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Notes by the Special Medical Officer.
The very interesting Report which Dr. Dhargalker has sent in speaks for itself
and shows the very large and excellent work which has heen accomplished by this
Hospital, by far the largest and the most liked of all the Plague Hospitals in Bombay.
The arrangements for the housing of the sick, their care and treatment were always
the desired object of the Committee and the Medical Staff. The Hospital was in all
respects what a Plague Hospital ought to be, viz., isolated and containing all requi-
sites for the care of the sick and the isolation of contacts. I take this opportunity of
stating the gratitude I feel to Sirdar Khan Bahadur Mir Abdool Ali, Rao Bahadur
Yandekar and the rest of the Committee for the great trouble they took in building
wards and in looking after the sick and the staff. The Hospital was in great part built
out of subscriptions collected by these gentlemen and they are models of infectious
diseases wards. Dr. Dhargalker, Resident Medical Officer, Suntooji Ramji, and the
rest of the staff deserve great credit for the management of the sick under most
exceptionally trying circumstances, vis., when every effort to alleviate and cure this
most dreadfully fatal of all diseases baffled all science and failed to save only an infini-
tesimal proportion of cases. The Report most ably worked out by Lt. Twigg, I.M.S.,
on the Steam Bath Treatment I have published in full as it is most interesting, but
the results are not encouraging, notwithstanding the skilful way that the method
was carried out by Lt. Twigg, to whom I owe many thanks for his untiring work.
Sunni Mohammedan Jullai Plague Hospital.
HlSTORY OF THE FOUNDATION OF JULLAI HOSPITAL.
This Hospital was founded on the 13th April 1897 by Sirdar Oomer Jamal
under the patronage of General W. F. Gatacre, late President of the Bombay
Plague Committee. There was not a single Medical Officer attached to this Jullai
Plague Hospital, except the Hakim in charge. A Sectional Medical Officer of the
Byculla Section has kept general supervision on point of cleanliness of the wards and
clothings of the patients and regular diets given. One Nurse was appointed by
Lieut.-Colonel James Wilkins, I.M.S., in the month of April 1899, by name Mrs.
Barr. There were 7 ward boys, 3 ayahs, 1 cook, 1 assistant cook, 1 dhobi, 3
sweepers (2 male and 1 female).
DESCRIPTION OF THE JULLAI HOSPITAL BUILDING.
This Hospital, situated on the Ripon Road in a temporary shed, is divided into
5 wards—2 wards for male members (1 for plague and another for fever), 1 for
female and 2 others for the other diseases. The new ward, which is known as
DuBoulay Ward, was erected through the exertion of Lieut. Firth, late District Officer,
E Ward East. It is well ventilated on all sides, and is capable of accommodating twenty
patients. There is a dispensary of native drugs under the charge of the Hakim. There
is one godown and one kitchen, one dead-house, quite apart from the patients' wards.
During the epidemic the corpse-bearers were hired. The total accommodation is for
100 patients. There are quarters for sweepers to live and a small room used by the
Nurse as an office.
CONSERVANCY.
There are 6 latrines—3 for male patients and 3 for females—and they are
quite separate from the Hospital patients. The Bhungies are constantly kept there
day and night. The night-soil of the latrines is removed to the Night-soil Depot in
iron buckets by the above Bhungies, after removing and disinfecting the excreta
specially. Under no circumstances patients are allowed to use the servants' latrines,
but they have to pass their motions in bed-pans on or near their beds. Proper
disinfection is carried out previous to disposal. The dhobi's washing place is
connected, with the Municipal drains..