NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
16
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency. [ App. VII.
remain in force until the town is declared to be free from infection
They
are supplementary to those issued
dated 26th March 1897, and apply—
(1) to the infected areas ;
(2) to visitors and pilgrims to Hardwar coming from infected
areas,
I.—Measures concerning the Infected Areas.
1. The infected areas shall be placed in quarantine.
2. The inhabitants of the specially infected block adjacent to
Ramghat shall remove to the camp established at Chauk Ram Jas on
the Jawalapur road. Any person wishing to leave the camp shall,
before leaving, obtain a written permission to do so from the Health
Officer or Magistrate. Information of the departure of such persons
shall be sent to the Magistrates of districts to which they are proceed-
ing. Provision for watch and ward of the evacuated quarter and for
the custody of the property of persons who have removed from
shall be made in accordance with rule 39 of Notification No.
212/XV
of the 26th March 1897.
N.B.—The accommodation in this camp has been provided with
due regard to the convenience of families and the privacy of females.
3. Inhabitants of the Ramghat block who do not wish to leave
Hardwar shall reside in the camp for one month, or until the Ramghat
block is declared to be safe for re-occupation.
4. Residents in the camp shall be liable to medical examination
daily, females being inspected by female medical officers.
5. Residents in the camp shall be permitted during the day to
visit all the parts of Hardwar other than the areas declared to be
infected, but should cook their meals and sleep in the camp.
6. After the evacuation of the Ramghat block, the houses, etc.,
shall be thoroughly cleansed an'd disinfected, the owners and occupiers
being allowed to be present at the time.
7. Facilities shall be given in the camp for persons to open shop
and carry on their trades so far as they may be consistent with the
object of these rules.
8. Hospitals and segregation huts for the accommodation and
reception of persons suffering from plague and for their friends and
attendants shall be provided in accordance with G. O. No.
234/
L
XV1
— 4O4'-B..-283
of 5th April 1897,
9. Free access shall be given in the camp and hospitals to baids,
hakims, pandas, and religious instructors, who shall be free to treat
and communicate with those who desire to consult them.
* Reprinted in Appendix IV.
APP. VII. ] Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
i
I0. The provisions of rule 31 (2) of the rules published in Notifie
tion No.212/XVI-404-B. dated 26th March 1897, shall until furth
notice apply to all deaths occurring in the Hardwar Municipality:—
"Rule 31 (2).—The dead body of a person who has died
bubonic plague shall not be removed from the house in which t]
death occurred until after the expiry of six hours from the time
notice of such intended removal shall have been delivered at t]
nearest police station by, or on behalf of the, friends of the deceased
or of the owners or occupiers of the house, unless the Health Offic
or other sanitary or executive authority has permitted earlier removal"
II.—Measures regarding Visitors and Pilgrims coming to Hardwar
from Infected Areas.
II.—All pilgrims and visitors from the Bombay Presidency and
Sind, or other place infected with plague, coming to Hardwar by r;
or road, shall reside in the camp at Hardwar provided for the purpos
where provision has been made for their accommodation. They shal
be permitted during the day to visit the towns, shrines and bathing
ghats, but must cook their food and sleep in the camp at night. Su<
visitors shall be liable to medical inspection from time to time.
Khandraoni.
No. 6. REPORT BY SURGEON-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CROFTS ON
THE OUTBREAK OF PLAGUE IN KHANDRAONI VILLAGE,
GWALIOR STATE.
Gwalior, the 8th May 1897.
The orders
received.
I. Under instructions from H.H. the Maharajah Scindia I left
Gwalior on the 17th of March and proceeded to Khandraoni village,
arriving there on the 18th, to enquire into a reported outbreak of
bubonic plague.
Description of
Khandraoni
village.
2. Khandraoni is a village situated in the Karera Tehsil of the
Chanderi Subah, distant from Jhansi, Dattia, Diñara, and Karera
twenty, ten, seven and twelve miles, respectively.
3. The population according to the last yearly census taken in
July 1896 was 558 (187 men, 157 women, and 214 children), of which
only five were Mahomedans, the remainder being Hindus, principally
Brahmins.
