NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
124
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
escape has taken place up to date. This suspect absconded on the
5th instant, was arrested at Dum-Dum on the yth instant, and was
back in camp in custody on the 8th instant.
Statistics.—Inspection began on the I5th February, and the
average daily number of passengers examined is 3,027.
The total number of suspect passengers who have been detained
in camp up to date is 273, and the maximum number quarantined on
any one day was 135, These figures are largely due to the followers
of the Gloucestershire Regiment, 71, and to two ships' crews paid off
in Bombay, viz., 43 and 33 respectively,
Disinfecting apparatus.—Pending the arrival of a more elaborate
disinfecting apparatus, which will be ready by the end of the month
the following arrangements have been made. A steam-boiler has
been set up in which steam up to 50 Ibs. to ico Ibs. pressure can be
generated. Steam from this boiler is passed into an iron tank, in
which the clothes to be disinfected are hung on iron rods. This is a
" current steam ; ' disinfector only, the tank not being made to stand
pressure. The clothes are steamed for 20 minutes. Since the
bacillus of plague is non-mobile, non-sporing, and is killed by expo-
sure to a temperature of 6o c C. for 5 minutes (Klein) or by exposure
to a temperature of 80° C. (Kitasatc), I believe the above procedure to
be sufficient, provided too many clothes are not introduced into the
tank at once. In practice it has been found that, owing to the trying
nature of the work, the tank becomes very hot. The Hospital Assist-
ant who has been placed in charge of the disinfection is inclined to
overload it with clothes, so as to finish his work quickly and get away
from the heat surrounding the engine and boiler. If the number of
suspect cases should increase, we will probably have to obtain the
loan of the services of a European non-commissioned officer or other
European who may be trusted to implicitly carry out the orders given
him, since the disinfection of clothes is important, and should be
thoroughly carried out, and this under native supervision must always
be a matter of doubt.
I attach copies of the general rules which have been prescribed
for the guidance of medical officers in charge of quarantine camps in
Bengal, and also for the disinfection of infected railway carriages.
General Rules to be observed by Medical Officers in charge of quar-
antine Plague Camps in Bengal.
I. The camps are to be divided into three parts, vis. .••—
i, The plague camp.
|
1
2. The contact camp.
3. The suspicious camp.
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
125
2. The plague camp, as its name implies, should be used as a
hospital for actual cases of plague. In the vicinity of this camp there
are huts for the accommodation of relatives and attendants of the sick.
3. In the contact camp all persons found travelling in the same
railway carriage with a plague case should be segregated.
4. In the suspicious camp all persons who appear to be ill, but in
whose cases a diagnosis cannot be arrived at immediately, should be
segregated and their symptoms carefully watched.
5. In the event of a considerable number of people being segre-
gated, care should be taken to keep each day's batch separate from
the others.
6. Quarantine will last for seven days; the date of departure
from an infected locality should be taken into consideration in this
calculation.
7. The Inspecting Officer will meet all trains from up-country
and will carefully inspect all the passengers. The railway compart-
ments should be opened one by one, and the persons travelling in it
should be locked in it again before examination of the next compart-
ment is made. In this respect, however, the Inspectig Officer will
exercise his discretion with regard to ist and 2nd class passengers.
8. Rope barriers will be found useful for examination purposes.
9. An infected carriage must be cut off at once and thoroughly
disinfected after the removal of the passengers to the various camps.
The carriage should first be scraped down with soap and water, and
then washed over with a solution of hyd. perchloride, i—2,000.
ID. All infected clothing, bedding and articles which cannot be
readily disinfected must be burnt.
it. Registers must be kept in each camp showing the date of
admission, name, age and sex, daily condition, treatment and, finally
the result, and a daily abstract of this should be submitted to the
Sanitary Commissioner, Bengal.
