NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
26
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
[ APP. VII.
harvest their crops and were amalgamated with class I in scf far as the
limit of their camp was concerned.
34."The crops of classes III and IV were harvested under the
direction of the Assistant Tehsildar attached to the Suba's camp.
35, The villagers of Billoni who had a few fields just inside the
Khandraoni village limits were allowed to work under a guard ; they
cut their crops in one day and took them outside the chain of sentries,
not having come in contact with the Khandraoni villagers in any way.
36. It was thought well to defer cleaning up the village until
the infected houses, as well as the sanitary site, had been exposed to
the disinfecting action of the sun and air for at least three weeks,
and thus prevent the danger of persons engaged in cleaning the village
from contracting the disease.
Cleaning and
disinfecting
village.
37. The following were the arrangements made for cleaning and
disinfecting the village :—-
[a] A number was affixed to every house in the village and a list
of the owners was made, the houses being divided into
classes to correspond with those into which the inhabitants
had been divided in the first instance, except that class II
was amalgamated with class I.
(b] The owners of class I were then required to clean their own
houses, and, for this purpose, were divided into working
parties of not more than ten persons in each, each working-
party being supplied with phowras, baskets, etc., to clean
away dirt and rubbish, and lime for the purpose of white-
washing the houses inside and outside, and were placed in
charge of two sepoys who were ordered to see that this work
was thoroughly and quickly carried out, and that all rub-
bish was removed to a distance and burnt as far as possible,
that the working parties did not enter houses other than
their own, and that every evening they marched them out-
side the chain of sentries posted round the village, and saw
that the phowras, baskets, etc., were deposited in the place
assigned to them under a guard. Rest from noon to 2
o'clock was allowed, and the work was daily inspected in
order to see that it was properly done.
(c] As the people of classes III and IV were still segregated
from the rest of the population and remained so until the
" camp was finally broken up, working parties were engaged
to clean their houses from which the débris was first
removed, the floors were then dug up to the depth of one
and a half feet, the walls were scraped, and both were
APP. VII. ]
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
27
thoroughly sprayed with disinfectants by means of a fire-
engine, worked by hand, brought from Gwalior for.this
purpose.
(d) In the meantime the working parties were engaged in clean-
ing up the village generally, every one employed being
paid daily, and the working parties being all under the
supervision of sepoys told off for this purpose ; no
slouching was allowed, and the work was carried out sys-
tematically and continuously until I was satisfied that
the village was cleaned as far as any Indian village
could be.
Segregation
camp broken up.
The village having been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and
no case of plague having occurred since the 1st April, and those who
had been under treatment being now recovered, the segregation camp
was broken up on the 29th April. But before this was done every
man, woman, and child in the hospital segregation camp, was obliged
to bathe and to exchange the clothes they were wearing for new ones,
which were supplied free.
38. The hospital huts, patients' clothes, blankets, charpoys and all
other articles of a combustible nature were burnt, the only things
brought out of the hospital segregation camp by its occupants being
money, jewellery, metal cooking utensils and the new clothes given
to them. Arrangements were made for a Hospital Assistant with
medicines to remain at the village for one month from the breaking
up of the camp, and he was directed to hold periodical inspections and
to report the result. The harvest having been gathered, and there
being many in the village who obtained their livelihood by daily labour
or begging, relief works were started for the former, and free rations
were continued to those of the latter who were unable to work. A
project is being prepared for a " Bund" in the vicinity of the village,
and the making of this will not only give work to the inhabitants for
some months to come, but will also enlarge the area of cultivation
and form an increased source of revenue to the State.
General
remarks.
39. The effects of the measures taken were too successful to allow
of any extended study of the disease, as besides the eleven cases
admitted on my arrival at the village, only four more admissions took
place, and those within ten days from the information of the segrega-
tion camps. Of the total, 15 cases treated, 4 died, i.e., 26.6 per cent,
of admissions, while the mortality before the segregation camp was
formed was 79.6 per cent, of seizures. The symptoms and the signs
of the disease did not differ from those . which have been observed
during the present epidemic in Bombay, a fatal termination being
preceded by pneumonic symptoms and great prostration, while in
28
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
[ APP. VII.
all the cases that recovered general debility was very marked feature.
