NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
198
Measures ¿o prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
effects, and an Assistant Commissioner has been placed on special
duty there to superintend the arrangements. A second line of
defence against the danger from Sind is provided by inspection of all
passengers either at Sher Shah or at Raiwind, all passengers of the
Sind-Sagar line being inspected at the former place. Passengers from
the Bombay direction by the Bombay, Baroda and Central India line
undergo inspection either at Bhatinda or at Ferozepore according to
the train by which they arrive, while those travelling by the East
Indian Railway, after undergoing inspection at Ghaziabad in the
North-Western Provinces, are again inspected either at the junction
of Wazirabad or at Jhelum, according to the train by which they
arrive.
4. Passengers up to the Indus from Sind are stopped at the ferry of
Mithankot and there examined. Entry into the Dera Ghazi Khan
district from Sind or from the Native State of Bhawalpur, which lies
on the opposite side of the Indus, is prohibited, otherwise than by
way of Mithankot or Rojhan, a road inspection post situated at the
extreme south of the district.
5. A record is kept by the police of all arrivals from the infected
provinces, and particular attention is paid to deaths occurring among
such persons with a view to immediate detection of cases of plague.
It has been made legally incumbent upon certain persons including
village officials, householders and seraikeepers to report at once all
arrivals from infected provinces and all suspicious cases of disease.
The District Magistrate and any 1st class Magistrate or Commission-
ed Medical Officer, to whom he may delegate the power, has legal
authority to remove a plague patient to hospital, and to destroy or
disinfect any building which he has occupied. Many minor matters
have also been provided for by Regulations issued under the Epide-
mic Diseases Act, 1897, and it is believed that such machinery as can
be provided exists for the discovery and stamping out of the disease
as soon as it shows itself.
6. So long as the Punjab is free from the disease, the protection of
Afghanistan will be as efficiently secured by the measures adopted on
the East and South frontiers of the province as by any special arrange-
ments on the North and West frontiers. Every effort is being made to
detect cases which may be imported across the former frontiers, and if
this province does not receive the infection it will not pass it on. If
unhappily the Punjab or any part of it becomes an infected area,
then the Lieutenant-Governor thinks that apart from any measures
which maybe taken for dealing with such an area, it may be neces-
sary in pursuance of the orders of the Government of India expressed
in their letter under reply to establish an inspection cordon for the
199
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
special protection of Afghanistan. The detention in the province of
all persons intending to go to Afghanistan would, in His Honour's
opinion, be impossible, and for reasons similar to those given in your
telegram No. 935, dated the 13th of March 1897, about quarantine on
the southern border, impolitic ; but it would be only right that our
line of defence should be shifted behind the invaded area. Mr.
Young suggests that we should await the development of events before
deciding precisely what line to take up in such a case. As an ultim-
ate resort the establishment of an inspection cordon at the ferries
on the Indus (which could be made fairly effective owing to the rising
of the river which must already have begun), or even the establishment
of inspection posts at each of the principal passes into Afghanistan may
be adopted, though it is manifest that either measure will if we have
the plague upon us, most seriously tax the resources of the province
and the latter alternative would afford but little prospect of success.
7. Meanwhile the inspection of all persons alighting from the
railway at Peshawar, Attock, Khusalgarh, Kundian, Darya Khan,
Ghazi Ghât, combined with the measures taken at Khanpur, Slier Shah
and Raiwind on the North-Western system and at stations on the
Eastern and Southern frontiers, affords as good a prospect as can for
the present be devised for preventing the exportation of plague cases
- from the Punjab to Afghanistan.
8. As regards the pilgrims from Nasik, to whom reference is
made in your letter under reply, it is understood that they have all
dispersed. An enquiry has been addressed to the Deputy Commis-
sioner, Peshawar, on the subject, and the facts will be communicated
to the Government of India when his reply is received.
No. 132. Extract from a letter from His Highness the Amir of Afghanistan, to His Excel-
lency the Viceroy, dated the 8th April 1897.
