NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
127
B
Departments during the Third Epidemic,
Hose Inspection
Staff.
1
...
...
4
2
5
1
...
4
1
,..
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
18
Drainago Depart-
ment.
30
12
38
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
5
...
...
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
82
Commissioner's Staff.
1
1
3
3
1
2
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
11
Fire Briade Staff.
1
2
2
2
48
54
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
8
130
Camps and Hos-
pitals excluding
Arthur Road and
Bandora Hospital.
2
1
1
2
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
6
Water Depart-
ment.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cometerios.
...
1
2
2
...
...
...
11
...
16
Total
number.
1
1
9
1
1
17
4
8
2
429
169
30
12
38
1
1
1
1
2
1
7
1
1
4
5
18
1
13
1
16
1
3
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
7
2
2
2
48
54
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
11
1
8
958
Total amount
per month.
Rs. a. p.
400 0 0
300 0 0
135 0 0
15 0 0
15 0 0
238 0 0
48 0 0
92 0 0
20 0 0
3,861 0 0
1,014 0 0
406 14 0
139 8 0
3S8 2 0
10 0 0
100 0 0
75 0 0
70 0 0
120 0 0
55 0 0
350 0 0
50 0 0
45 0 0
160 0 0
175 0 0
540 0 0
30 0 0
325 0 0
25 0 0
320 0 0
20 0 0
45 0 0
10 0 0
5 0 0
3 0 0
40 0 0
17 0 0
15 0 0
12 0 0
.20 0 0
12 0 0
10 0 0
12 0 0
23 0 0
21 0 0
32 0 0
28 0 0
24 0 0
134 4 0
129 10 6
31 0 0
50 0 0
40 0 0
35 0 0
30 0 0
25 0 0
20 0 0
110 0 0
10 0 0
16 0 0
10,482 6 6
Names.
Mr. J. U. Nadersbaw. .
„ Geo. Blackwell.
Mr. Ruttonji Fardunji Khambata.
Mr, Bal Nilaje Pitale.
128
STATEMENT
Designation.
Brought forward ...
Halalkhore Mucadums
15
Do.
14
Do.
11-8
Hamals
10
Hospital Assistants
...
25+25+10+10
Do.
do.
25+25+10
Do.
do.
30
Do. Report Bearer
9
Inspectors
200+50
Do.
125
Do.
100
Do.
80
Laboratory Boys
12
Do.
do.... Extra allowance
10
Lascars
10
Mason
1 per day
Do.
500
Do.
250
Do.
200
Do.
150
Mochies
... Extra allowance 2-12-9
Mucadum
20
Do.
12
Do.
as. 12 per day
Do
„ 10 P „
Do.
„ 8 „
Nurses
100+l½
per day
Do
„
85
Peons
15
Do
10
Do
9
Do
8
Do
6
Do
3
Ramosis, Police
11-4
Do.
do
13-8
Ratcatchers or Killers
12
Store-Inspector ... Extra allowance
70
Do. Assistant
100+30
Sub-Inspectors
60
Do.
40
Do.
35
Do.
30
Do.
25
Do.
20
Do.
... Extra allowance
10
Syce
10
Do
do.
6
Do
do.
5
Do
do.
4
Do
do.
3-3-2
Trip-markers
20
Veterinary Surgeons Extra allowance
50
Ward boys
25
Total ...
Health Department.
Head
Office.
16
...
...
...
• • »
• ••
• •«
...
...
18
No. 1
Divn.
121
13
20
...
1
15
4
2
4
3
12
2
2
199
No. 2
Divn.
95
14
20
1
1
28
6
2
7
13
2
6
No. 3
No. 4
Divn.
Divn.
258
13
17
1
14
11
4
6
2
1
8
2
1
2
195
340
136
8
83
10
4
3
2
1
8
2
1
258
48
10
1
1
1
6
1
4
1
13
30
•••
...
1
116
2
1
1
1
1
...
3
1
...