In one or two instances the wounds caused by opening the bubos,
healed very slowly, and in one patient, who was convalescent for
some time and quite free from fever, a small swelling appeared on the
forearm, unaccompanied with pain or inflammation, but over which
distinct fluctuation was present, it soon, however, disappeared by
resolution. In another case the only sign present was a bubo in the
groin, no fever or constitutional disturbance of any kind being pre-
sent, and the patient was otherwise healthy and well nourished ; this
I would classify as "Pestis ambulans " (even at the risk of being
considered Irish), the patient being a child of four months old.
With regard to the statement that, though rats are very susceptible
to plague, their enemy, cats, are immune, it may be interesting to note
that a dead cat was found in one of the infected houses, but the fact
that it died of plague was not verified by microscopical examination.
Compensation
payable to the
villagers.
40. The loss for which the villagers have to be compensated is
classified as follows : —•
I.—Damage done to rabi crops.
II.—Re-roofing the infected houses which were burnt down.
III.—Loss of property which was burnt in the houses.
41. In order to explain fully the process of calculating compensa-
tion and to make the figures clear, the different classes of compensa-
tion above enumerated are separately dealt with and classified state-
ments of same are appended to this report.
Damage to
Rabi crop.
42. The area cultivated with rabi was 250 9/20 bighas, composed of
290 fields of loi cultivators, out of which 1243/20 bighas were held by
the zamindars of the village as their Khud Kasht, and 1266/20 bighas
were cultivated by tenants on cash or grain rent.
43. The crop was generally barley and masur, mixed. gram and
wheat being sown in a few fields. Nearly two-thirds of area sown
with rabi crops were irrigated, the remaining one-third being unirri-
gated : and on this, as the soil is mostly pondwa'and inferior kanker, the
crop was naturally bad, but on the irrigated portion an average
outturn of five maunds per bigha was estimated.
44. When the plague segregation camp was formed the crops
were ripe and had been partly cut and removed to the threshing-floors,
the remainder of the crops then in the ground being afterwards cut
by the owners who had access to their fields, those crops belonging
to people in hospital segregation camp being cut through the agency
of labours employed by the State for this purpose.
45. In this way the damage done to the standing crops was
not great, and was due altogether to the cattle straying into the fields.
APP. VII. ] Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
29
This damage occurred owing to the small strength of the troops
available for sentry duty when the camp was first formed, rendering
it impossible to allow the villagers access to their fields and so prevent
damage from cattle ; neither was it possible, for sanitry reasons, to
keep the cattle within segregation camp, as they numbered 1,500, nor
could arrangements be made for their food. This state of things,
however, only lasted for a couple of days, until the arrival of the four
companies of infantry from Lashkar.
46. There were some instances, which will be enumerated here-
after, in which the people were not allowed to cut their crops at all,
and they were completely damaged, compensation in full being
allowed.
47. As all the crops had been cut before the compensation list
was made out, and therefore the damage done could not be estimated
from an inspection of the standing crops, the following course was
taken to estimate the loss incurred. The average outturn of the
village was found by selecting seven khalians of different kinds of
grain and belonging to different known fields both irrigated and un«
irrigated, and having them threshed, cleaned and weighed ; from this
an estimate was formed of the produce of each field. Enquiry was
then made as to the average outturn of five adjoining villages having
similar advantages and similar soil as Khandraoni, and also the
average outturn of the perganna, and comparing the existing produce
of the Khandraoni fields, with the average outturn of the adjoining
villages and of the whole of the perganna, an estimate was formed
of the loss of grain in each field and its equivalent in rupees was cal-
culated at the market rate obtaining in the village.
48. The instances in which the crops were completely damaged,
and in which it is proposed to give compensation for the full value of
the crop according to the average outturn of the village, are as fol-
lows :—
(a) Nos. 5 and 6, area 11/20 - bighas, cultivated by Murli Dhar,
Brahmin, who was not allowed to cut his crops, because
the fields were situated inside the hospital segregation
camp, where he had no admission.
