NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
114
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VÎÏÎ.
Chitor. Local Assistant Surgeon plague duty, Jeypore. Apothecaries,
Abu Road, Plialera, and local Hospital Assistants, Erinpura, Jodhpore,
Beawar, Bhurtpore, Dholepore, Uhvar, Bihvara, Tonk, Deoli, Bundi,
Kotah, Jhalrapatan. At Nasirabad local Medical Officer.
No. 60.
Telegram, dated the i5th April 1897.
F
rom—The Government of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh,
To—The Sccietary to the Goxernmcnt of India, Home Department.
Your telegram i3th„ In these provinces, excluding Mahamarî,
20 cases of plague in all have been reported from ten districts, of
which five only were treated in hospital ; remainder died in trains or
villages before medical relief was possible, case not being known till
after death. We have no plague centres at present, but for use,
in case of necessity, temporary hospitals have been constructed as
follows :—For natives, temporary structures with division to sepa-
rate the sexes, for four inmates at every municipality and at railway
junctions of Manikpur, Moghal Sarai, Ghaziabad, and Tundía,
For Europeans, temporary structures for two inmates at all head-
quarters of districts and at Manikpur and Ghaziabad. His Honour-
has recently ordered additional hospitals to be built, containing
56 beds in the large cities and from 30 to 32 in others, special
provision being made for the privacy of females and families. Orders
have been issued for licensing private or caste hospitals. Hospital
accommodation can be extended readily to meet wants, should they
arise. At present eleven Medical Officers., nine Assistant Surgeons,
fifteen Hcspital Assistants, six women doctors and nurses have been
detailed for plague duty.
No. 61.
Telegram No. 178, dated the i5th April 1897.
From—The Agent to the Governor General, Baluchistan,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram I2th instant. Temporary plague huts have been
erected at Quetta, Sharigh, Hirok, Bostan, and Chaman for accommo-
dation of plague patients discovered in train at medical inspection.
These huts and the medical inspections are under Assistant Surgeons
at Sharigh and Hirok and under Hospital Assistants at other places.
No special establishment engaged, as none has yet been necessary,
and the Assistant Surgeons and Hospital Assistants are the men
always stationed at the places named and are not specially detailed
for plague duty. In Quetta, Special Sanitary Committee has been
nominated from the Cantonment and Municipal Committees, who are
now arranging sites for plague hospital and segregation camp, and
ÂPP. VIIÏ, ]
spread of infection by land.
115
concerting other measures necessary in case of plague, appearing
at Sibij where there is strict medical inspection and detention for
some days of plague suspects. Medical inspection is in special charge
of Surgeon-Captain Browning, detailed for plague duty, assisted
by an Eurasian nurse specially employed by Municipality. Plague
huts have been erected, but no case has yet appeared.
No. 62,
Telegram No. 470, dated the lyth April 1897.
From—The Junior Secretary to the Government of the Punjab,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Dapartment.
Your telegram oi ißth. Following temporary plague hospitals
have been established. At railway stations 59, ferries 2, and two road
posts. Following persons detailed for inspection duty : Commissioned
Medical Officers 27. Civil Assistant Surgeons 12, Hospital Assistants
40, uncovenanted Mcdic?J Officer i, Native Doctors 2, Military Assist-
ant Surgeons 4, Female Hospital Assistants 3 ; total 89. More
female practitioners would probably be entertained if forthcoming.
There is no plague in the Punjab at present, but all inspecting
medical officers may be regarded as attached to the temporary hospitals
at their places of inspection and would be on plague duty at those
places if plague broke out.
NO, 63,
Telegram, dated the 2ßrd April 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Madras, Local and Municipal
Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram isth. No plague centres this Presidency, and so
far temporary hospital and segregation accommodation provided only
at railway inspection stations. At Guntakal, Perambur, Arkonam,
Kondapalli and also at Tuticorin and Madras City. Medical staff on
plague duty consists of:—three Commissioned Medical Officers, three
Assistant Surgeons, two Civil Apothecaries, fifteen Hospital Assistants,
and only one female medical practitioner at Tuticorin ; but trained
nurses are being deputed to other stations. This staff is in addition
to medical officers and subordinates at seaports, who have been
gazetted Port Health Officers under plague quarantine rules.
No. 64,
Telegram No. 43-C., dated the 23rd April 1897.
