NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
158
Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act. [APP. IV,
to award compensation, and that, for example, a very poor man
should be promptly compensated for the loss of clothes which, though
of no special market value, may be of considerable value to him.
Duties of the
police.
16. The police shall act under the orders given by any duly
appointed Plague authority with regard—
(a) to compelling persons to submit to such regulations as may
be made or approved by the medical officers appointed for
any locality under these rules for the purpose of inspec-
tion, detention and segregation of persons suffering or
suspected to be suffering from the plague, and
(b) to carrying out the provisions of these rules.
Duties of District
Magistrates.
17. The District Magistrates are to do their utmost, both per-
sonally and through others, to make it generally understood that
these rules are absolutely necessary for the public safety, and to see
that no needless inconvenience is caused to any one, that examina-
tions, etc., are carried out, with as much regard as possible to sex and
the customs of the country, and that everything is done to meet the
wishes of the patients so far as is compatible with the public safety.
Incidence of
expenditure in
Municipal
Districts.
18. Within a Municipal District the expenses of carrying into
effect any of the measures hereby authorized for cleaning or dis-
infecting any building, or destroying any hut or other property
together with the cost of compensation under Rule 15 above, shall,
in the first instance, if no other funds have been made specially
available for the purpose, be defrayed out of Municipal funds, but
shall be recoverable from the owner or occupier of such building or
hut under the ordinary provisions of Bombay Act VI of 1873 in the
same manner, in all respects, as if the work had been carried out
under the provisions of section 77 of the said Act.
Incidence of
expenditute out
side Municipal
Districts.
Notification
No. 2987—
2240-P., dated
the 31st May
1897.
18-A. The whole or any part of the expenses of cleaning and dis-
infecting any building in rural areas situated outside a municipal
district may, at the discretion of the District Magistrate or any
Plague authority authorized by him in this behalf, be recovered from
the owner or occupier of the building as if the same were a revenue
demand under Bombay Act V of 1879, provided that, whenever an
order for such demand is made by any Plague authority other than
the District Magistrate, the owner or occupier affected thereby
shall have the right of appeal to the District Magistrate. The
District Magistrate's orders under this rule shall be final.
Disinfection of
persons, vehicles
clothes and other
property, and
destruction of
property.
19. The Plague authority may require people to adopt such
, measures as he thinks fit for the disinfection of their persons,
vehicles, clothes and other property when he considers that
otherwise, in consequence of the risk of infection to which their
persons, vehicles, clothes and other property have been exposed, there
ÀPP. IV. ] Regulations under the Epidemie Diseases Act.
159
is a danger of plague spreading. If he considers it necessary, he
miay destroy or order the destruction of such property.
Prohibition of
fairs and other
assemblages.
20. The District Magistrate may, with the previous sanction of
the Commissioner, prohibit either wholly or subject to such restric-
tions as he may impose, the holding of fairs, caste feasts or other
assemblages which are likely in his opinion to assist the spread of the
plague.
Report of cases
by persons prac-
tising medicine.
21. All persons practising medicine, whether qualified or not,
shall report, within twenty-four hours, to the nearest Plague author-
ity any plague cases or cases of fever with glandular swellings, which
come to their notice.
All persons, on
demand, to state
names, address-
es, business and
future move-
ments.
22. All persons shall, on demand, give their names and addresses,
and mention their business and intentions regarding future move-
ments to Railway Station Masters, Plague authorities and any other
persons whom District Magistrates may empower to collect such
information.
Persons touching:
plague corpses.
23. When a person dies of the plague elsewhere than within the
limits of a hospital, no one shall touch the corpse, except those who
undertake the necessary duties of preparing it for the funeral. Such
persons shall disinfect themselves according to the orders of the
Plague authority or person authorized by the Plague authority.
Persons passing
inspection posts
to submit to
examination and
detention.
24. Every person passing by any chauki or other place provided
by the District Magistrate for the inspection of travellers shall submit
to examination if required and to detention in any hospital or quaran-
tine camp which may have been established for that purpose.
Persons believed
to be suffering
from plague not
to be allowed to
enter villages.