(b) Barley store of Madho Singh, son of Bhansi, the produce of
No. 205/1 and 514, area 216/20bighas which was burnt as infect-
ed grain.
(c) Mohwa crop of Dhalip Singh, Lambardar, who, being in
hospital, was not allowed to gather it.
49. The yearly revenue demand on the village is Rs. 1,374-1-0,
out of which the zamindars have only paid a four-anna instalment
/
30
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency,
[ APP. VII,
before the plague outbreak, and the remainder Rs. 1,039-15-0 is in
arrears ; and in order to relieve, as far as possible, the zamindars
from the revenue demand, it is proposed to deduct the uncollected
rents of tenants' lands from the compensation payable to them for
the damage done to their crops, and to credit it to the revenue due
from the zamindars ; having done this, so much of the compensation
payable to the zamindars for their Khud Kasht sufficient to satisfy
in full the ratable revenue demand of each individual co-sharer,
according to the figures obtained from the Patwari, is also credited ;
or where a full adjustment of the revenue demand was impossible,
on account of the compensation falling short of the revenue demand,.
the whole of the compensation payable was taken in part payment.
In this way Rs. 768-2-0, Imperial coin, can be realized out of the
revenue demand payable to the State without any burden on the
pockets of the zamindars, who, in addition to being considerably
relieved of the revenue demand, have the advantage of appropriating
all existing grain and getting the surplus compensation.
50. The arrears of revenue then remaining uncollected would be
Rs. 271-13-0, Imperial coin, due from the co-sharers who had no
Khud Kasht of rabi, or whose compensation for Khud Kasht fell
short of the revenue demand ; and having regard to the disastrous
effects of the plague outbreak, it is recommended that this amount
should be allowed to stand over for two years, after which it could be
collected by easy instalments.
51. The classified statement A, appended to this report, shows
the value of the loss in the average outturn of the crops of each man,
the amount of revenue realized from him, and the compensation pay.
able, if any, after deducting the revenue demand. A summary of
this statement is as follows :—
Value of crops in Raja Shahi coin
Deduct revenue in
do.
Compensation to be paid under this head after
deducting revenue
Rs. A. P.
1,100 9 9
834 11 9
265 14 o
52. Statement B, appended to this report, shows the distribution of
the arrears of revenue over the four Pattas into which the village
lands are divided, and the account within the Pattas will be made by
the Patwari afterwards, having regard to the arrears which were
originally due from each of the co-sharers and to the amount realized
out of the compensation of his Khud Kasht and his tenants' lands by
the method here proposed.
APP. VII. ] Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
31
Compensation for
houses.
53. This class of compensation refers only to persons whose houses
being infected, or contagious to those infected, were burnt.
54. In order to make an estimate of the cost of re-roofing the
houses, measurements of each roof were taken, and the amount of
wood required for this purpose and also for doors, etc., was noted ;
an estimate was then made of the different kinds of materials
required for each roof, and the cost of re-roofing calculated at the local
rate, and adding to this the value of the doors and the cost of labour,
the amount of compensation payable for each house separately was
obtained. Most of the houses had tile roofing, the average cost of
which at the village rate is Re, 0-1-7 per square yard, thatched roofing
costing half as much more. Some of the houses had masonry roofs
the cost of these has been calculated separately at local rates. State-
ment C, appended to this report, shows detail of materials required and
the compensation payable for each house.
Compensation for
loss oE property
burnt in the hous-
es.
55. Compensation under this head is payable only to those whose
ouses were burnt. Lists of property in those houses which were to
be burnt were made out beforehand, but it was difficult to calculate
the compensation due to those villagers whose houses were acci-
dently burnt on account of the gale which sprung up after the
infected houses were set fire to ; but as, before any of the houses
were burnt, the people were given every opportunity of removing
their cash and gold and silver ornaments and metal utensils, and
most of those were removed by them or were made over to them
from time to time as they were found in their houses, the only
articles which were destroyed consisted chiefly of food grains, gur,
ghee and clothing. The list given to the villagers in the first
instance was called for, and all articles which had been removed by, or
handed over to, them were struck out of the lists, and compensation
for the remaining articles was then calculated. The lists which were
filed by the owners of those houses which were accidently burnt,
after this had occurred, were carefully gone through. The recep-
tacles in which they said their grain, etc., was stored were inspected,
their capacity ascertained, and an estimate thus formed of the com-
pensation due.