4. The total area of the village lands is 2,599 bighas, 3 biswas.
The area under cultivation in the current year is 940 bighas, the
c 3
18
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
[ APP. VII.
average cultivated area in normal years being 1,006 bighas, and the
revenue demand for the whole year being Rs. 1,374-1-0, Imperial
coin.
5. On the north and west the village boundary runs with that
of the villages of Rao Mou and Ata of the Dattia State, while to
the south and east lie the Gwalior villages of Panoha and Belloni.
6. On my arrival, on the 18th of March, I examined all the sick
in the village, and the signs and symptoms present, together with the
epidemic nature of the outbreak and its history, left no doubt as to
the disease being bubonic plague.
History of the
outbreak.
7. From enquiries made from the Patwari and Lambardar of the
village, it appears that, for some years past, several of the inhabi-
tants of Khandraoni have been in the habit of going to Bombay and
taking service there, re-visiting their village at intervals ; and that
amongst these were two Brahmins, Bindraban and Khoobi, the former
being one of the Lambardars of the villages.
8. These men came straight from Bombay to Khandraoni, arriving
there on the 9th of January last (three days before Makar Sankrant
in the month of Poos). On leaving Bombay Bindraban was suffering
from fever and Khoobi attended him while on the way, bringing him
to Jhansi by rail, and from there, in a country cart, to Khandraoni,
where he died five days after his arrival. Two days after Bindra-
ban's death Khoobi fell ill and died in three days, and about a
week after his death a native hakim of the village, named Nazar
Mahomed, who had been treating Bindraban and Khoobi, was attacked
with fever and died ; and at the same time another native hakim
named Gopi, who had come from Karera to treat Nazar Mahomed,
also succumbed to the disease. The plague then gradually spread
amongst the inhabitants of the village, and up to the date of my
arrival there had been 59 seizures, of which 47 had proved fatal.
Instructions
received from
H. H.the
Maharajah.
g. His Highness the Maharajah Scindia's instructions were that
in the event of the plague being present every means should be
employed—
(1) to stamp out the disease in the village itself ;
(2) to prevent its spread to any other part of the State ;
(3) to treat the sick ; and
(4) to interfere as little as possible with the harvesting of the
crops then in the ground.
The principles
on Which the
10. Being satisfied that the disease was bubonic plague, the
following principles were accepted as a basis on which measures
APP. VII. ] Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
19
measures taken
were based.
should be taken to carry out the above instructions to a successful ĉ
onclusion :—
(a) That the plague was due to a specific microbe.
(b) That this microbe could be carried by the excreta of persons
suffering from plague and by clothing, wooden and
earthen articles of all descriptions and by food of all
kinds, cooked or uncooked.
(c) That the microbe once imported by any of the above agencies
into a house, where conditions obtained which were
favourable to its development, not alone established it-
self in the floor, walls and roof of that house, but also in
or on every article which that house contained.
(d) That the conditions favourable to the development of the
microbe were insanitary conditions of all kinds, especial-
ly dirt, overcrowding and the absence of thorough
ventilation and light.
(e) That the microbe could not establish itself unless the above
conditions were present, and that it was impossible for it
to exist for more than a few days in any place which was
free from insanitary conditions and exposed to the direct
rays of the sun, and that very high artificial heat rendered
it inert.
Measures taken.
11r. For the purpose of clearness in this report the following
measures based on the above principles are recorded, not in the
sequence of their being given effect to, but in regard to the objects
held in view, many of the measures being carried out simultaneously :—
(a) An order was sent to the Officer Commanding the Karera
Cantonment to march at once to Khandraoni with four
companies of infantry and hospital establishment and
equipment. The Tehsildar of Karera was also ordered
to come to Khandraoni and arrange for such supplies as
might be necessary for the troops and villagers.
(b) In the meantime a nominal roll was made of all the inhabi-
tants of the village, and it was found that the total num-
ber present was 435.