They are to be
sent to isolation
hospital or de-
tained under
shelter outside
the village.
25. Every Police Patel shall prevent the entrance into his village
site of any person believed by him to be suffering from the plague
* or likely to have been infected. If there be any such person any-
where within the limits of his village area, he shall either send him in
a cart or litter to the nearest isolation hospital, or if it be too far shall
forthwith build or allot a hut for him outside the village site and
detain him there until the orders of the Mamlatdar are received. The
companions of any such person shall also not be allowed to enter the
village site, but the Patel shall send them such supplies as they may
require and shall give them reasonable assistance to accommodate
themselves in the field during their detention,
26. Cancelled.
Admission of
light and air into
houses.
27. District Magistrates or Plague authorities are empowered to
break holes in the walls or roofs of houses or to remove roofs alto-
gether for the purpose of admitting light and air.
* Notification No. 4692— 3121-P., dated 3Oth August 1897.
16o
Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act. [ APP. IV.
Evacuation of
infected locality.
28. A District Magistrate is empowered to direct the evacuation
of houses in the neighbourhood of an infected house or of a block of
houses or a particular locality and to prohibit re-occupation of such
houses or locality without permission. Notice for such period as the
District Magistrate thinks suitable should be given, and temporary
accommodation should be provided.
Prevention of
the passage of
suspicious per-
sons from one
place to another
until they have
undergone ob-
servation and
their effects have
been disinfected.
* Notification
No. 3285—
2425-P., dated
the 15th June
1897.
29. *Plague authorities specially appointed by a Commissioner
for this purpose are authorized to prevent the passage of suspicious
persons from any town, village or local area, or into any town, village
or local area to which this rule may be applied by the Commissioner,
unless such persons have been detained in a place of observation for
a period prescribed by the Commissioner and unless if arrangements
for disinfection of their clothing, baggage, etc., have been made
under the Commissioner's orders such disinfection has been effected.
Such Plague authorities shall have the widest discretionary power,
subject to the general or special orders of the Commissioner, to
decide what person shall be considered "suspicious" for the
purposes of this rule; So long as he remains in a place of observation
under this rule, no person shall be allowed to communicate, except
with the permission of the Plague authority with persons outside the
limits of the place. He shall obey such orders as may be issued by
the Plague authority for the cleanliness or protection from infection
of the persons, property or quarters of the persons detained.
Closing of food
supply places in
infected locali-
ties.
30. A District Magistrate or Plague authority especially author-
ized by him in this behalf is empowered to close places used for the
supply, preparation or storage of articles of food and drink in in-
fected localities or in the immediate neighbourhood of infected
houses and to direct the removal of all articles of food and drink
found in such places.
Control of the
removal of
plague patients.
31. A District Magistrate is empowered to prohibit the removal
of plague patients from houses or sheds, except in accordance with
regulations framed by himself, and to take such steps as may be
necessary to enforce such prohibition.
Penalty.
fNotification
No. 3999—
2777-P., dated
the 29th March
1897.
32. †Whoever shall disobey any regulation prescribed by Gov-
ernment in these rules or obstruct any measure which has been
taken by Government, or which the District Magistrate or Plague
authority has been required or empowered to take under these rules,
shall be liable to be prosecuted under section 188, Indian Penal
Code.
33. The provisions of this Notification are not intended to, and
shall not, operate to limit in any way the powers which either the
District Magistrate or, within a Municipal District, the Municipality
may possess independently of the powers hereby conferred.
•App. IV. ] Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
161
Extent of appli-
cation. ' Canton«
ments.
34. The foregoing rules are applicable throughout the Bombay
Presidency and Sind, except in the City of Bombay, subject to the
following modifications in the case of cantonments and hill stations
in charge of Superintendents :—
* Notification
No. 2165—
1620-P., dated
the 24th April
1897.
In the case of cantonments, substitute* "General Officer in Com-
mand" for " Commissioner" and ''Cantonment authority" for
" District Magistrate.''
In the case of hill stations in charge of Superintendents, substi-
tute " Superintendent " for "District Magistrate."
