NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
APP, VIII, ]
spread of infection by land.
37
from infected area. They could not issue a notification prescrib-
ing disinfection of such property when belonging to third class pas-
sengers only, but it would be possible perhaps to issue notification
prescribing disinfection except when medical officer thinks fit to
declare it unnecessary. Government of India are advised that effici-
ent disinfection could be effected by apparatus capable of producing
steam at temperature of 24° and that articles exposed to steam at this
temperature could be sterilized in an hour or less. Failing such
apparatus caldrons could be set up and clothing boiled in them for
similar period, or caldrons could be used as subsidiary to steam
apparatus. Government of India think that, if arrangements for dis-
infection can be made, it would be desirable to arrange for it at Anand,
Bhusawalj Dhond and Hyderabad, or somewhere in neighbourhood,
but would be glad to receive as soon as possible advice of Govern-
ment of Bombay as to whether effective measures can be taken for
disinfection, and, if so, at what places. In case this is feasible, would
Bombay Government recommend any special exemption, and, if so,
of what nature for baggage of travellers from Europe who leave
Bombay at once oh arrival of steamer ?
Madras Government have asked Government of India to prohibit
importation by railway or road of articles, importation of which by sea
is prohibited by Home Department Notification No. 513. Govern-
ment of India would be glad to learn views of Bombay Government
as to this.
No, 4.
Telegram No. 658.P., dated the 4th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your secret telegram of the 28th February. Disinfecting cloth-
ing and baggage would be useful accompaniment of quarantine in
this Presidency or suspension of third class railway passengers traffic
in neighbourhood of frontier, but unless Government of India consider
these necessary usefulness of former incommensurate with difficulty.
Luggage in bags, bundles of passengers, not perhaps more in need
of disinfection than clothes worn, but difficulty in the way of stripping
would be large. In absence of road and rail quarantine and close-
ness of numerous railway stations near disinfecting stations proposed
measures could be evaded by passengers alighting at previous stations
and after land journey re-embarking at subsequent stations. Dis-
infection stores not speedily obtainable. Boiling would involve
subsequent classing and sorting clothes. Trains would be delayed for
hours. In view of possibility of incubation for nine days, infection
by personal intercourse cannot be avoided except by quarantine. It
38
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
is admitted proposed measure would discourage passenger traffic and
anything having this effect will lessen the danger of spreading the
plague. Nevertheless this Government see so many practical difficulties
specially large establishment, which may be more usefully engaged
elsewhere, that they deprecate adoption of the proposed measure
unless Government of India resolve for protection of rest of India,
seeing that incubation is nine days, to impose quarantine against this
Presidency. Again if disinfecting clothes were recognised as neces-
sary this Government would have to adopt if not only at frontier
stations but also at numerous other stations for its own protection,
and the difficulty in the way of efficiently working on a large scale
would „be so great that it would perhaps be (going) more satisfactorily
to temporarily suspend third class railway passenger traffic altogether
in certain places. Again if disinfection of baggage transmitted by
rail were necessary, need for similar action regarding baggage leaving
Bombay by sea would be evident. Should proposed measure be
adopted Railway stations at which trains are emptied for medical
inspection would be selected.
No. 5.
Telegram No. 934, dated Calcutta, the 12th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Your telegram No. 658-P, dated 4th, regarding disinfection and
suggestion for imposition of quarantine. Government of India
have given careful consideration to views of Bombay Government.
In their opinion there are overwhelming objections to land quaran-
tine. All experience including that at Sukkur recently proves that
land quarantine cannot be made effective. If ineffective on a small
scale it would be far more so if attempt were made to quarantine the
whole of Bombay Presidency. Land quarantine must besides being
ineffective give opportunities for oppression and extortion and may
give rise to serious outbreaks of disease at quarantine stations.
Delegates of British Government at Venice Conference have been
instructed to press for principles of Dresden Conference and apart
from objections above stated it would be impolitic at present time to
give opportunity to European powers to urge greater restrictions on
Indian trade by abandoning principle that quarantine does no good.
For these reasons Government of India are not prepared to sanction
quarantine against Bombay Presidency. They also think that, in
view of these considerations, Resolution of Bombay Government,
No. 1136 over 632-P. of 3rd instant, empowering District Magistrates
to impose quarantine should be re-considered. They think that by
careful observation of all arrivals from infected to uninfected parts
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
39
and by measures for thoroughly cleansing towns better results will be
secured than by imposing quarantine. Stoppage of third class pas-
senger traffic would be open to objection, that it would make invidious
distinction between classes, would cause great inconvenience and
hardship, and would not be effective or prevent chance of contagion
by any persons who might choose to take first or second class tickets.