56. Tabular statement D shows the compensation payable under
the different heads, and, at a glance, how much each man is to get
for the total loss suffered by him.
57. The amount is calculated in Raja Shahi rupees, as that is the
coin current in the village.
Conclusion.
I cannot close the report without expressing my thanks to the
officiais who were detailed for duty with me at Khandraoni. The
ssistant Medical Officer, Dr. Wagle, L. R. C. P. and S., Edinburgh,
32
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
[ APP. VII.
rendered me invaluable assistance and spared neither time nor
trouble in carrying out the duties entrusted to him. The Sir-Suba
of Esagarh made excellent arrangements for supplies, etc., for the
camp, until he was obliged to leave by sickness brought on by the
extreme heat, after which his work was well carried out by Suba Sahib
of Chanderi. I cannot too highly praise the work of Moonshi Jugal-
kishore to whom the cleaning up the village was for the most part
entrusted, as well as that of estimating the amount of compensation
payable to the villagers for property destroyed and crops damaged.
His report* is incorporated in this, and having gone over the figures, I
am quite satisfied that his estimates are correct and equitable in every
respect. The conduct of the troops (4 companies of the 6th and 4 com-
panies of 10th Infantry) engaged on segregation duty was all that could
be desired, and their strict obedience to orders contributed in no
small degree to the result obtained, my thanks being especially due to
Captain Eseri Singh, Commanding the 10th Infantry. Inspector of
Police, Gayapershad, performed his duties to my entire satisfaction,
Patwari Thakoorparshad of
Khandraoni.
Police Sepoy Ismail of
Jigni.
Do. late Mohamed of
Karera.
and the subordinate officials mentioned in
margin also worked well. I trust the Darbar
will recognize the work done by the above
officials, the due performance of which, to-
gether with the very full authority given to
me by H. H. the Maharajah, enabled me to
*
*
»
carry out H. H.'s instructions to what, I trust, will be considered a
successful conclusion.
* Not printed.
APPENDIX VIII.
MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION BY LAND.
PAPER
Nos.
1—23.
24—36.
37—45-
46—68.
CONTENTS.
Correspondence regarding Land quarantine .
Latter correspondence regarding the stoppage
of third class Railway Traffic
.
.
,
Correspondence regarding the preventive cor-
don at Daman
.
.
.
.
.
.
Papers regarding the Inspection of Railway
Traffic—
PAGES.
35—6o
60 — 65
65—89
46 Instructions of the Punjab Government regard-
ing hospital sheds and the treatment of Euro-
peans and Eurasians
.
.
.
.
.
47 — 49 General Instructions issued by the Govern-
ment of India on the passing of the Epidemic
50 List of Railway Inspection Stations
51 Orders for the protection of Bombay against
Cutch.
52 Note of inspection by Surgeon-Major-General
Warburton, Officiating Director General, Indian
Medical Service
53—67 Medical Staff and accommodation at Rail-
way inspection Stations
.
68 Note on the arrangements at the Plague
Observation Camp at Khana Junction on the
East Indian Railway
.
.
.
.
.
90—92
93—96
96 — 100
100—104
104—109
109—118
118—126
469—89.
90 — 96.
97—103.
104—105.
Correspondence regarding the medical sur-
veillance of travellers
.
.
.
. 126 — 135
Correspondence regarding the disinfection of
baggage—
90— 95 Disinfection of the baggage of passengers
travelling by railway from plague infected areas . 136—142
96 Reports on the Khanpur (Punjab) disinfection
Correspondence regarding the disinfection of
railway carriages
.
.
.
.
. 163 — 172
Papers relating to the protection of Maha-
bleshwar
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 172—180
c 5
34
MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION BY LAND—contd.