(c) These were each examined and were divided for the purposes
of segregation into four classes, viz. :—
Class I.—Those families who were perfectly healthy and amongst
whom no case of plague or fever of any kind had
occurred since the 9th of January (it was thought advisable
to treat any case of fever as coming under the head of
plague, as it was impossible from questioning the villagers
2o
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
[ APP. VII.
themselves to distinguish, with any certainty, between so-
called fever and plague).
Class II.—Those families who were in good health, but amongst
whom cases of plague and fever had occurred since 9th
of January.
Class ///.—Those families amongst whom there were cases con-
valescent from plague or fever.
Class IV.—Those families, some of whose members were then
suffering with plague or fever.
Evacuation of
village.
12. On the 19th of March four companies of the 6th Infantry
having arrived from Karera, the inhabitants were ordered to go to their
houses and remain there. Sentries were then posted on all the infected
houses (i.e., of classes II, III and IV) as well as those of class I in their
immediate vicinity, and strict orders were issued, to prevent any
persons entering or leaving those houses or taking any article
therefrom.
13. The remainder of the inhabitants (i.e., class I, with the
exception of those mentioned in paragraph 12) were then turned out
of the village and surrounded by a cordon of sentries. This portion
of the population were allowed to take any of their property which
they wanted with them.
14. Classes II, III and IV as well as those of class I living in
their immediate vicinity were then successively taken out of the
village and segregated one from another by a cordon of sentries,
those of class I hitherto detained being allowed to join the others of
the same class.
15. These classes and those of class I above referred to were not
allowed to take anything out of their houses, except the clothes they
were wearing, as much bedding as was absolutely necessary for their
protection from the climate, their money, ornaments and metal cook-
ing utensils.
16. In carrying out this measure I took the precaution of visiting
each house in turn, and saw that each family were placed in charge of
an escort and conducted straight to the place appointed for their
segregation, and that the order regarding the removal of any article
other than those above mentioned was strictly adhered to.
17. The village having been evacuated, sentries were posted all
round with strict orders to prevent any one from entering the village.
Arrangenents
for focd-3upply.
18. The following were the arrangements for feeding classes II,
III and IV :—
(a) Two Bunniahs were engaged from a neighbouring village,
where it was ascertained that no plague was present, and
APP. VII. ]
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
21
the necessary supplies were also brought from the same
source.
(b] Both Bunniahs and supplies were placed under a guard,
orders being given not to allow any of the villagers to
come in contact with them, nor to allow the latter to mix
with the inhabitants of the village.
(c] The amount of grain, etc., necessary for each individual
family was calculated and supplied once a day under the
following arrangements.
(d] The daily supplies were taken by a Bunniah under escort to
the boundary of the segregation camp, where one member
of each family was deputed to receive them. The
supplies were then weighed and handed over, care being
taken that neither the Bunniah nor his scales came in
contact with the segregated inhabitants, the Bunniah was
then marched back to the place allotted for supplies
and again placed under the Commissariat Guard.
Arrangements
for hutting, et:
19. Arrangements were also made for the supply of chapper i
huts, charpoys, straw and blankets for hospital, and for the old and
weakly portion of the community, while grinding stones for the por-
tion of class I who were not allowed to bring these articles from the
village were also supplied as well as new earthen vessels to all who
required them. It may here be mentioned that there was little or no
grain brought out of the villages, as those who were allowed to bring
any had little or none to bring and were beginning to live on the current
year's produce, some of which was then on the threshing-floors.
Water-supply.
20. As the segregation camps were all situated along the banks
of a small river which was the usual source of water-supply, no diffi-
culty regarding this was experienced, but care was taken that the
segregation camp of the healthy portion of the inhabitants was
highest up stream, while that of the hospital was lowest.
Compensation
lists.
21. The owners of the infected houses as well as of those of the <
houses in their immediate vicinity were called upon to give lists of
property therein with a view to subsequent compensation ; these were
made out in my presence by the Patwari, and having been initialled
by me, were handed over to the owners. The majority of the lists
contained property of little value, but in two or three instances where
the amount of grain, goor and ghee, etc., seems suspiciously large,
the owner was taken to his house and made to show where the
amount which he had written down was, and it was invariably found
that only about half the stated amount was present. The necessary
correction was made in the list and owner was again marched back
to segregation camp under escort.