Upon question of disinfection Government of India think, after
carefully considering Bombay Government's representation, that
fumigation by sulphur should for present be used at stations of Bombay
Presidency nearest to frontier where inspections are made, the medical
officer being authorised to use solution of carbolic acid or corrosive
sublimate in cases of articles which seem to him specially dirty or
suspicious.
No. 6.
Telegram No. 276, dated Lahore, the 4th March 1897.
From—The Junior Secretary to the Government of the Punjab,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Several cases of non-imported plague have appeared at Sukkur
and one or two at Hyderabad, and we hear that the attempt to estab-
lish quarantine at Sukkur has been abandoned. Sir Dennis Fitzpatrick
thinks it should be seriously considered whether, to check advance of
disease into Punjab, quarantine say of ten days should not be estab-
lished at some place within southern position of Punjab. Cordons
being thrown out at right angles to railway and river extending a
good way west into Dera Ghazi Khan District and east into Bhawalpur
to prevent people getting round and evading quarantine. Such
cordons are being established to stop pilgrims from Sind going to
Sakhi Sarwar, and His Honour believes they could be made fairly
effective ; he, however, hesitates to carry out this without sanction of
Government of India as no general quarantine for all comers seems
to have been established elsewhere yet.
Telegram No. 935, dated Calcutta, the 12th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of the Punjab.
Your telegram No. 276 of 4th, communicating opinion of Sir
Dennis Fitzpatrick that it should be seriously considered whether in
order to check advance of plague into Punjab, quarantine should not
be established at some place within southern portion of Punjab,
cordons being thrown out at right angles to railway and thence ex-
tending into Dehra Ghazi Khan District on west and Baha-walpur on
east. Government of India have given careful consideration to this pro-
posal. It is clear that there is danger to Punjab from existence of
40
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
indigenous cases of plague at Sukkur, and Government of India desire
to give Punjab Government every possible assistance in keeping disease
out of province. But there are in their opinion overwhelming objections
to land quarantine. They observe that Sir Dennis Fitzpatrick did not
expect more than that it would be fairly effective and all experience in-
cluding that at Sukkur recently proves that land quarantine cannot be
made effective while it must give opportunities for oppression and extor-
tion and may give rise to serious outbreaks of disease at quarantine
stations. At Dresden Conference of 1893, majority of European powers
condemned and quarantines and policy of Secretary of State and British
Government has continuously been opposed to quaratine. Delegates of
British Government at Venice Conference have been instructed to press
for principles of Dresden Conference and apart from objections above
stated it would be impolitic at present time to give opportunity to
European powers to urge greater restrictions on Indian trade by
abandoning principle that quarantine does no good. For these
reasons Government of India are reluctantly compelled to refuse
assent to establishment of land quarantine in Punjab against Sind.
They think that widest discretion should be given to inspecting
Medical Officer at Khanpur to stop any person who is at all suspicious
whether by reason of his symptoms, appearance or dirty condition of
his clothes or effects. The Lieutenant-Governor may also find it
desirable to appoint other inspecting officers to inspect passengers
proceeding by road or river and similar discretion should be given to
any officers so appointed. By these measures and by making ar-
- rangements similar to those enjoined in Part I of North-Western Pro-
vinces Notification of 12th February last under Epidemic Diseases Act
and by simultaneously carrying out thorough clearing of towns in
Punjab, Government of India hope that it will be possible to prevent
disease entering Punjab.
No. 8.
No. 996, dated Calcutta, the 17th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bengal, Financial Department.
I am directed to state, for the information of His Honour the
Lieutenant-Governor, that the Government of India have recently
taken into their careful consideration, in connection with certain
suggestions made by the Governments of Bombay and the Punjab,
the expediency of enforcing a system of land quarantine against the
plague infected areas. The Government of Bombay suggested that
the Government of India might endeavour to protect the rest of India
by imposing quarantine against the Bombay Presidency or by tempo-
rarily suspending third class railway traffic altogether in certain places,
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
41
The Government of the Punjab suggested that quarantine should be
established against Sind at some place within the southern portion
of the Punjab, cordons being thrown out for a considerable distance
at right angles to the railway and river.
2. After carefully considering these suggestions, the Government
of India have decided that there are overwhelming objections to the
imposition of land quarantine. All experience, including that of the
recent attempt made by the Government of Bombay at Sukkur, proves
that land quarantine cannot be made effective even on a small scale,
it would be hopeless to endeavour to put in quarantine the whole of
the Bombay Presidency or the large tracts which are infected with
plague. The attempt to enforce land quarantine regulations would,
besides being ineffective, give opportunities for oppression and extor-
tion and might give rise to serious outbreaks of the disease at the
quarantine stations.