Appointment of a Plague Committee for Poona.†
No, 20.
Notification No. 1272—765-P., dated the gth March 1897.
In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (I) of section
(2) of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and of the powers in this
behalf conferred by the Governor General in Council under section
2, sub-section (3), of the same Act, the Governor in Council is pleased
to direct as follows :—
Constitution of
Committee,
1. The following gentlemen are constituted a Committee for
the purpose of carrying out, under the orders of Govern-
ment, the measures to be taken to suppress and prevent
the spread of bubonic plague within the limits of the
City and Suburban Municipalities of Poona and the Poona
Cantonment : —
Mr. W. C. Rand, I.C.S.—Chairman.
Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. Phillipps.
Surgeon-Captain W. W. O. Beveridge.
Committee to
exercise control
over local estab-
lishments.
2. For the purposes of plague operations, the Committee shall
exercise authority and control over the whole establish-
ments of the City and Suburban Municipalities of Poona
and the Poona Cantonment Committee. They may add
to those establishments to such extent as they think
necessary and may remove from them any persons whom
they consider unfit for their posts.
Committee may
suspend or
modify lye-laws,
etc.
3. The Committee may temporarily either rescind, suspend,
alter or modify any bye-law, rule or order already made
or issued by either of the City and Suburban Municipali-
ties of Poona or the Poona Cantonment Committee, or
by any Committee appointed by either of the said bodies,
to such extent as they consider necessary or advisable in
order to suppress and prevent the spread of the plague.
t The Government of Bombay issued notifications appointing similar Committees
for Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur and Rohri. The rules for these Committees were
the same as those for the Poona Committee.
b 21
162
Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act. [ APP. IV.
Committee may
incur expenditure
out of local funds.
4. The Committee may incur such expenditure out of the funds
of the Municipalities and the Cantonment Committee as
they may consider necessary for the performance of their
duties, and in order that sufficient funds may be avail-
able for plague operations they may control the expendi-
ture of the Municipalities and the Cantonment Committee
on objects unconnected with the plague.
Search of build-
ing?. Examina-
tion and segrega-
tion of suspected
cases.
5. The Committee may cause any building or enclosure to be
entered and searched for the purpose of ascertaining
whether any of the inmates or occupants are suffering
from the plague or whether any corpse is concealed there-
in, and may cause any persons found therein to be examin-
ed in order to ascertain whether any of them are
suffering from the plague. They may further cause any
person to be detained for medical examination and segre-
gate, in such place as they may appoint for the purpose
any person found or suspected, after examination by a
medical officer, to be suffering from the plague.
Segregation of
inmates of
infected building.
6. If the Committee have reason to believe that any building is
or has recently been occupied by a sufferer from the
plague or that any death which has not been certified by
a medical officer holding Her Majesty's Commission, or
some other medical officer empowered by the Committee
to certify in this behalf, to be due to some cause other
than the plague, has occurred in any building, the Com-
mittee may cause the inmates of such building to be seg-
regated in such place as they may appoint for a period
not exceeding ten days, and may prevent such building
from being used as a human habitation in the meanwhile.
Insanitary
buildings.
7. If the Committee are of opinion that any building is in such
an insanitary condition as to be unfit for human habita-
tion, they may prohibit the further use of such building
as a dwelling-house.
When such prohibition has been made, no owner or occupier
of such building shall use or suffer the same to be used
for human habitation until the Committee give him per-
mission in this behalf.
For the purpose of enforcing this regulation, the Committee
may, if necessary, forcibly remove or cause to be removed
any person from such building.
Abatement of
overcrowding.
8. If it shall appear to the Committee that any building used as
a dwelling is so overcrowded as to endanger the health of
the inmates thereof, they may by written order require the
APP. IV.] Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
163
owner or occupier of the building, within a period to be
fixed by the Committee, to abate the overcrowding thereof
by reducing the number of inmates thereof.
For the purpose of enforcing this regulation, the Committee
may, if necessary, at the expiration of the time prescribed
. •
in the written order forcibly remove or cause to be
removed such and so many of the inmates of the build-
ing as shall seem to them proper.