As regards necessary precautions for the prevention of the plague,
Your Excellency writes that we should endeavour to guard against
the plague spreading from one place to another, and that if the
plague should appear, which God forbid, in Afghanistan, I should
inform Your Excellency with the least possible delay, so that with the
aid of doctors measures might be taken to stamp out the disease.
My kind friend, the proper measures are those which have been under-
taken both by the illustrious British Government and myself, under
which travellers are detained for a certain fixed number of days at
each post and kept under observation, so that any person affected
with this disease may not go from one country to another.
But as everything lies in the hands of the Supreme Creator, I am
offering prayers to Him that His Exalted Majesty may remove the
2OO
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
life-destroying calamity from all countries of the world, so that all the
creatures of God may remain safe from it.
By the grace of God up to the present no sign of the disease has
appeared in this country. But if it is predestined to appear here-
after, the best thing would be to seek the grace and kindness of the
1
O
Supreme Doctor. It has not been heard as yet that, under the treat-
ment of the existing doctors, even five per cent, of the persons
afflicted by such a disease have recovered. On the contrary I have
heard that, with the exception of their burning the clothes and houses
of the afflicted persons, they have not been able to administer any
other remedy.
Consequently, under these circumstances, it is better to invoke
the aid of God by praying for His grace and kindness.
REGULATIONS ENFORCED IN PERSIA.
No. 133,
Translation of Rules regarding Sanitary posts to be established on the frontiers N
of Afghanistan and Baluchistan by Command of His Majesty Muzaffar-ud-
Din Shah.
(His Majesty the Shah) actuated by his Royal favour and kindness
towards the subjects of the high Government of Persia hereby issues
stringent orders that in addition to the steps already taken at the
Persian Gulf ports for the prevention of the spread of plague from
India to Persia the following measures shall also be adopted :—All
along the frontier of Afghanistan and Baluchistan sanitary posts shall
be established as detailed below :—•
(1) On the frontiers of Afghanistan.—His Majesty the Shah-in-
Shah issues stringent orders that all roads, passages, mountain passes
and paths shall be closed by means of troops—infantry and cavalrv—
with the exception of—•
I.—The main road coming northward from Herat to Meshed.
II. --And the other main road between Kandahar and Birjand
coming southward to Kirman and Yezd, which shall re-
main open.
(2) On the frontier of Baluchistan.-- Although guarding this
part of the country is comparatively difficult, yet in consideration of
the comparatively small traffic it is not very important. A strong
sanitary post shall be established on the road coming from Baluchis-
tan to Bampur and Bam, and a number of Karawals (guards) and
Karasuran (patrols) shall then take great care that not a single soul
shall cross except by this road, all other small roads being closed.
201
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
On each of these three roads which shall remain open, sanitary
posts, consisting of cavalry, infantry and doctors, with all requisites,
such as medicines and other things, etc., shall be established in
Persian territory, and travellers and merchandise passing through
those places shall be carefully inspected and examined, and, in case
of necessity, placed under quarantine.
Sanitary Posts.
(1) Establishment of sanitary posts.—Sanitary posts shall be
established at places near drinking water either in gardens or tents
at least a thousand metres from dwelling houses or villages.
Each sanitary post shall consist of the following officials ;-—•
I.—One head of department with officers and soldiers required
for carrying out orders and looking after affairs.
II.—Two doctors—one for inspection and examination of travel-
lers and the other for the treatment of patients infected
with plague in case of necessity.
III.—Persons in attendance for carrying out the orders of doctors.
The head of the sanitary posts and the doctors attached to his
department shall be personally responsible for performing their duties
properly and with great care.
Especially the head of the sanitary post shall take care that the
doctors perform their duties properly, carefully inspect and examine
travellers and do not act against law in case they should be placed
tinder quarantine or in case of merchandise being allowed to pass the
sanitary post ; similarly that different parties of travellers in the order
of their arrivals be separated from each other, and those suffering
from or suspected of being infected with the disease be formed into
separate groups and not located with each other.
The head of the sanitary post and the chief doctor shall submit
separately a weekly report of their work containing an account of
daily occurrences, numbers of travellers and patients and persons
placed under quarantine to the Governor, who shall forward it to the
Minister concerned.