12. On the death of any person the medical officer will make a
careful inventory of any property he may have, and shall forward the
same to the District Magistrate after thorough disinfection, if there
is no relative at hand. Foul clothing should be burnt. The medical
officer should use his discretion in this respect.
13. The plague excreta should be carefully disinfected with a
solution of perchloride of mercury, i—2,000. Sawdust should be
added in sufficient quantity to allow of its being burnt.
14. Care must be taken to see that the dead are properly and com-
pletely disposed of.
120
Measures to prevent Ike
[ APP. VIII.
15. The medical officer should understand that he is responsible
for all arrangements—medical as well as sanitary—and in addition to
the above rules, which are only given for his general guidance, he
should exercise his discretion in all matters not provided for here.
16. He should listen to any reasonable complaints from the
people who are segregated, and do all he can to rectify their griev-
ances.
17. He is also responsible and should therefore see personally to
the quality of the food and water-supply for the persons detained at
the plague camps.
Correspondence regarding the Medical Surveillance
of Travellers.
No. 69.
Telegram, dated the loth February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of the North-Western Provinces
and Oudh, Judicial Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your No. 349-Sanitary. Rules under Act i of 1897 will issue on
Saturday directing inspections with parade of passengers to be made
at Manikpur, Jhansi, Saharanpur and Ghaziabad only. Inspections
will begin as soon as medical officers obtained. Lieutenant-Gover-
O
nor regrets that proposals made in demi-official leUer of February for
system of daily telegrams from Bombay could not be accepted and
now suggests that for purposes of distinction tickets issued from in-
fected places should be coloured red.
No. 70.
Telegram No. 575, dated Calcutta, the igth February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Chief Secretary to the Government of the North-Western Provinces.
Proposal of Lieutenant-Governor that tickets issued from infected
places should be coloured red. Government of India have carefully
considered this suggestion. They fear that as soon as it became
known that a red ticket marked the holder as suspected, passengers
would evade the purposes of the scheme by first taking ticket to
place within uninfected area and then alighting and booking again.
It appears to Government of India to be undesirable to do any thing
that will make passengers endeavour to hide real place of departure
and evade inspection. Government of India therefore propose as
alternative that all station masters should be furnished with list of
infected places and that ticket collectors should be required to stop
APP. Vilî. ]
spread of infection by land.
ri»7
all passengers presenting tickets from infected stations. Such passen-
gers would be required to give names, addresses and such an account
of themselves as would make their future movements to be watched.
If it were found they had alighted to evade inspection; they would be
sent on to next inspection station. If not, then Local Government
would arrange to have the necessary watch kept over them. Please
wire if Government of North-Western Provinces approve of this sug-
gestion,
No. 71.
Telegram No. 576-580, dated Calcutta, the ipth February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Madras (Local—Municipal).
„ The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment.
„ The Chief Secretary to the Government of the Punjab.
,, The Chief Commissioner, Central Provinces.
„ The Agent to the Governor General, Rajputana.
With a view to keep necessary watch on travellers by rail from
infected places to prevent their disseminating plague, Government of
India propose that all station masters should be furnished with a list
of infected places and that ticket collectors should be required to stop
all passengers presenting tickets from infected stations. Such pas-
sengers would be required to give names, addresses and such an
account of themselves as would enable their future movements to be
watched. If it were found they had alighted to evade inspection, they
would be sent on to next inspection station. If not. then Local Government
1
'
Administration
would arrange to have necessary watch kept over them. Please tele-
MaJras Government
graph whether
etc.
approve of this suggestion.
you
Also please telegraph what stations should be considered infected
n ,
.
for purposes of scheme.
To Bombay only.
r r
No. 72.
No. 591, dated Calcutta, the igth February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bengal, Financial Department.