Cleansing,
ventilation and
disinfection of
buildings.
9. In the case of any building ordered to be vacated under
Rule 6, 7, or 8 and in the case of any other building or
enclosure which may appear to them to be in a filthy or
insanitary condition, the Committee may require the
owner or occupier to carry out, or may of their own
motion carry out, such measures as may seem to them
necessary for the purpose of cleansing, ventilating or dis-
infecting such building or enclosure, and for the purpose
of such cleansing, ventilating or disinfecting may, if
necessary, forcibly break upon and enter any such build-
ing or enclosure, and may remove and disinfect or destroy
any articles found therein.
Destruction of
huts and
temporary
erections.
IO. The Committee are empowered to remove or burn any huts
or temporary erections in which a case of plague is be-
lieved by them to have occurred.
Disposal of
corpses.
1l. The Committee are empowered to make regulations, when
they deem necessary, for the purpose of enforcing burial
in certain places or at a certain depth and for requiring
that quicklime be placed with the corpse ; and may pro-
hibit the burial or burning of corpses of persons reasonably
supposed to have died of the plague in or upon ground other
than that specially assigned by them for such purpose.
Occupation of
land and
buildings for
segregation
camps, etc.
12. The Committee may for the purpose of military camps,
segregation camps, hospitals, burial grounds, warehouses
or offices take possession of and occupy any vacant ground
or building either within or without the limits of the City
and Suburban Municipalities of Poona and the Poona
Cantonment, such compensation being afterwards made
to the owner or occupier thereof as may be awarded by
a.Pancb constituted as provided in Rule 13.
Compensaticn.
13. Before the destruction of property of special value under
Notification No.
3411 — 2493-P.,
dated the 24th
June 1897.
Rule 9 or 10, the value of it shall be assessed by a Panch
consisting of the Poona City Magistrate and two other:
members appointed by him. The award of the Panch
164
Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act. [,APP. IV.
shall be final and conclusive. Any member of the Com-
mittee, or any person specially appointed by them in this
behalf, is empowered to decide whether an article which
it is proposed to destroy is of sufficient value for the said
Panch to be called to assess its value. If he decides it is
not of sufficient value, he may destroy it on the spot, and
may in his discretion pay compensation to the owner: pro-
vided, however, that no person shall be entitled as of right
to claim any compensation whatsoever. It is the desire
of Government that the authorities mentioned in this rule
should show liberality and promptness in the exercise of
their power to award compensation, and that, for example,
a very poor man should be promptly compensated for the
loss of clothes which, though of no special market value,
may be of considerable value to him.
Impress of
vehicles and
beasts.
14. The Committee are empowered to temporarily -impress
carts or other vehicles ordinarily let for hire with the
beasts necessary to draw them and labourers or coolies,
and to make payments for the same at rates fixed by the
Committee.
Local Bodies
to carry into
effect measures
ordered by the
Committee.
15. The City and Suburban Municipalities of Poona, the Poona
Cantonment Committee, and all the officers and servants
of those Municipalities and of that Committee, and all
public servants and all persons employed by the Com-
mittee, shall carry into effect, without delay, any measures
which may be ordered by the Committee.
District
Superintendent
of Police to
assist.
16. On the requisition of the Committee, the District Superin-
tendent of Police, Poona, shall give such assistance as
may be necessary in order to enforce immediate compli-
ance with any order of the Committee.
Reports by
householders.
17. The principal occupant of a house or building or the princi-
pal surviving member of a family shall give immediate in-
formation to the Secretary of the Municipality or Canton-
ment within the limits of which the house or building is
situated of the occurrence in the house or building or
amongst the members of the family of—
(a) any sickness due or likely to be due to plague,
(b) any death, whatever may be the cause of it.
Notification No.
5897—3890-P.,
dated 27th
October 1897.
And of the arrival in the house or building of any person (1) suffer-
ing or apparently suffering from plague, (2) coming from a
house or building within which the said principal occupant
knows or has reason to believe that a case of plague has
occurred within the ten days next preceding such arrival.