3. The imposition of land quarantine is also opposed to the princi-
ples which Her Majesty's Government and the Government of India
have been continuously urging in respect of quarantine generally and
which were accepted by the Sanitary Conference held at Dresden in
1893 so far as land quarantine goes.
The delegates of Her Majesty's Government at the Conference
now being held at Venice have been instructed to press for the recog-
nition of the principles of the Dresden Conference. Apart then from
the inherent objections to the adoption of land quarantine it would,
even were it possible to hope that it might help to prevent the com-
munication of plague from an infected to an uninfected area, be
impolitic at the present time to give opportunity to the European
Powers to urge for further restrictions against Indian trade on the
ground that the Government of India had abandoned the principle of
the inefficiency of quarantine.
4. The Government of India also consider that the suggestion that
third class railway passenger traffic should be stopped is not one that
can be adopted. It would make invidious distinctions between
classes and would cause great inconvenience and hardship. It would
also not be effective ; it would offer no check to the spread of the
disease otherwise than by railway and would not prevent the chance
of infection being carried by persons choosing to take first or second
class tickets.
5. It was determined at the Dresden Conference that medical
intervention should be limited to an inspection of the travellers and
to the case of the sick. It would then, in the opinion of the Govern-
ment of India, be unjustifiable to detain passengers by railway merely
c6
42
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
on the ground that they come from an area infected with plague.
But in determining whether passengers should be detained or not the
widest discretion should be exercised by inspecting officers and any
person who is at all suspicious either by reason of his appearance,
symptoms or the dirty condition of his clothes or effects should not be
permitted to proceed without being placed under observation. The
Government of India also think that measures similar to those pre-
scribed in Part I of the Notification No. 58-XVI-4O4-B., issued by the
Government of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh on 12th
February last under the Epidemic Diseases Act, should be taken so as
to secure a record of the arrival at their homes of all travellers from
the infected area who are not, owing to their suspicious appearance,
detained at the inspection station, and a prompt report of any sus-
pected cases that may occur in the villages in which they live. In
these measures and the vigorous cleansing of these towns lie, in the
opinion of the Government of India, the most effective means of pre-
venting the plague from entering a province.
Telegram No. 937-G., dated Abu, the 16th March 1897.
I
From—The Agent to the Governor-General, Rajputana,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
I have telegraphed to Bombay :—Begins. No. 936-G. Plague is
endemic at Palanpur. Experience shows that unless railway traffic
is regulated plague spreads from station to station. Two men from
Palanpur have been stopped with plague at Abu road and if this
continues plague may become endemic there and extend into Raj-
putana. Palanpur people should I think be prevented from booking
from Palanpur up country unless they have gone through quarantine
at Palanpur. If His Excellency approves I shall be glad if this can
be arranged. Ends.
No. 10.
Telegram No. 1090, dated Calcutta, the 25th March 1897.
N
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Agent to the Governor-General, Rajputana.
Your telegram No. 937-G., dated 16th, Plague at Palanpur.
Government of India are opposed to establishment of absolute quaran-
tine against plague infected places. All past experience shows that
such quarantine is certain to be ineffective and it causes great in-
convenience and hardship besides giving rise to opportunities of
oppression and extortion, Government of Bombay have been request-
ed to prevent all suspicious persons from booking for Palanpur and
you should detain and keep under observation all suspicious persons
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
43
from Palanpur. Other persons from Palanpur should be watched after
arrival. The class of persons who when" they enter a town can
neither be traced nor depended on to give information of plague
amongst them should be treated as suspicious. So also should all
persons who are suspicious by reason of their appearance, symptoms
or the dirty condition of their clothes and effects.
No. II..
No. 1149-G., dated Abu, the 27th March 1897.
From—The Agent to the Governor General, Rajputana,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram
No. 1090, Sanitary, of the 25th instant. In my telegram No. 937-G.,
I did not mean to propose to establish absolute quarantine against
Palanpur, but to stop booking from that station by requiring persons
to go through quarantine before they were allowed to enter the train.
My object was to check the rapid migration of persons from a plague-
infected locality. The platform inspections which are carried out in
Rajputana are-most useful if the plague-infected area is distant and
there is consequently time for plague symptoms to appear before the
passenger arrives at the inspection station. Now that the plague is
established at Palanpur, it is obvious that, if unrestricted traffic is allow-
ed, there is a great risk that passengers who are infected with plague
may pass undetected through our inspection stations. A report has
just been received of a sepoy from Deesa being detained at Bandikui
as a plague patient. Placing impediments in the way of railway
travelling from Palanpur will not be an effective protection against
plague, but measure will be useful. The 246 third class passengers
who as I reported booked from Palanpur seem more likely to convey
infection than a number of persons travelling slowly by road,
2. The order which the Government of Bombay have been request-
ed to issue, namely, to prevent all suspicious persons from booking
from Palanpur will, I submit, meet the object which 1 had in view, if
that Government construe the expression " suspicious persons" in
the manner indicated in your telegram. It would be an additional
precaution if the booking of third class passengers to up country
stations from stations near Palanpur were prohibited. If persons
booking from Palanpur are subjected to close examination and are
liable to be prevented from travelling, people will no doubt travel by
road to stations above or below Palanpur and book from there. Jt
would be in the public interests to prevent this ; but even if it is not
prevented, the restrictions on booking from Palanpur will be good
as the road journey in the open air will tend to disinfect the travellers.
