao Antoba Chemburkar, Esq.
Krishnarao Ganpat Naik, Esq.
Lakshman Harischandra Chaudhri, Esq.
Madhavrao Shridhar, Esq.
67
List of Members of the General Committee.—contd.
Mahadev Rajaram Bodas, Esq.
Mahadev Bhaskar Chaubal, Esq.
Dr. Moreshwar Gopal Deshmukh.
Nanabhai Moroba, Esq.
Nanabhai Sadanand Kale, Esq.
Dr. Nanu Atmararn Tarkhad.
Nanu Narayan Kothare, Esq.
The Hon'ble Mr. Narayan G. Chandavar-
kar.
Narayan Mahadev Samarth, Esq.
Narayan Raghunathji, Esq.
Rao Saheb Narayan Trimbak Vaidya.
Narayan Vishwanath Mandlik, Esq.
Nathuram Ananta, Esq.
Pandurang Krishnaji, Esq.
Purushotam Balkrishna Joshi, Esq.
Purushotam Bandhuji, Esq.
Purushotam Bahi, Esq.
Ragunath Mukund, Esq.
Ramchandara Balkrishna Mahadeshwar,
Esq.
Eamchandra Harji, Esq.
Ramchandra Manikji, Esq.
Ramkrishna Lakshman Dolas, Esq.
Dr. Ramkrishna Narayan Parmanand.
Ramkrishna Purshotam Vaknis, Esq.
Raoji Vinayakrao J. Shankarsett, Esq.
Sadanand Trimbakji Kale, Esq.
Shamrao Manekji Rolo, Esq.
Shamrao Narayan Laud, Esq.
Shamrao Pandurang, Esq.
Shamrao Vithal, Esq.
Shankar Damodar Godambe, Esq.
Shantaram Narayan Dabholkar, Esq.
Dr. Shantaram Vithal.
Shivshankar Maloji Chavathe, Esq.
Sitaram Dhakji Waslekar, Esq.
Rao Saheb Sitaram Khanderao
Sundarnath D. Khote, Esq.
Vaman Vasudev Muranjan, Esq.
Vasantrao Nana Moroba, Esq.
Vinayak Sadanad Joshi, Esq.
Viswanath Dhondoba, Esq.
Wamanrao Damodar Pitale, Esq.
Rao Bahadur Wasudev J. Kirtikar.
The following sites were allotted to various Committees :—
Do*
Daivadnya*
Do*
Pathare Prabhu*
Dakshni Brahmin*
Somwashi Kshatrya* ...
Gaud Brahmin*
Kayasth Prabhu*
Kshatrya*
Yajoorwedi Brahmin* ...
Lohana ...
Bhattia*
... Kennedy Sea Face
... Cruikshank Road
... Kennedy Sea Face
do.
...
do.
do.
do.
...
...
do.
do.
do.
Frere Road
...
...
do.
...
...
...
... Near Goculdas Tejpal Hospital...
10,000 sq.
13,414
2,853
3,734
11,743
5,470
3,072
3,599
1,887
1,867
1,212
1,786
3,478
yards.
30 rooms.
Of the camps mentioned above, those marked with an asterisk lay
all fairly close together, and an Inspector was appointed to supervise
their conservancy arrangements. The camps were erected at the
expense of the various communities, in a few cases private individuals
erecting huts for themselves. The Municipality provided latrine accom-
modation and washing places ; and made arrangements for draining
and lighting them: providing also a conservancy staff consisting of 21
men and one night-soil cart, and paying for the services of 12 police
ramosis. The Parsees also bad a special staff of conservancy coolies of
their own. At the camps of the Parsee and Bhattia communities the
privies and urinals were erected by themselves, and the lighting and