The articles necessary to be procured and kept ready at each
sanitary post are as follows :—
I.—A special tent for each head (of sanitary post) and other
tents for troops and others.
II.—A tent for storing medicines and articles necessary for
disinfection,
III.—A lazaretto divided into three different sets of tents (the
number of these tents to vary according to the
c 26
202
Measures to prevent the
[App. VIII.
importance of the road, the number of travellers and
the amount of traffic).
IV.—A tent required for disinfection.
V.—Articles required for comfort (furniture), necessaries of
life, and supplies.
VI.—A sufficient quantity of medicines and disinfectants.
Vil.—Some articles such as pails, earthenware vessels and pans
required for disinfection.
(2) The following are the duties of the officials of sanitary posts : .
The senior of the two doctors of a sanitary post shall inspect and
examine travellers. The other doctor shall treat and look after
persons suffering from plague, and besides this he shall undertake
the work of disinfection. The latter with his attendants shall take up
quarters quite apart from others, viz., he shall always live in the
group of tents set apart for persons infected with plague, entirely
separate and away from other groups of tents. These tents shall be
at a distance of at least three hundred metres from the sanitary post.
None of the persons belonging to this group of tents shall have
any intercourse with the sanitary post, and their baggage and other
necessaries shall also be quite separate.
No one shall cross the frontier at night. o
The head of the sanitary post shall post necessary sentries and
guards to detain travellers and arrivals till day-break, and in the
course of the same day he shall determine how they are to be disposed
of. When the travellers arrive on the frontier and their starting
places and destinations are ascertained, the senior doctor shall
examine them one by one, and without delay separate the persons
with their baggage who are not to be allowed to cross or whom it is
necessary to send to the sanitary post, from others. The other travel-
lers who are not infected shall be placed under 15 days' quarantine
and, as far as possible, they shall be divided into several parties
of a hundred each, the first arrivals taking precedence over those who
arrive after them. During these 15 days, if anyone be seized with
plague, he or she shall be sent, with his or her baggage, to the
lazaretto ; and the tent occupied by him or her shall be vacated and
disinfected and then removed to another place. The companions of
the patient shall be kept under observation for 15 days from the date
of the appearance of the disease, and the site of the tent shall be
cleaned very carefully. The second doctor and his attendants shall
attend the patient, and, in case of death, the body shall be buried at the
*42 inches.
de P th of a zar * at least, and, if possible, lime
shall be sprinkled over it. In no case shall
dead bodies be removed to distant places, and the deceased's property
203
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
such as clothes and beddings, shall be burnt without delay. In case
of the recovery of the patient he or she shall be placed under quaran-
tine for a month, and his or her clothes and bedding shall be burnt.
In case of a person being in indigent circumstances fresh clothes
shall be supplied to him or her, and he or she shall be removed from
the tent, of patients to another tent. The site of the tents of patients
shall be changed and cleaned at short intervals. Latrines shall be
near the tents, but, as far as possible, on the side opposite to the
direction from which the local winds blow,
These latrines shall be narrow and deep ditches far away from
drinking water, and shall be daily filled up after lime water has been
poured into them. Filth and other things which cannot be burnt by
fire, whatever they may be, shall also be thrown into latrine ditches.
Arrangements for Supplies and Food.
The Governors of districts shall issue necessary orders that a
bazar shall be held near every quarantine post where rice, wheat,
sheep, vegetables, and all other eatables and fodder required for man
and beast shall be procured, stored, and always kept ready,
Another bazar shall also be held for the Lazaretto quite separate
and apart from the other. A list of prices of articles at moderate
rates shall be proclaimed and hung up in order to prevent excessive
charges.
Poor patients shall be supplied with food and medicines free of
charge,
Great care shall be taken about drinking water, which shall not
be allowed to be contaminated ; especially corpses and clothes shall
not be allowed to be washed in or animals permitted to enter and
defile the spring or running drinking water. Persons infringing this
order shall be liable to severe punishment. The best thing would be
to fix separate spots for washing clothes and watering animals, and
to take great care in cleaning and changing them at short intervals.