From—The Chief Commissioner, Central Provinces,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your wire No. 1257 °f I2tn anc^ reminder No. 1344, dated 2oth.
Two special temporary plague hospitals at Nagpur and Itarsi. At
no
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIIÍ.
former one Commissioned Medical Officer, one Assistant Surgeon,
two Male and one Female Hospital Assistants. At latter one Medical
Officer, one Assistant Surgeon, one Female Hospital Assistant. At
both nurses entertained as required. Also temporary hospital accom-
modation at Jubbulporc and Bilaspur, and one Assistant Surgeon to
inspect at each. Also at Khandwa and Bina one Hospital Assistant
for inspection and emergencies,
No. 65.
Telegram No. 4, dated the 231-0! April 1897.
;
From—The Resident at Mysore,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram, dated isth. No plague cases have reached so far
south as Mysore, and action up to date has been practically confined
to inspection work in the Mysore State. No special staff has been
detailed for plague duty, the idea being thai: the officials carrying on
the inspection work could afford relief in an emergency until the
occurrences of Fresh cases rendered it necessary to organise a complete
hospital staff. There are inspection stations at Harihar and Yaswant-
jpur outside Bangalore on the Southern Mahratta Railway. At each
of these places, where all trains from the north are examined,
there are a hospital assistant, midwife, cook, bhisty, and ward
cooly, and sheds to accommodate six patients. There are also
sheds at four other stations on ihis railway, which are in charge of the
Hospital Assistant of the adjoining dispensary should cases occur.
The necessary staff, male and female, could be at once either sent from
Bangalore by train or taken from dispensaries in the neighbour-
hood should the necessity arise. The Senior Surgeon, Mysore State,
is fully alive to the desirability of having female attendants for women
sufferers. In most cases, however,, the only attendants available
would be Hospital Assistants for men and midwives or females on the
vaccinating establishment for women. At Bangalore Cantonment the
inspection arrangements are in charge of the Residency Surgeon ; he
is assisted by the Municipality male and female medical subordinates.
Here also our endeavours are entirely protective. Temporary sheds
have been provided for plague cases, and the necessary hospital
establishment of male and female attendants could be provided at two
hours' notice. The inspection arrangements are, I believe, thorough
and all Medical Officers agree that they comprise all that is necessary.
At present all local notifications under the Epidemic Diseases Act
have been adopted by the Mysore Durbar, and district officials have
ample powers thereunder to deal with any outbreak of plague in the
inteiior of the State.
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
117
No. 66,
Telegram No. 122, dated the 23rd April 1897.
From—The Resident at Hyderabad,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
.Your telegram I2th instant, regarding plague arrangements in Hy-
derabad State. There are temporary plague hospitals at five railway
stations—Gulburga, Wadi, Raichur, Vikarabad, Hyderabad, where
passengers are inspected. Gulburga has one male and one female
doctor and one Hospital Assistant. Wadi two male and one female
doctors and three Hospital Assistants. Raichur one male doctor and
one Hospital Assistant. Vikarabad Ditto. Hyderabad two male and
one female doctors and one Hospital Assistant. In Hyderabad city and
suburbs no plague hospitals constructed and no medical staff specially
detailed to plague duty, but standing preparation against ordinary
epidemic capable of prompt amplification if plague occurred. Suffi-
cient female medical attendance available for Residency Bazars,
Secunderabad and Hyderabad contingent stations. No hospitals or
other arrangements so far required. Rules under the Epidemic
Diseases Act only issued on loth instant for these areas and Berar.
In B erar temporary hospitals established at nine inspecting railway
stations—Malkapore, Nandura, Khamgaon, Shegaon, Akola, Murtiza-
pur, Badnera, Amraoti, Chandur, where local Hospital Assistant
inspects passengers. No special female agency detailed to this duty,
but at Amraoti the Dufferin Hospital lady doctor available and
Dufferin nurses at other municipal towns. There is no plague centre
under this administration.
No. 67.
