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RAWALPINDI DISTRICT.
Epidemic.
45. Except for some rather doubtful cases, the Rawalpindi District had escaped an
outbreak of plague until the present year. This
season it was introduced into the city and
the neighbouring Cantonment in May. The outbreak, which was practically confined to the
Rawalpindi Tahsil, resulted in 603 cases with 455 deaths and ran a somewhat abnormal
course, as it never died down during the hot weather.
The city was infected on the 28th of May 1903, and 549 plague cases with 414 deaths
occurred in it.
The Cantonment was also infected on the 28th of May 1903, but only 28 plague cases
with r6 deaths occurred here.
In villages infected afterwards altogether 26 plague cases with 25 deaths occurred.
The attitude of the people was averse to any plague measures at first, but later on
they showed a tendency to co-operate with the authorities.
Preventive measures.
No surveillance of any sort was exercised over arrivals from infected areas. The
first few cases that occurred in the city were
isolated, the contacts segregated and the
houses evacuated, but in spite of these measures the disease spread.
Disinfection.
214 rooms were chemically disinfected and 269 were desiccated with Sawhney's
stoves. It was found that 15 seers of charcoal,
costing eight annas, were necessary to raise
the temperature of an average-sized room to 160 Fahr. The people did desiccation them-
selves by burning cowdung cakes on the floors of their houses.
Infection-
Infection appears to have been due to human agency, though rats died in
houses prior to the outbreak of plague in them,
the period elapsing varying from 5 to 20 days.
The bubonic type of plague prevailed.
Medical staff and establishment.
Assistant Surgeon P.B. Bannerjee, with 2 Hospital Assistants and 2 Dháis, was posted
to the plague inspection post on the Murree
Road in the district. In addition to the above
staff one Hospital Assistant was detailed for plague duty in the district. The local Medical
staff concerned also performed plague duty in addition to their ordinary duties.
MIANWALI DISTRICT.
46. Only three cases of plague, all of them imported, occurred in the Miánwáli District
during the year under report. The first case came to Bhakkar from Jhang and died of
pneumonic plague on arrival. The other two cases, a mother and her son, came to Kálábágh
from the Gujranwala District and developed bubonic plague on arrival. All these cases
were promptly dealt with and the disease did not spread. All infected houses were chemi-
cally disinfected, as were the personal effects of the patients.
MOOLTAN DISTRICT.
47. There were only four cases in the Mooltan District during the year 1902-03. All
were imported respectively from Meean Meer, Siálkot, Gujránwála and Lahore. The cases,
were all promptly dealt with and the disease did not spread.
JHANG DISTRICT.
Epidemic.
48. The Jhang District was infected with plague for the second time during the year
under report. During the second epidemic
3,813 cases of plague occurred with 2,597
deaths as against 311 cases with 176 deaths recorded during 1901-02.
From its commencement in October the epidemic increased very slowly, but steadily,
until it reached its climax in April. The first case occurred in Jhang town on October
12th, 1902, but owing to the prompt measures taken the disease did not spread.
Lyallpur City became infected on November 2nd, and an outbreak followed which
did not cease until May 1903. The disease did not spread in the Lyallpur Tahsil until