Rules regarding Disinfection.
I.—Clothes and baggage of plague-stricken persons shall be
burnt without delay.
II.—Clothes and baggage of healthy travellers shall be washed
and disinfected before they are discharged from quarantine.
(I) Means of disinfection—•
I. Burning.
II. Boiling in water for an hour.
III. Lotion of carbolic acid, five in a hundred, i.e., one miskal*
in 20 miskals of water. * 2 1/2 miskals=1 tola
.
204
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VII.
IV. Corrosive sublimate, one in thousand.
V. Lotion of sulphate of copper, two in a hundred.
VI. Lime water or liquor calcis.
VII. Sulphur about a man to be burnt in
6 1/3 lbs.
an ordinary room.
(2) Manner of carrying out disinfection—•
Burning articles by fire in an open place. Boiling (articles) in
large caldrons.
All chemical lotions can be prepared in any vessel, except the
lotion of corrosive sublimate which spoils metals and which should,
therefore, be prepared in glazed earthenware vessels or in vessels of
the like kind a miskal of common salt being added to every man of
the lotion.
Lime water should be prepared by diluting a quantity of lime in
the double quantity of water.
For fumigation with sulphur,—Clothes and articles of that kind
shall be hung up on ropes in a room, and pounded sulphur sprinkled
on firepans full of fire (placed under them), all openings in the room
being closed and crevices in doors, etc., plastered over with mud.
The articles shall be removed after twenty-four hours —
(3) Disinfection of certain different articles—
I. Articles not made of cotton (such as drawers, handkerchiefs,
socks, shawls, towels, and such like) to be disinfected with corrosive
sublimate, or carbolic acid, or sulphate of copper, or to be boiled in
water.
II. Articles made of wool [such as banians, coats, trousers, over-
coats, vests, cloaks (aba), and the like] to be disinfected with the
above chemicals or to be fumigated with sulphur.
III. Articles made-of wax-cloth, leather, skin, or wood, or articles
joined, glued, pasted or attached (to other articles) to be disinfected
with the above chemicals, or to be fumigated with sulphur, but not
to be boiled.
IV. Clothes made of or lined with skins or furs, all kinds of skins
and hides of animals shall not be allowed to cross the frontier (but in
case it is necessary to pass them) they shall be kept for two days and
nights in lotion of corrosive sublimate.
O
V. Baggage, clothes and beddings of plague-stricken persons
and articles of no value (such as chopped straw, grass, old clothes
waste paper, rags, or remaining of medicines and food and the like)
shall be burnt by fire which may be inflamed by pouring kerosine oil
on it.
VI. On the arrival of the post papers and important articles con-
tained in it shall be fumigated with sulphur.
205
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
VII. Tents occupied by plague-stricken persons shall be burnt
after the abolition of quarantine.
VIII. All other tents shall be washed by lotion of corrosive subli-
mate.
IX. For the disinfection of ground and sites of tents, the surface
of the ground should be covered with dry dung soaked in kerosine
oil which shall be set on fire.
X. Discharges of patients and water used for washing shall be
thrown into latrine ditches without delay, and every day, before they
are filled up, lotion of green vitriol or sulphate of copper or lime
shall be poured into them.
XI. The vessels which are liable to be stained shall be of metal
and every time after use they shall be washed with lotion of carbolic
acid.
XII. Doctors and their attendants and the comrades of patients
and persons who have just recovered from illness shall first wash all
their bodies several times with hot water and soap, and afterwards
with lotion of corrosive sublimate. Their beards and hair shall be
cut as short as possible, or at least washed thoroughly well with
lotion of corrosive sublimate.
First Warning.
Travellers not abiding by the above regulations shall be turned
back by force and not allowed to cross the frontier.
Second Warning.
Doctors and their attendants shall take great care in disinfecting
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themselves.
If they take proper care and keep themselves clean, they are not
liable to the disease and can enjoy immunity from it. For instance
in India none of the doctors or their attendants, with the exception
of only one, has been seized with the disease.