Telegram No. M.-2Q5-P., dated the 6th May 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram 1252, i2th April. In Bombay City there are three
large plague hospitals, n Government temporary hospitals, and 27
private community hospitals, all with sufficient medical staff. Also
Bombay divided into 10 districts, each with medical staff and six with
special lady doctors, omitting subordinates. Medical staff consists of
14 commissioned officers, 2 merchant service men, 29 native doctors,
12 nurses from England, 18 nurses engaged in India ; 18 Roman
Catholic sisters, 4 Protestant sisters. In Poona City there are three
large plague hospitals with medical staff and the Sassoon Hospital
ordinary nursing staff ; also three nurses from England. In Karachi
plague hospital—2 commissioned officers, 4 subordinates, 4 Roman
Catholic sisters, i lay sister, and 3 Zenana Mission ladies, two paid
nurses; convalescent Hospital under same doctors ; also i lady doctor
and one paid nurse. Another hospital—one commissioned officer
and subordinates, i paid nurse. Three temporary hospitals under
îi8
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII,
subordinates, but visited by commissioned and lady doctors ; also
2 Government temporary hospitals under paid private doctors ;
also several temporary private hospitals for different communities
superintended by commissioned officers. At Hyderabad plague
hospital under Civil Surgeon, numerous subordinates, 4 European
and 4 native women nurses. Hindu private hospital with consi-
derable subordinate staff supervised by Civil Surgeon, 3 European
nurses and Zenana Mission ladies. In Sukkur—2 hospitals, 2 com-
missioned officers with subordinates, 3 nursing sisters, 2 trained
nurses, 3 probationers, i lady doctor, and Zenana Mission ladies.
Extensive arrangements for Railway inspection. In Presidency
proper—9 commissioned officers and 4 private doctors and 74
subordinates at principal inspection stations, but no lady doctors in
Sind. At each inspection place a commissioned officer assisted,
where possible, by a lady doctor or experienced female. In Mofussil
generally plague hospitals are run on lines of civil hospitals. Fur-
ther information will be furnished as collected.
NOTE BY SURGEON-CAPTAIN DYSON, SANITARY COM-
MISSIONER OF BENGAL, ON THE ARRANGEMENTS AT
THE PLAGUE OBSERVATION CAMP AT KHANA JUNC-
TION ON THE EAST INDIAN RAILWAY.
No. 68.
Dated the I2th March 1897.
The accompanying plan of the quarantine encampment will ex-
plain how it has been laid out.
It will be seen that it is divided into three portions, vïz., (i) the
plague hospital ; (2) the contact camp ; and (3) the suspect camp.
The plague camp consists of—
(a) two structures, 45' x i6 v j which are the native plague
hospitals.
(¿) six rooms, 10' x 10", for the families of the patients, and
(c] eight rooms, 8' x 10", for'the hospital attendants.
There is also a small pucka house for European cases, and '
accommodation for mehters and domes with a separate clear water
tank for their use.
A Horbury's iron latrine is provided, also Larymore's stool in-
cinerator, and there is a pure water-supply from iron tanks. The water
for these tanks is obtained from a pucka well, carefully covered in,
by a lift and force pump, and is thence distributed to the tanks by
iron pipes. Each tank is fitted with a brass turncock, and provided
with a wash-out plug for purpose of cleaning and disinfection and a
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
119
covered-in manhole. There is accommodation for 40 plague cases.
The beds are of iron, and thus can be quickly disinfected with a
paraffin torch. Thalas and battis made of iron (Jail pattern) have
been supplied for feeding purposes, as they also can be quickly disin-
fected by heat.
In the contact camp there are 75 huts (68 completed to date)
10' x 8", for two persons. There is thus accommodation for 150
persons. This camp also is provided with a Horbury's latrine and an
iron tank for water-supply. It is surrounded by barbed wire fencing.
The suspect camp—75 huts, 10' x 8' x > at two persons per hut—
provides accommodation for 150 persons. The camp is provided with
a Horbury's latrine, and a pucka well is being rapidly constructed.
The camp is surrounded with a barbed wire fencing.
Quarters for the Hospital Assistants and other officers are in
course of construction,
A new shop for the bunniah is being built between the suspect
and contact camps.
All the huts in the contact and suspect camps are numbered for
convenience of registration.
Inspection.—The inspection staff consists of two medical officers
of the Indian Medical Service and two lady doctors.
One medical officer and one lady doctor are on duty together.
Owing to the number of trains passing through at night, no arrange-
ment can give more than one night in bed out of every two. Hence
the duty is very severe, and the inspecting staff will have to be in-
creased, or a breakdown may be expected.
Daily roster.—The following table will show how the 24 hours
are divided into watches so as to give each inspecting officer one
night's rest out of two :—
Daily roster.
9th March 1897 ...<
r
8 A.M. to 12 noon ...
12 noon to 8 P.M. ...