1 am directed to state that with a view to keep the necessary
watch on travellers by rail from infected places in order to prevent
their disseminating plague, the Government of India propose that all
station masters should be furnished with a list of infected places and
that ticket collectors should be required to stop all passengers present-
ing tickets from infected stations. It is proposed to require such
passengers to give their names and addresses and such an account of
*2$
Measures lo prevent the
[ APP. Vîll.
themselves as will enable their future movements to be watched. If
it were found that they had alighted to evade inspection, they would
be sent on to the next inspection station. If, on the other hand, they
had alighted to stay in the neighbourhood, the Local authorities would
receive the information required to enable them to maintain the
necessary watch over them.
2. The Government of India will be glad to be informed at as
early a date as possible of the view of His Honour the Lieutenant-
Governor of Bengal on this suggestion.
No. 73.
Telegram No. 1431, dated Nagpur, ihe 2oth February 1897.
From—The Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Chief Commissioner approves suggestion made in your tele-
gram No. 579, Sanitary, dated yesterday. If Government desire can
be provided in local rules now under issue.
No. 74.
Telegram No. 757-C., dated Bickanir J. B., the 2ist February 1897.
From—The Agent to the Governor-General in Rajputana,
To —The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram No. 580, Sanitary, dated igth. Arrangements
proposed place too much power in hands of ticket collectors and
station masters, and persons required to give names and addresses
can evade by giving false ones or going to a place other than that of
address given. Effective watch could not be kept over persons in
rural tracts ; proposed arrangements might, however, be tried in Bri-
tish India. I would suggest regulation that no person shall book
from place in infected area except to place where platform inspection
held at latter place, persons arriving from infected area to be quaran-
tined, persons booking for inspection place not to be allowed to
leave train elsewhere, names and addresses can be taken if neces-
sary when booking. This would restrict traffic from infected place
which is desirable. Special exemptions from regulation could be
given by Government officer to European officers and persons who
could be quarantined at inspection station, and quarantine might
be limited to inspection stations within, say, 36 hours' journey from
infected area.
No. 75«
Telegram No. 440-?., dated Bombay, the 22nd February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram No. 577 of loth. Our rules not only give powers
to medical officers appointed at railway stations to examine and
APP. VIII. ]
spread, of infection by land.
129
detain persons, but in the case of other railway stations where there
are no medical officers enable station masters to send on to nearest
inspecting station any person suffering or believed by him tobe suffer-
ing from plague. In view of your suggestion we propose a rule that
station masters should require all passengers coming from infected
stations to give names, addresses, business which has brought them
to the station and intentions regarding future movements. The
infected stations might be considered for the present to be all stations
in the Islands of Bombay and Salsette, also Kalyan (on account of
Bhiwandi cases), Bassein, Bulsar, Rander, Kirkee, Poona and Ghor-
puri. We might require a station master to send a copy of his list
every day to the nearest mamlaMar who should forthwith instruct the
headman of the village or the Secretary of the Municipality to watch
such persons and send a report if he gets ill or departs within ten
days.
No. 76.
Telegram dated Madras, the 23rd February 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Madras, Local and Muni-
cipal Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram No. 576, Sanitary. This Government approves
the suggestions and to a certain extent they are being already carried
out.
No. 77.
.LClCglcUU UclLCLl 1_,ULIVIIUW, LUC U^LIl fCUFUcirV IOC)/.
From—The Secretary to the Government of the North-Western Prov-
inces and Oudh, Judicial Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram No. 575. Lietitenant-Governor prefers the sug-
gestion made in your telegram No. 380, and has directed that names
and addresses of all passengers who alight at stations where officers
of Medical Department have been posted shall be recorded in cases
where passengers have come from Bombay Presidency or Sind.
No. 78.
Telegram No. 235, dated Lahore, the 25th February 1897.
From—The Junior Secretary to the Government of Punjab,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your 718 of yesterday. Following sent you on 22nd instant:—
Begins. 208. Your No. 578, Sanitary. Lieutenant-Governor thinks
that though it will be difficult to make proposed arrangement really
effective, it is worth attempting if India are not prepared to adopt
c 17
130
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. V1IL
system of quarantine for all persons travelling from infected places, as
it is understood has been done at Sukkur. Ends.