PAPER
Nos.
106—129.
130— 136.
CONTENTS.
Papers relating to pilgrimages in India—
106. Prohibition of pilgrimage in Thana and Poona
Districts
.
107 — 122. The Pilgrimage to Jagannath (Orissa)
123—129. The Singhast Mela (Gwalior State)
Papers regarding precautions on the frontier —
130—132. Protection of Baluchistan and Afghanis-
tan
133—136. Precautionary measures in Persia and
PAGES.
1 80
180 -1 88
188—196
196 — 200
200 — 206
APPENDIX VIII.
MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF
INFECTION BY LAND.
Correspondence regarding Land Quarantine.
No. r.
No. 276, dated Calcutta, the 13th February 1897.
From -W. BANKS GWYTHER, Esq., Secretary to the Medical Board,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bengal, Municipal Department.
I am directed by the Medical Board to say that the following tele-
gram has to-day been received from Bombay :—
" Your yesterday telegram. Persons • determined on pilgrimage
will proceed Nassick Quarantine Camp, remain probably ten days,
all others allowed going homes. Bengalis sent Howrah, Calcutta
Police daily advised."
It appears from this telegram that only those pilgrims who state
they are determined to go on pilgrimage are detained under observa-
tion at Nassick ; while those who say that they wish to return to their
homes are allowed to do so. In practice this obviously means that
pilgrims who say they are not going to Mecca are able to go wherever
they choose and may therefore spread infection indefinitely. In view
of the great danger which the arrangements of the Bombay Govern-
ment involve and the strong public feeling on the subject in Calcutta,
the Board desire to urge very strongly that not only pilgrims but all
persons leaving Bombay, Karachi or other infected places should be
detained for 10 days under observation whatever statements they may
make as to their intentions. We are aware that this proposal is a
drastic one, but we submit that it is justified by the fact that Calcutta
is now the only outlet for the trade of Northern India.
No. 2.
No. 1o65-Medical, dated Calcutta, the 25th February 1897.
From—H. H. RISLEY, Esq., C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of
Bengal, Municipal (Medical) Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
I am directed to submit, for the consideration and orders of the
Government of India, the accompanying copy of a Resolution adopted
unanimously by the Medical Board, Calcutta, indicating certain
36
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII,
measures which might be taken with the object of restricting pas-
senger traffic between areas in the Bombay Presidency infected with
plague and Bengal. With reference to this resolution, I am to say
that the Lieutenant-Governor sees great difficulty in enforcing such a
system as that proposed, and, in the case of European passengers and
their baggage, the precautions suggested are probably superfluous.
It is, however, undoubtedly invidious to make race distinctions. At
the same time there is no disputing the fact that infection may very
easily be carried in the bundles and baggage of native passengers
who may themselves satisfy the medical inspectors. The Lieutenant-
Governor would be inclined himself to advocate the detention at con-
venient stations, just outside infected areas, of all passengers there-
from for a period of 24 hours in order to enable careful medical
inspection to be made and baggage to be disinfected. Mail passengers
from Europe should be run through from the Docks without stopping
in Bombay.
Resolution adopted by the Medical Board at a Meeting held on the
22nd February 1897.
" We think there is a strong feeling in Calcutta that, if possible,
some measures should be taken with the object of restricting passen-
ger traffic between areas in the Bombay Presidency infected with
plague and Bengal. In deference to this feeling we suggest that the
Bombay Government should be asked to consider whether—
(a) Either a land quarantine for all passengers should be estab-
lished at a point or points as close as possible to the
infected areas,
(b) Or third class passenger traffic should be suspended over
a certain section of the lines communicating with infected
places, and
(c) passengers' baggage should be disinfected at quarantine
stations.
In the event of (a) being accepted, special arrangements should
be made for passengers in transit from Europe, and they and their
baggage should be passed through the infected area without stop-
ping."
No. 3.
Telegram No. 779-A., dated Calcutta, the 28th February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Government of India are advised that considerable danger of infec-
tion exists from clothes and bundles carried by third class passengers