8 P.M. to 8 A.M.
f Dr. Culvert.
(.Miss Lander.
r Dr. Peck.
(.Miss Anthoni.
C Dr. Culvert.
( Miss Lander.
i2o
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
r
loth March 1897 ••••{
1
8 A.M. to 12 noon. ...
12 noon to 8 P.M. ...
8 P.M. to 8 A.M.
"1
f Dr. Peck.
(„Miss Anthoni.
C Dr. Calvert.
(_Miss Lander.
r Dr. Peck.
(.Miss Anthoni.
Trains.—The following time-table gives the time and number of
trains to be examined (Madras time is kept) :—
1
Number of trains.
i
13 Uo\vn passenger ...
a „ mail
134 a express
6 ,, passenger ...
10 ,, mail
...
52 Local passenger ...
4 Down
,,
...
122 Local mixed
8 Down passenger ...
Total
Time of
arrival.
2
0-3
3-33
4-35
G-io
8-5
9-sS
14-2
16 So
18-17
"CJ A
tr »
U É-M
"°1
!•§§" S M SB
2
3
9
12
15
4
2
a
16
...
4
64
i4
o
U-l
i-t
f> Ú
g rt
¿
4
1 7S
75
176
973
334
497
496
89
478
3,295
rt
bij
£
5
...
...
...
...
o
S
2
c
tj
6
...
...
...
i
0
£X
3
W
7
...
...
...
i
...
...
S
...
6
Medical officer's
signatuie.
8
J. T. C.
J. T. C.
J.T. C.
J. T. C.
J. T. C.
E. S. P
J. T. C.
J.T.C.
J. T.C.
Lady
Doctor's
signature,
9
H. L.
H.L.
H. L.
H. L.
S. L. A.
S. L. A.
H.L.
H. L.
H. L.
Examination.—Pending completion of the new platform, the
examination of passengers takes place at the station. All passengers
App. VÍII. ]
sircad of infection by land.
iai
are required to alight and be examined—males by the medical officers
and females by the lady doctors. A European station master, a
European police sergeant, two head constables and nine constables
attend each train. Of these, three constables are stationed on the
up platform to see that no person gets out on the wrong side of the
train. In addition there are a number of railway Ichalasis present to
open locked compartments, assist passengers to alight, etc. If any
one is contumacious and declines to submit to the examination, time
is not wasted arguing with him, but he is locked in and the carriage
is cut off, and put into a siding, he being liable to the railway com-
pany for any loss or inconvenience they may sustain on this account.
On the arrival of the train, ropes with hooks attached are fixed on to
both ends of the first carriage and are held tight by the police. Male
passengers are ranged in one or two rows nearest the ropes and fac-
ing the train. Female passengers are ranged on the platform near
the train and facing it; their backs are thus turned towards the men.
It has, however, been decided to examine them in future between
purdahs or Jcanats, so as to shield them altogether from the public
gaze. Care is taken to avoid wounding their feelings in any way,
and the police are not allowed to handle them at all. The police
sergeant or station master having reported that the compartments are
empty, inspection of each passenger and his ticket begins. Ina large
number of cases their axillae femoral, inguinal regions, and parotid
glands are examined, and the temperature of all suspicious cases is
taken. Whilst the inspection of carriage No. i is being made, car-
riage No. 2 is emptied and the passengers prepared for inspection,
and so on. After inspection passengers re-enter their compartments,
women going first. No one is allowed to wander up and down the
platform.
Rnihvay carriage or com-
partment from which sus-
pect^ are taken might be
rapidly disinfected before
being allowed to proceed.
This need not take many
minutes.
W. P. W.,-13-3-97.
Suspects from Bombay.-— Passengers' tickets are examined at Asan-
sole. As a result of that examination, the Sub-Inspector of Railway
Police, Asansole, wires in advance to the medical officer and the Ins-
pector of Police at Khana Junction the number of Bombay passengers.
the class in which they are travelling, and in
the case of third class passengers, the num-
ber of their carriage. The tickets of third-
class Bombay passengers are made over to
the guard of the train, and they themselves
are put in the last carriage for easy disposal.