Care should be taken in diet and heavy meals should be avoided,
medicines like corrosive sublimate or carbolic acid should not be
used in such large proportions as might make them poisonous.
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES IN MESOPOTAMIA.
No 134.
Telegram, dated the 30th January 1897.
From—The Political Resident in Turkish Arabia, Baghdad,
To—The Foreign Secretary, Calcutta.
Sanitary authorities notified that entry into Mesopotamia of
Shiahs and corpses from India prohibited. Please repeat this tele-
gram to Government of Bombay.
2o6 Measures to prevent the spread of infection by land. [App. VIIÍ.
No. 135.
Circular No. 8, dated the 10th February 1897.
From—The Acting Sanitary Inspector, Baghdad,
To—Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, Baghdad.
J'ai l'honneur de porter a votre connaissance que par decision du
Conseil Supérieur de Santé, transmise hier et parvenue télégraphique-
ment ce soir, l'entrée des voyageurs et cadavres provenant des
indes, du Baluchistan, de la rive Persane du Golfe de Bassorah et
du l'itorale depuis Bassorah jusqu' à Khanakin est interdite. De
Khanakin a Bayazid, l'entrée des voyageurs seulement est permise,
quant aux cadavres provenant de ces lieux défense absolue est im-
posée.
No. 136.
Circular No. 14, dated the nth February 1897.
From—The Acting Sanitary Inspector, Baghdad,
To—Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, Baghdad.
Par décision du Conseil du Santé, la quarantaine de dix jours
imposée aux provenances des Indes est portée à quinze jours. La
mesure prohibitive édictée contre les navires qui auraient présen-
tées des cas de peste, ou suspects de cette maladie à bord pen-
dant la traversée est maintenue, cependant dans le cas ou la peste
venait à se manifester soit parmi les passagers soit parmi l'équipage,
après I arrivée du navire au lazaret de Bassorah, navires et passagers
seront soumis à une quarantaine de dix jours à partir du dernier cas
constaté, avec désinfection très rigoureuse des hardes, effets et ba-
gages des passagers et de l'équipage. Le navire sera désinfecté et
l'eau potable renouvellée. Les eaux des cales seront vidées après
avoir êté préalablement désinfectées, toutfois les navires de cette
catégorie auront le faculté de retourner en contumace avec les
O
passagers qu' ils y auraient à amener dans leur pays d'origine. La
même quarantaine et les mêmes mesures de rigueur seront égale-
ment appliquées aux navires provenant des ports du littoral du Belou-
chistan jusqu'à la frontière de la Perse. La mesure de prohibition
portée contre les visiteurs chiites et les cadavres provenant des Indes
est maintenue, et elle est en outre étendue aux provenances du lit-
toral du Belouchistan. L'entrée des cadavres en Turquie est égale-
ment prohibitée de tout le littoral persan du Golfe persique ainsi que
de toute la frontière persan du terre allant de l'emboushure du Shat-
el-Arab jusqu'à Béyazicl inclusivement.
APPENDIX IX.
MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION BY SEA,
PAPER
Nos.
I.
2— 3 .
4—74«
75-84.
85—86.
87—88.
8g — 107.
CONTENTS.
A and B Quarantine Rules, 1879 .
Quarantine Rules against Hong-kong imposed
in 1894
Quarantine Rules issued during the present
Epidemic before the Venice Convention—
4 — 49 Quarantine at Aden and other Indian ports .
50 — 51 Quarantine at Bombay and at minor ports
in the Bombay Presidency .
52 — 74 Modification of the Aden Quarantine Rules.
Rules for the inspection of outward bound
vessels issued during the present Epidemic
before the Venice Convention —
75—77 Bombay
,
78—81 Bengal
82—84 Madras
Revised Madras Quarantine Rules .
Venice Sanitary Convention of 1897.
1
Rules for outward and inward bound vessels
issued after the Venice Convention —
go — 104 Madras
,
PAGES.
209—13
214 — IQ
219—47
247—49
249—58
258-61
261 — 70
270—74
275 — 83
2 83—330
. 330—66
. 366—84
• 384 — 403
v
v
~ O
. 403—418