9
3
1
2
3
1
4
1
1
...
...
18
17
• •*
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
...
...
24
129
B—Continued.
18
1
2
11
1
29
...
...
62
82'
2
...
2
1
2
...
89
11
...
1
1
2
5
...
20
130
6
1
1
3
7
6
154
6
1
57
...
...
64
...
...
3
...
3
16
1
...
8
1
...
26
Total
number.
958
49
10
199
2
o
1
1
2
1
2
11
1
1
1
29
2
1
2
3
3
1
6
1
67
2
1
2
6
1
2
6
4
2
5
1
30
8
11
1
1
19
6
1
41
2
10
1
3
1
1
3
7
6
11
1
1
13
31
1,597
Total amount
per month.
Rs. a. p.
10,482 6 6
735 0 0
140 0 0
2,288 8 0
20 0 0
140 0 0
60 0 0
30 0 0
18 0 0
250 0 0
250 0 0
1,100 0 0
80 0 0
12 0 0
10 0 0
290 0 0
62 0 0
1,000 0 0
1,000 0 0
750 0 0
600 0 0
150 0 0
16 12 6
20 0 0
804 0 0
46 8 0
19 6 0
31 0 0
879 0 0
85 0 0
30 0 0
60 0 0
36 0 0
16 0 0
30 0 0
3 0 0
337 8 0
108 0 0
132 0 0
70 0 0
130 0 0
1 140 0 0
240 0 0
35 0 0
1 230 0 0
50 0 0
200 0 0
10 0 0
30 0 0
7 0 0
6 0 0
15 0 0
28 0 0
19 3 0
220 0 0
50 0 0
25 0 0
195 0 0
372 0 0
26,194 4 0
Names.
Mr. N. D. Katrack.
Messrs. M. M. Mistri & A. K. Dadachanji.
Messrs. P. A. Chenoy, J. H. Karanjia,
N. J. Bilimoria, M. D. Mistri, F. M.
Fitter, I. J. Pitre M V Tilak U J
Van Boss, F. S. Bharucha and B. A.
Wadia.
Dr. Galleotti
Profs. W M Haffkine and Polverini.
Drs. Frazer, Shroff, and Quadros.
Mayr, Paymaster and Desai.
Dr. G. B. Tambay.
Mrs. Baker and Chrichton and Misses
Yates, Beale, Eugen and Phillips.
Mr. H, Wald.
,, J. M. Govendor.
Mr. Sohrab N. Ranina.
130
Among the whole staff there were 40 cases of plague as follows :—•
2
1
2
2
33
40
Expenditure.
A few black sheep had to be got rid of, but complaints were very
rare. The staff on the whole worked zealously and well.
The following statement shows the booked expenditure on
plague operations during the year ending 31st May 1899 :—
Establishment.
Central Offices, Superior
Do.
Subordinate
District Offices, Superior ...
...
Do.
Subordinate
Hospitals, Superior ...
Do. Subordinate
Military, Naval and Police, Superior ...
Do.
do.
Subordinate.
Labourers, Halalcores and Scavengers.
Establishment, &c., recoverable from
Government
...
...
...
Contingencies
Purchase of furniture
...
...
Hire of
do. ...
...
...
Cooking utensils and table articles ...
Food supply, Segregation Camps ...
Do.
Hospitals
Do.
Observation Camps ...
Disinfectants
Compensation for clothing ...
...
Do.
for huts, sheds &c. ...
Medicines, medical instruments, &c....
Telephone connections and alterations.
Carried over
Expenditure
incurred by the
Municipality,
Es. a. p.
5,510 1 1
21,304 7 7
78,612 1 4
91,402 14 11
7,823 12 2
40,501 7 9
25,483 4 4
1,43,448 1 1
1,165 2 3
4,15,251 4 6
1,586 10 11
Se'ööG 13 5
3,823 0 6
16 0 4
52 7 G
235 7 9
40,716 13 5
237 13 1
21,556 8 3
5,148 14 8
11,714 8 4
20 2 0
2 550 13 9
2 5,' 905 8 9
234 4 0
5,65,607 3 2
Expenditure incur-
red by the late
Plague Committee.