Passengers from Bombay, Poona, or other
infected centres "suspected" by the medical
officers are detained, and with their baggag-es are handed over to a
constable for safe custody until the examin:ition of the train is
c 16
î2â
Measures to prevent tlie
[ APP. VIIL
coirpleted. If the medical officer has any serious doubt about a case,
he orders the carriage from which it is taken out to be cut off and im-
mediately disinfected. On the departure of the train, the medical
officer tak Q s charge of the suspect's ticket, ñutes down the name,
age, sex, caste, place of residence, and infected place from whence
the "suspect '' has come and the number of train from which he was
removed. The station master on duty hands the Inspecting Medical
Officer a slip showing the number of passengers examined (a] ist and
2nd, (b] all other classes, [c] total. The inspection is then complete,
and the train is allowed to go on.
Disposal of suspects.—The " suspects " and their effects are then
handed over to the European police sergeant on duty with any special
instruction the medical officer may desire to give, and the latter
arranges for their escort to the camp.
The camp staff consists of—
i Military Assistant Surgeon.
3 Civil Hospital Assistants and medical staff—cooks, bhistis,
mehters, etc.
On arrival at the camp the "suspects''' are made over by the
police constable to the Assistant Surgeon in charge, who tells them
off to their proper c^mp, locates them in a numbered hut, provides
them with bedding, i.e., straw, mat, or iaktaposh as desired, explains
the rules of the camp, and finally leaves them in charge of the Hospi-
tal Assistant in charge of that particular camp. The Hospital Assist-
ant examines them, takes their temperature, and is responsible that
the first signs of any illness are reported, that they are present on
various parades, and that their wants as regards water, food, etc., are
attended to without hurting their caste prejudices. The information
regarding the <( suspects " noted by the Inspecting Medical Officer is
made over to the camp clerk and duly entered in the u release diary"
of the officer in charge of the camp, and their tickets are duly filed
until their release.
Camp.—The camp is under the immediate control of the Assistant
Surgeon, who parades the menial servants, tells them off for duty,
inspects the latrines, trenching ground, water-tanks, etc., daily super-
vises the morning and evening roll-call of all quarantined persons,
keeps a daily register, giving the names of all admissions, the camp
and the number of the hut in which they have been placed, the date
on which their clothes were disinfected, and how the suspects were
finally disposed of. He also brings before the medical officer in
charge each morning the persons who are to be discharged that day
for a final examination by that officer, and finally hands them over
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
123
after discharge with their baggages and tickets duly countersigned
to the Inspector of Police for escort to the railway station. He is
also in charge of all stores and equipments and their issue, brings to
the notice of the medical officer persons who are destitute and have
to be fed at Government expense. He keeps a daily report book for
the information of the medical officer in charge. The medical officer
in charge being on inspection duty every other night and part of each
day has to rely greatly on the Assistant Surgeon in looking after the
camp. He, however, personally each morning, having given orders
the previous evening, examines all suspects paraded for discharge,
and, after satisfying himself as to their health, countersigns their
railway tickets which have been filed in the office at the time of
admission. Subsequently he inspects the camp in company with the
Assistant Surgeon and Hospital Assistant, and sees all quarantined
persons, listens to complaints, etc., etc, At the time of his parade
all suspects are summoned by a gong and stand in front of their huts.
To facilitate these orders being carried out by persons unaccustomed
to discipline, the bunniah's shop is cbsed during this parade and open
again immediately after it.
At present the camp contains no plague cases, and therefore also
no contact cases, but it contains a number of coolies doing construc-
thn work. Under the above circumstances very strict quarantine
cannot be enforced. Once, however, construction is finished, the
various camps can, at any moment, be strictly segregated and com-
munication stopped. On completion of the new bunniah's shop
between the " suspect" and " contact " camps, separate hours will
be fixed for the occupants of each camp to obtain their daily supplies.
With a view to keeping the camps as dry as possible, suspects are
not supplied with bathing water, but are allowed to bathe in the
large tank at two separate ghats, constables being stationed over
each ghat to prevent any uater (which is not fit for consumption)
being carried away for drinking or cooking purposes.
Police.—The police force on duty consists of—
1 European Inspector of the Bengal Police.
2 Sergeants of the Railway Police.
2 Constables of the Railway Police.
ii Head Constables of the Bengal Police.
72 Constables of the Bengal Police.
Of these, 2 sergeants, 4 head constables, and 18 constables are
employed on platform duty in two batches, 3 head constables and 24
constables are employed on sentry duty in camp, and the remainder
on miscellaneous duty, on escort, arms, lines and reserve. Only one