No. 79.
No. 1054, Medí., dated Calcutta, the 25lh February 1897.
From—H. H. RISLEY, Esq., C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of
Bengal, Municipal Department,
To-The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 591,
dated the igth February 1897, in which the Government of India
propose, with a view to keep the necessary watch on travellers by
rail from infected places in order to prevent their disseminating
plague, that all station masters be furnished with a list of infected
places, and that ticket collectors should be required to stop all
passengers presenting tickets from infected stations. Further, that
such passengers should be required to give their names and addresses
and such an account of themselves as will enable their future move-
ments to be watched. The Government of India desire tobe informed
of the views of the Lieutenant-Governor on this suggestion.
2. In reply, I am directed to say that although the Lieutenant-
Governor doubts whether, in practice, the system proposed will render
it possible to keep any real control over persons coming from infected
areas, or to follow their movements, it may tend indirectly to reduce
the chances of plague spreading by deterring a number of people from
travelling at all. The Lieutenant-Governor thinks that the Railway
authorities should also be told to watch whether people alighting from
trains remain about the station premises with a view to re-booking.
No. 80.
Telegram No. 786, dated Calcutta, (he 2nd March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bengal, General Department.
Your telegram No. 440 of 22nd February. Does list of infected
stations given therein still hold good ? Reply requested urgently.
No. 8l.
Telegram No. 613-?., dated Bombay, the 2nd March 1897.
j
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To-The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram 786, Sanitary, of 2nd. No addition yet made to
list, but I have doubts about Surat and Ahmednagar, there having
been some indigenous cases at former and many Poona people having
run away to latter.
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
131
No. 82.
No. 224-R. T., dated Calcutta, the 6th March 1897.
From—The Under-Secretary to the Government of India, Public
Works Department,
To—The Joint Secretary to the Government of Madras, Public Works
Department, Railway Branch.
,, The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, Public Works De-
partment, Railway Branch.
„ The Secretary to the Government of Bengal, Public Works Depart-
ment.
,, The Secretary to the Government of the North-Western Provinces
and Oudh, Public Works Department.
„ The Secretary to the Government of the Punjab, Public Works
Department.
„ The Chief Commissioners of the Central Provinces and Assam.
„ The Residents at Hyderabad and in Mysore.
„ The Agents to the Governor-General for Rajputana, Central India
and Baluchistan.
„ The Director General of Railways.
„ The Consulting Engineers to the Government of India for Railways,
Calcutta, Lucknow, and Assam.
. Various methods have been under consideration for checking as
far as may be practicable the spread of infection from districts affected
with Bubonic Plague to other parts of India.
2. It has been suggested that, with the co-operation of the various
railway administrations, arrangements might be made by Local Gov-
ernments at all stations outside such districts to watch the movements
of passengers arriving from infected areas, until, owing to the expiry
of the period of incubation, the danger of infection had ceased.
The following limits
are at present pres-
cribed :—
Bombay to Surat.
j, to Dhond.
„ to Manmad.
Poona to Alandi.
Karachi
to
Pipri.
Any necessary ex-
tension should be inti-
mated by wire by the
Government of Bom-
bay or the Commis-
sioner in Sind to the
Government of India.
passengers.
3. The Government of India therefore desire that all passengers,
from stations within the limits prescribed in the
margin (or such other limits as may frDm time to
time be communicated by the Government of
India to the railway administrations concerned,
shall, on arrival at stations outside the limits
named and other than those at which a medical
inspection of passengers is being carried out, be
required by the railway station staff to furnish
to the police, or other agency which the Local .