Rs. a. p.
588 5 4
12 0 0
12,490 14 2
4,057 5 2
1,328 11 3
3,468 12 3
275 14 0
1,685 14 4
2,407 0 1
4,796 12 2
31,111 8 9
17,535 15 8
20,876 0 7
863 9 3
521 10 0
5,431 13 2
6,894 2 5
Cr. 4,856 6 2
1,502 0 0
914 13 8
1,258 1 10
7 4 0
2,640 9 3
84,701 2
TOTAL.
Rs. a. p.
6,098 6 5
21,316 7 7
91,102 15 6
95,460 4 1
9,152 7 5
43,970 4 0
275 14 0
27,169 2 8
1,45,855 1 2
5,961 14 5
4,46,362 13 3
1,586 10 11
54,092 13 1
24,699 1 1
879 9 7
574 1 6
5,667 4 11
47,610 15 10
Cr. 4,618 9 1
23,058 8 3
6,063 12 4
12,972 10 2
27 6 0
2,550 13 9
28,546 2 0
234 4 0
6,50,308 5 7
131
—
Brought forward
Construction,
District offices and sheds
Observation Camps ...
•••
...
Segregation Camps
Do.
recoverable from Govern-
ment
Gratuity to patients
Rent of ground, godowns, &c.
Railway Inspection
Road Inspection
Sea
Inspection
Observation Camps deducting food
supply and construction ...
Assessment taxes
Lime washing labour and stores ex-
cluding lime
Pass work expenses
Cleaning and flushing drains and in-
eluding extra allowances to Fire Bri-
gade staff, purchase of hose, coal,
&c.
Cost of research as carried out at the
Sewri lazaretto, including portion
of Dr. Haffkine's salary, establish-
ment, furnishing of his bungalow,
&c.
Removing silt, town-sweeping, &c 4 . ..
Cleaning, disinfecting and repairing
Stores, firewood for cremation of dead
Pulling down and burning condemned
houses
Providing sanitary arrangements and
connecting Segregation Hospitals
owned by Mr. Haji Cassum for
Cutchee Bardas, C. Memons, and V.
Banias at Charni Road, Jakaria
Musjid Street and Bhuleshwar ...
Inspection of houses in different parts
of the City
Cost of Prof. Lustig's serum obtained
from Italy
Cost of preparing Lustig's ßerum in
Bombay, including salary of Drs.
Galliotti and Polverini
Constructing manholes in Mandvi Dis-
Maharatta Hospital and Camp
Jain Hospital
Modikhana Hospital, Parsi Ward ...
Carried over
Expenditure
incarred by the
municipality.
Rs. a. p.
5,65,607 3 2
6,671 14 3
1,241 7 4
20,998 15 5
13,468 7 4
6,400 11 2
329 5 4
1,051 0 2
1,521 14 3
1,199 4 6
23,097 5 2
928 5 11
51,999 3 10
8,866 12 1
Cr. 14,433 11 7
105 0 0
13,220 2 8
390 0 5
44 13 9
33,883 14 0
6,491 6 5
19,528 13 9
Cr. 580 11 3
14,883 7 6
7,76,915 1 7
Expenditure incur-
red by the late
Plague Committee.
RS. a. p.
84,701 2 5
2,765 14 1
12,706 1 0
4,541 8 8
1,70,719 5 0
18,916 0 2
41 13 0
5,338 3 3
6,570 3 10
2,636 8 8
50 0 0
8,384 4 t)
1,007 2 6
358 15 0
3,560 15 2
0
K
g
8,479 12 6
106 8 0
396 4 5
3,31,279 9
TOTAL.
Es. a. p.