APP. IV. ] Regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
165
A. No person shall remove any sick person from one place within
the Municipal or Cantonment limits to any other place
unless he has reported the case to the Municipal or
Cantonment Office, and has, after medical examination of
the case, received a permit to remove the case. The permit
shall state to what place the sick person may be removed,
and it shall not be lawful to remove that person to any
place other than that stated in the permit. And no per-
son shall remove any corpse from the place at which the
death occurred, except as provided in Rule 19.
Death certi-
ficates«
Notification No.
2591-A—1988-A.
P., dated the
12th May 1897.
18. On receipt of information of any death, the Secretary shall
immediately register the death and give the informant a
certificate that the death has been registered. The
informant may be detained and required to guide to
the place where the corpse is lying the officer appointed
by the Committee to ascertain the place of death.
Corpse not to
be disposed of
without
death
certifícate.
19. It shall not be lawful to carry any corpse to the place
of cremation or burial unless the bearers are in possession
of a certificate given under Rule 18 that the death has
been registered. In the event of a corpse being carried
in contravention of this rule, all persons acting under
the orders of the Committee and all policemen on duty
are empowered to demand the name, sex, age, caste
and residence of the deceased and to detain one of the
funeral party until the information is truly given.
Incidence of
expenditure.
20. All expenses incurred in carrying out any of the measures
hereby authorized shall, in the first instance, be paid
out of the Municipal funds of the City and Suburban
Municipalities of Poona and the Poona Cantonment Fund
in such proportions as the Committee may determine,
but the Committee may recover from any person any
amount which such person would, under similar circum-
stances, be liable to pay to either of the said Municipali-
ties or to the Cantonment Committee under any law for
the time being in force.
Delegation Of
authority.
21. The powers conferred upon the Committee by these rules :
may be exercised by such persons as they may from time
to time empower in that behalf. All persons so em-
powered will,- however, act subject to the control of the
Committee.
Penalty.
22. Disobedience to any orders issued under these rules by ]
the Committee or any person acting under their authority
will subject the offender to a prosecution under section
188, Indian Penal Code,
166
Regulations under the Epidemie Diseases Act. [ APP, IV.
Committee to ex-
ercise powers in
Haveli Taluka.
23. The Committee may exercise the powers conferred on them
by Nos. 5, 6 and 9 of these rules throughout the Haveli
Taluka of the Poona District.
No. 21..
Notification No.
2190—1629-P.,
dated the 24th
April 1897.
Information of suspicious cases by Government officers.
RESOLUTION No. 1155—653-P., dated the 4th March 1897.
Every officer of every Department of Government is hereby
directed to give information at the nearest Police Station or Mamlat-
dar's office of every suspicious case of illness and every death
likely to be plague which comes to his notice.
2. This instruction should apply to every officer, however menial,
of every Department, whether Imperial or Provincial. Court bailiffs,
postal runners, letter carriers, forest guards, etc., are officers who
might hear of cases in remote villages.
Resolution regarding Dhobies.*
NO. 22.
RESOLUTION No. 1160—659-P., dated the 4th March 1897.
Telegram from the Commissioner in Sind, No. 223, dated the
2nd March 1897 :—
" Under Act 3 of 1897, please sanction rule prohibiting dhobies
washing clothes, except in accordance with provisions of a
license to be granted by District Magistrate. Cases of
plague have occurred among dhobies. Makinsr regula-
J.
O
O
O
O
tions necessary. "
RESOLUTION.—The following notification to be issued :—
11 Under Act III of 1897, His Excellency the Governor in
Council is pleased to prescribe, as a temporary regula-
tion, that no dhobies in places in Sind to which this
rule may be extended by the Commissioner shall wash
clothes, except in accordance with a license granted by
District Magistrate. "
2. Commissioners of Divisions should report whether they consider
a similar rule desirable for the Presidency proper.
Regulations for Karachi.
No. 23.
Notification No. 1518—970-P., dated the I7th March 1897.
Under the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, III of 1897,
* Washermen»