Administrations may designate for the purpose
of giving effect to these orders, their names and
addresses, and such other particulars as may be
required for the maintenance of the necessary
check on the proceedings and movements of such
4. The Government of India will look to railway administrations
to give all the assistance in their power to facilitate any-arrangements
132
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIH.
for this purpose which the Local Governments may have in view, but
they recognize that the time of the station staff is ordinarily too fully
occupied with railway duties to admit of their undertaking any speci-
fic responsibilities beyond stopping the passengers, and thus giving an
opportunity for making any enquiries and taking any further measure
which the Local Administrations may desire, and for which the neces-
sary agency may be forthcoming.
5. At the smaller stations it may be possible to arrange with the
railway administrations that the station staff shall, in the absence of
any special agency, record the names and addresses of passengers
who alight holding tickets from the stations within the prescribed
limits, and that the station staff shall supply information as to their
number and any particulars that may seem important {such as any
attempts that may be noticed to avoid detention by alighting'and
rebooking) to the next inspecting station or any central authority
which the Local Governments may designate.
No, 83.
Telegram No. 912—915, dated Calcutta, the nth March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Chief Secretary to the Government of Madras, Local and
Municipal Department.
,, The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
„
The Chief Secretary to the Government of the Punjab.
„ The Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces.
Your telegram-
Ç dated 2ßrd February.
1 No. 4|o-P., dated 22nd February.
"J No. 235, dated 25th February.
|
j No. 1431, dated 2oth, and No. 1501, dated 2ßrd
1^
February.
Please refer to paragraph 3, Public Works Department Circular
No. 224-R.T., dated 6th instant.
Arrangements described in circular do not apply to stations at
which medical inspection passengers is held.
At such stations
Local Government .
, ,
. ,
..
should arrange to procure particulars from passengers from
infected area necessary for maintenance, if necessary, watch over them.
No. 84.
Telegram No. 916, dated Calcutta, the nth March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of the North-Western Provinces.
Your telegram dated 24th February.
Proposal to procure particulars from passengers presenting tickets
from infected stations to enable watch to be kept over them. Please
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
133
refer to Public Works Department Circular No. 224-R.T., dated 6th
instant. Arrangements prescribed in that circular do not conflict
with orders issued by Government of North-Western Provinces as
described in your telegram dated 241 h February since they do not
extend to stations where there is medic ü examination. Government
of India consider they will form a useful complement to those
orders.
No, 85.
No. 917,, dated Calcutta, the nth March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bengal, Financial and Munici-
pal Department.
With reference to the correspondence ending with your letter No.
1054, Medical, dated the 25th February 1897, I am directed to refer
to Public Works Department Circular No. 224-R.T., dated the 6th
instant, regarding the arrangements to be made to watch the move-
ments of passengers arriving from infected areas, until, owing to the
expiry of the period of incubation, the danger of infection has
ceased.
2. Thft Government of India trust that these arrangements and
the co-operation of the railway authorities will assist the efforts made
by the Government of Bengal to prevent the spread of infection. I
am to point out that the procedure prescribed does not lay any duties
on the railway authorities in stations where the medical inspection of
passengers is carried out. It will be necessary for the Local Govern-
ment to arrange for possessing the necessary information regarding
passengers alighting at such stations.
No. 86.
Telegram ÏS T o. 24I-R.T., dated I3th March 1897.
From —Works, Calcutta,
To—Works, Railway, Madra?,
„
„
„
Bombay,
„
„
North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Allahabad.
,,
„
Punjab, Lahore.
„
„
Central Provinces, Nagpur.
„
,,
Assam, Shillong.
„ Resident, Hyderabad, Bolaram.
„ Resident, Mysore.
„ Agent, Governor-General, Rajputana, Mount Abu.
„ Agent, Governor-General, Central India, Mount Abu.
„ Agent, Governor-General, Baluchistan, Quetta.
„ Consulting Engineer for Railways, Assam, Shillong.
Please add to limits prescribed in paragraph 3 of Government of
India letter 224-R.T., of 6th instant, Amrauli and Sayan on Bombay,