6,50,308 5 7
9,437 12 4
13,947 8 4
25,540 8 1
1,84,187 12 4
18,915 0 2
41 13 0
11,738 14 5
6,899 9 2
3,687 8 10
50 0 0
9,906 2 3
2,206 7 0
23,456 4 2
4,489 5 1
51,999 8 10
8,866 12 1
Cr.1 4,433 11 7
105 0 0
13,220 2 8
390 0 5
44 13 9
33,883 14 0
6,491 6 5
19,528 13 9
Cr. 580 11 3
23,863 4 0
106 8 0
396 4 5
11,08,194 11 3
132
—
Brought forward
Construction — concld .
Arthur Road Relapsing Fever Ward...
Cutting of service pipes and erecting
standpipes and making re-connec-
Law charges, General
...
...
Mahomedan Hospital and Camp
Working expenses of the eleotrolizer ...
Making ambulances and carts
Treating down-take pipes in various
parts of the city
Total Rs. ...
Less — Credit on account of —
Miscellaneous receipts
Do. fines and penalties ...
Contribution by Government
Total Rs. ...
Expenditure
incurred by the
Municipality.
Rs. a. p.
7,76,915 1 7
7,743 6 0
1,314 15 3
142 4 1
590 7 0
1,405 11 6
7,88,111 13 5
7,746 14 0
340 2 8
3,314
7 6
11,401 8 2
7,76,710 5 3
Expenditure incur-
red by the late
Plague Committee.
Rs. a. p.
3,31,279 9 8
439 8 0
1,774 11 2
103 0 0
1,654 7 9
3,35,251 4 7
TOTAL.
Rs. a. p.
11,08,194 11 3
439 8 0
9,518 1 2
103 0 0
2,969 7 0
142 4 1
590 7 0
1,405 11 6
11,23,363 2 0
361 12 0 8,108 10 0
I
18 15 0
359 1 8
34,877 8 5 88,191 15 11
¡
Î
35,258 3 5
2,99,993 1
2
46,659 11 7
i
10,76,703 6 5
* These amounts were receivedd on account of payment made from June to November 1888.
The extra labour involved to the Chief Accountant in dealing with
these large amounts, in addition to the funds provided by Government
for the erection of camps and the Discretional Relief Fund, was very
severe. The responsibility for the prompt supply of all stores indented
for by the numerous offices also fell upon him ; and had it not been
for the unremitting hard work of Mr. Waite and his locum tenens, Mr.
Pearson, and their staff, plague operations must often have come to a
standstill.
133
CHAPTER IX.
Miscellaneous.
Attitude
tire people.
Speaking generally, the attitude of the people in Bombay has
been distinctly friendly towards the plague administration, during
the past year, and a certain proportion have come to believe that some,
at any rate, of the plague measures are useful. That which they
could most clearly understand was the measure of evacuation of
infected places. Cases occurred where people themselves took the
initiative and asked for accommodation in the public camps ; and it
happened over and over again that they accepted the suggestion to
turn out without any demur whatever. This ready compliance has
been due partly to the bitterness of experience, partly to the growth
of confidence in the Plague Ofíicers, but very largely indeed to the
co-operation of plague volunteers. But evacuation was a measure
which was only pressed when several cases occurred in succession,
and the people could realise the danger they were in, and even in
such cases, limitless patience and a most persuasive tongue were often
required.