22
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency,
[ ÁPP. VII.
Infected houses
burnt.
22. With the help of a few policemen and chuprassies hay and
other inflammable materials were then placed in the infected houses
and those in their immediate vicinity, which were then set fire to
and destroyed under my personal supervision ; care being taken that
nothing that could be burnt escaped. A short time after the houses
were set fire to it began to blow half a gale, and a good many more
houses than was intended were destroyed by fire, but this may be
looked upon as an error of Providence, if such can be, on the right
side. Every heap of refuse and litter in and round the village was
also set fire to and burned as far as this was possible. The sentries
placed over the infected houses were then withdrawn, the cordon
round the village still remaining.
23. Every morning and evening a bugler blew "The assembly"
for roll call and inspection in the several camps, any one showing
signs of disease or debility being put apart for further examination
after inspection.
24. It having been found that some of the people obtained their
livelihood by daily labour and begging, these had to be put on free
rations at the expense of the State, their ordinary means of livelihood
being interfered with by their segregation in camp. Every effort was
made to convince the people that the measures taken were entirely
for their own benefit and with a view to stop the mortality amongst
them. Compensation was promised for the unavoidable damage to
their property and crops ; they were made as comfortable as possible
under the circumstances. Small luxuries, such as tobacco, etc., was
given to them, they were urged and encouraged to scatter themselves
as much as possible, to wash themselves and their clothing, and to
keep the ground in their vicinity clean. It was, moreover, pointed
out that it was absolutely necessary that the camp rules should be
carried out in their entirety for the purpose of obtaining the full bene-
fit for which they were formulated, and they were made to understand
very clearly that, if necessary, these rules would be carried out by
force.
25. The sentries were prohibited from entering the segregation
camp, and were warned not to let any of the villagers approach within
fifteen yards of their post.
Measures taken
to prevent the
spread of the
disease.
26. The measures taken to prevent the plague from spreading to
other parts of the State were as follows: —
(a) The whole of the staff of civil officials, Suba, Tehsildar,
chuprassies, etc., were removed from the vicinity of the
village and located nearthe village Belloni, nobody, except
the medical staff and the officers and sepoys engaged on
APP. VII, ]
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
23
segregation duty, being allowed to remain within the
boundary limits of Khandraoni village.
(b) Nobody, without regard to his rank, business or occupation,
was permitted to enter or leave the segregation camps or
cross the village boundary without an order from me and
without being accompanied by one of the orderly Havil-
dars detailed for this duty at my camp, and orders were
issued to the sentries that under no pretext whatsoever
was this rule to be broken, and to make this further cer-
tain, entrance to or exit from village boundary limits on
segregation camps was absolutely prohibited, exceptât one
place appointed for this purpose. Considerable incon-
venience no doubt arose from this rule, but it was early
recognised that the strict observance of this rule was
of the most vital importance, and it is satisfactory to be
able to state that, with one exception which fortunately
was followed by no ill-result, but of which due notice was
taken, no instance of this rule being broken came to my
knowledge, and that the Officers Commanding the Troops,
Sir-Suba, and other officials set a good example by their
strict adherence to this rule.
(c) A list containing the names of every village within a radius
of ten miles from Khandraoni was made out, these
villages were divided into circles of four or five villages,
each according to the distance between them, and each
circle was placed in charge of a policeman whose duty
it was to collect daily reports from the Patwaris of
each village. The reports to contain the following in-
formation :—
I.—Whether there were any sick in the village, and if so,
the nature of their sickness.
II.—Whether any one had arrived or left the village since last
report, and if so, where they had come from or gone to.