44
Measures to prevent the
[ APP. VIII.
3. I had already before the receipt of your telegram issued orders
regarding the detention of suspicious persons arriving from Palanpur
and the neighbouring stations. By the instructions conveyed in your
telegram I understand that suspicious persons from Palanpur who
alight at a station are to be detained and not that all suspicious
persons from Palanpur are to be removed from the train and detained.
Of course those who are suspicious by reason of their showing symp-
toms of plague are removed from the trains ; but I could not, except
where a European Medical Officer is appointed, direct the removal of
persons who are suspicious for the rea sons mentioned in your telegram.
No. 12.
Telegram No. 1198, dated Simla, the 3rd April 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government, of Bombay, General Depart
ment.
My telegram No. 1089, dated 25th March, Preventive measure;
against spread of plague from Palanpur. Agent, Governor-General
Rajputana, represents that if persons booking from Palanpur are sub
jected to close examination and are liable to be prevented fron
travelling people will travel by road to stations above or below Palan
pur and book from there. Government of India will be glad if Gov
ernment of Bombay will take such precautionary measures as an
possible to lessen danger of infection being carried in this way.
No. 13.
Telegram No. 1293, dated Simla, the 15th April 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Department.
Continuation my telegram 1198, dated 3rd. Measures to prevent
persons travelling from Palanpur to Rajputana evading inspection
by taking road journey to station near Palanpur. Government of
India would suggest persons leaving Palanpur by road might be
examined and if found to be suspicious detained on leaving Palanpur
and on arrival by road at neighbouring stations in manner prescribed
in Rule 5 of Rules published in Bombay Government Notification
No. 1728—I201-P., dated 29th March.
No. 14.
No. 1294, dated Simla, the I5th April 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department,
To—The Agent to the Governor-General, Rajputana.
I am directed to reply to your letter No. 1149-G., dated the 27th
March 1897, regarding the measures taken to prevent the spread of
plague from Palanpur into Rajputana.
APP. VIII. ]
spread of infection by land.
45
2. I/am to say that you are right in understanding that the in-
structions conveyed in my telegram No. 1090—-Sanitary, dated th'e
25th March, were to the effect that all suspicious persons from Palan-
pur who alight at a station in Rajputana should be detained, and not
that all suspicious persons from Palanpur, apart from those who are
suspicious by reason of their showing symptoms of plague, should be
removed from the train.
3. In paragraph 2 of your letter you allude to the danger of
intending travellers eluding the observation at Palanpur Railway
Station by making a road journey to a neighbouring station above or
below Palanpur. To lessen this danger the Government of Bombay
have been requested to examine and if necessary to detain suspicious
persons leaving Palanpur by road at the time of leaving and on arrival
at any neighbouring railway station in the manner prescribed in Rule
No. 5 of the Rules published by the Government of Bombay in
Notification No. 1728—1201-P., dated the 29th March 1897 (of which
a copy is enclosed).
,
Telegram No. 975-P., dated Bombay, the 17th March 1897.
From—The Secretary to the Government of Bombay, General Depart-
ment,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department.
Your telegram 934, dated 12th instant. Suggestion as regards
quarantine against this Presidency having been considered by the
Government of India, this Government have nothing further to say on
the point, but with regard to the second portion of your telegram this
Government would venture to protest strongly against suggestion that
quarantine should not be permitted in selected places. Villagers
already in accordance with the custom of the country in dealing with
cholera impose quarantine of their own accord against plague-infected
villages in the Thana and Surat Districts. In some towns and places
specially liable to infection limited quarantine has with good results so
far been imposed by District Magistrates, Political Agents, etc.
Quarantine, even if not thoroughly effective, checks large movements
of people and persons flying from an area, where active remedial and
disinfective operations are anticipated, will avoid going to a town
where there is quarantine. Moving about should be prevented by all
possible means. Quarantine need not be universal even when applied,
but it is specially important to apply it to the class of people who
when they enter a town can neither be traced nor depended on to give
information of plague amongst them. Concealment of plague by such
persons presents the greatest obstacles to suppressing an outbreak.
Medical inspection though valuable does not detect cases that are