It was, however, often found that the passive resistance some-
times made to this measure was fomented by the landlord of the
house, or by the contractor to whom he had leased out the right of
collecting rents. There is no doubt that the landlord class has been
very severely hit by the visitation of plague. The exodus from
Bombay empties their chawls of tenants ; when plague occurs, the
inevitable plague mark goes up to frighten away future tenants ;
when plague recurs their tenants are turned out en masse for a brief
space, and often take the opportunity which evacuation gives them
of removing all their goods and chattels from the reach of the
landlord's custodian or bhaya, to find accommodation elsewhere, and
leave behind them an unpaid bill for arrears of rent. On the top of
this repeated cases of plague in a house brings down upon them other
calamities. The building is inspected and surveyed for sanitary
defects, and sometimes it is condemned to be demolished altogether
for a compensation that ignores the bloated rents secured through
overcrowding, and sometimes the landlord is called upon to carry out
improvements without any compensation at all. The insanitary
conditions under which the people live is no doubt largely responsible
for the afflictions which have visited Bombay, and the rapacity of
landlords is doubtless worthy of condemnation, but self-interest is
blind to considerations opposed to it, and though it is difficult to
sympathise it is easy to understand the opposition of landlords to
135
they don't think about, nor if they did, would they care in the least. To sum up, I
consider that if it were not for the various more or less forcible methods of
persuasion on the part of the district officers, doctors, and volunteers, ninety-nine
plague cases out of a hundred would be kept at home, and it is the wish and thd
effort to keep them at home that is the cause of concealment. Two other causes,
but I should say comparatively minor ones, are—
(1) The fear of the disturbance of the whole house and family by their
removal as contacts.
(2) The fear of damaging their property through disinfection ; but I
should say that neither of these operate so strongly as the wish to keep
the son or daughter, husband or wife, under their own care and their
own eyes.
" Out of a total of 3,514 instances of plague reported in 0. Ward, from
June 1898 to April 1,899 inclusive, 1,985 came to our knowledge before death and
were removed to hospital, and 1,529 were not known about until after death. That is
to say that 1,529 instances were successfully concealed (i.e., not removed to hospital
or reported to any plague authority) until after death, and I would add that out
of the 1,985 persons removed to hospital alive the great majority were concealed
until they were found out.
" As regards concealment of plague after death, I do not think that this has
been successfully practised in C Ward. Owing to careful watching of ordinary
sickness and investigation of causes of deaths, I think that very few persons who
have died of plague have escaped being returned as plague and all necessary
disinfection and segregation measures taken."
Roadside cases of plague, whether sick or dead, are in some measure
due to people refusing to believe they are ill and going about their busi-
ness with plague upon them until they collapse ; but cases undoubtedly
occur, more especially among the labouring classes, many of whom come
to Bombay to work for a few months only leaving their families at home,
where, in order to avoid the attention of the plague authorities being
called to the house in which they fell sick, the dead bodies of the
plague stricken are taken out and thrown down in any open space, or
more often hidden in the empty rooms of some vacated chawl that has
not been securely locked. Instances were not uncommon of sick men
being turned out of their houses by the landlord for similar reasons.
In such cases these unfortunates sometimes found friends who
would take them in, care for them and conceal them, but more often
they wandered about, as long as they could stand, and then lay down,
either to die at once, or to be removed to hospital. The number of
roadside cases was not so great as formerly : but there were as many
as 130 in 0 ward and 118 in A ward. In F and G wards only 20 came
to notice.
Every effort was made to make the public hospitals as popular as
possible. Special arrangements were made to accommodate the families
of patients close by, and visitors were freely allowed. But many disliked
the idea of being placed in a ward with a number of others dangerously
ill, and though in several hospitals this was in some degree mitigated
136
by the erection of screens and curtains, the arrangement was open to
objection on account of its interference with ventilation. Nor was it
possible to allow the relations of patients to crowd the wards and
interfere with the doctor, or to feed them with unsuitable concoctions
of their own, and these restrictions must remain and will always make
hospitals to some extent unpopular with the ignorant. They had also the
greatest suspicion of any serum treatment, and this gave a bad name to
any hospital where it was resorted to.
Captain Lock writes : "The actual removal to hospital was undoubtedly a
great source of dread, especially to some of the better classes—the poor took it for the
most part apathetically, but to very many it was a dive in the dark; the patient feared
death and the friends of the patient had no guarantee that the removal would be for
the better, or confidence that the patient would be better treated than he would be
in their care."