(d) On comparing the census of Khandraoni, taken in July 1896,
with the number of people present when the roll was
made out, it was seen that there was a considerable
decrease in the population, even allowing for the number
who had died of plague and other cause during the
preceding eight months. A return was therefore called
for from all villages within ten miles radius showing, if
any one from Khandraoni had arrived in the village since
the beginning of January, and if so, whether they were
24
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency. [ APP. VII,
still there, a list of their names with dates of arrival being
also asked for, enquiry was also made from the inhabi-
tants of Khandraoni itself as to the whereabouts of any one
who had left the village since the arrival of the Brahmins,
Bindraban and Khoobi, from Bombay.
(e) Orders were issued that if there were any persons who had
come from Bombay since July 1896, or from Khandraoni
since the 1st of January 1897, such persons were to be
segregated outside the village until inspected by the
medical officer.
(f) A list was called for giving the names of any of the inhabi-
tants of villages who might then be in Bombay, and orders
were issued that their relations in the village should
write and tell them that they were prohibited from coming
back to the State during the continuance of the plague at
Bombay.
(g) Orders were issued to the inhabitants of all villages within
ten miles round that no person from Khandraoni or Bombay
was to be admitted into the village ; moreover, they them-
selves were prohibited from coming to Khandraoni, and
they were also told that, except for any very urgent
reasons, they were to remain at their own village for at
least a month.
(h) The villages all round were inspected, those in which there
were people who had come from Khandraoni and Bombay
being taken first, and no case of plague was found to be
present amongst them. False alarms were at first of fre-
quent occurrence, as the daily reports contained many
cases, whose symptoms, roughly described by the Pat-
waris might be those of plague ; these were inspected
without delay, and though doing so entailed many long
rides, still there was satisfactory compensation, inasmuch
as none of these cases thus inspected proved to be
plague.
(i) Supplies for the sepoys were brought from outside into their
camp, which was pitched about a mile from the villages
under escort. The carts were unloaded, and the cart and
cartmen at once conducted outside village limits. The
supplies for segregation camp were in a similar manner
brought to the places appointed for the Bunniahs near
which no villager was allowed to approach,
APP. VII. ]
Measures outside the Bombay Presidency.
¿5
Arrangements
for treatment of
sick.
27. The arrangements for the treatment of the sick were as
follows :—
(a) The Hospital Assistant and medicines were ordered with the
troops from Karera.
(b) Chapper huts were provided for each patient, the huts being
placed about 20 yards from one another, clean straw being
placed on the ground, separate chappers were made for
the other members of the patient's family who were
allowed to attend upon their own sick, but were discour-
aged from coming in any number to the sick huts.
(c) Charpoys with blankets, etc., were supplied, suitable food
was cooked for all patients either by a member of their
own family or by a Brahman who was appointed as a cook
or water-carrier.
28. There being few patients in hospital, nobody, except the
Medical Officer, Assistant Medical Officer and Hospital Assistant,
were allowed to enter the segregation camps.
29. A mehtar was entertained for the hospital segregation camp,
and was not allowed to go outside it until it was finally broken up.
30. When a patient died the body was cremated, all the patient's
clothes, charpoy hut, etc., being burnt, compensation for clothes
being paid to the relatives.
31. The mode of supplying the hospital camp with food has
already been noted.
Non-inter-
ference with
harvest.
32. 1 here was at first considerable dítíiculty in carrying out the :
instruction issued regarding non-interference with the harvesting of'
the crops, as on the arrival of the four companies of infantry from
Karera it was found that the total strength amounted to only 204
sepoys, and it was impossible to cover the amount of ground within
village limits with the number of sentries at my disposal. I therefore
telegraphed to Gwalior to send four more companies of infantry from
Lashkar, and in the meantime I had perforce to keep the inhabitants
in segregration camp of a necessarily confined area ; H. H. the
Maharajah's promptness in acceding to my request and in despatch-
ing without delay four companies of the 1oth Infantry of a strength
of 232 sepoys placed me in a position to carry out H. H.'s instruc-
tions regarding the crops.
33. The line of sentries round the segregation camp were thrown
back to the limits of the village boundary, and the people of class I
were then at liberty to harvest their crops at their leisure, with the
exception of those lying within segregation camps of classes II, 111
and IV ; and after ten days in segregation camp, those of class II, no
case of plague having occurred amongst them, were also allowed to
C4