As in former years the sick vans of the Health Department be-
came a terror in the eyes of the people, so do they now fear the
ambulances. The Committee of the Colaba Volunteers more than
once represented this, but were quite satisfied when they were told that
a Health Department van would also be available if sent for. The fact
is that any type of conveyance that is used for taking the sick to hospital
is bound to become unpopular. People can persuade themselves that
sickness is not serious, until the authorities step in and carry them off
to hospital, and this, coupled as it is with the breaking up of the home
and the transfer of the family to the hospital camp, is inevitably associat-
ed with the realization of their fears that the sickness is in danger of
proving mortal.
Captain Dunbar Stuart writes : "They had some idea that the ambu-
lance gave a shock to the patients that would kill them. In fact, they would rather
walk to the Hospital."
And he had sometimes to take the ambulance to pieces to show the
patient aud his family that there was no trick in it ; a belief obtained
currency at one time in Byculla that patients were killed by electricity
on getting into the ambulance.
The number of voluntary admissions to hospital was, however,
very considerable during the year under report, aud this indicates that
the people have, at any rate to a large extent, got over their earlier fears.
Lieutenant Brackenbury, D. O., B Ward South, writes : "During
the year there were 326 voluntary admissions into hospital, and 119 were reported by
neighbours. Beyond these it may be taken for granted that the people would have
concealed the remainder had they been able. In Mandvi the high caste Hindus
conceal because they fear going to hospital, they dislike the discomfort of going to
camp, and they hate the idea of having their houses interfered with for disinfection
purposes."
The people of Mandvi are largely Gujarathi-speaking Hindus,—
a class whose religious and social sensibilities are perhaps keener than
137
those of any other. They are well-to-do, but dislike going to hospitals,
even their own ; they would much prefer to die comfortably in their own
houses surrounded by their relatives. They cannot bear the idea of their
houses and kit being disinfected, partly because of the damage they
think will be done and partly because of the halo of sanctity with which
they endow all their belongings. The Mahomedans all over Bombay
dislike going to hospital or camp, and in some cases showed a special
aversion to disinfection with carbolic powder, and it required more
patience and tact to overcome their objections than in the case of any
other community. The Julahas were an exception to this rule, and very
little difficulty was ever experienced in dealing with them ; but this was
largely due to the happy influence exercised over them by Khan
Bahadur Abdur Eazzak bin Curtas. Generally speaking all difficulties
with the Musalmans were smoothed over with the assistance of their
various leaders, but of these there were none in some parts of E Ward,
and here occurred the only case in which actual resistance to our measures
occurred during the year, A Mussalman assaulted a coolie engaged in
evacuation work, and was convicted and fined Bs. 50. In two other in-
stances in the same locality, the Mussalman s strenuously objected to the
removal of their sick and other plague measures : but in the one case a
small camp was erected for them with accommodation for patients at one
end, and the whole Community then willingly turned out, and segregated
their patients themselves, with the result that plague very soon
ceased from among them. In the other case they were for a time
allowed to put up temporary sheds of their own, with a separate
shed for patients; but as the arrangement proved unsatisfactory and
plague continued, a little pressure was brought to bear, the patients
were sent to hospital and the healthy to camp. In a considerable
number of other cases in other parts of Bombay, they began with
violent opposition to the proposals of the District Officer, but were
generally persuaded in the end to accept the most essential precautions.
The measures adopted by Sirdar Mahomed Yakub in the Central
District described elsewhere, show more fully the methods adopted
and the success achieved with them, and at the same time throw much
light on the attitude adopted by them.
In one case in Seori Koliwada, a village in the north of the
Island, there was at one time passive resistance. The people, Kolis,
refused to take their patients to hospital, to evacuate their houses, or
take any measure to stop the spread of the disease. The District
Officer, Capt. Lewis, with Lieut. Tristram, 2 Volunteers, the Medical
Officer, and 2 ramosis went and tried to persuade them to do
something, but they simply collected in the road and would do
nothing. Under the circumstances the D. 0. removed the patients.
3 in number, himself. Thereafter there was no difficulty.
The people brought their own patients, evacuated the village,
and were most amenable.