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Suffice it to say that travellers by this route have suffered severely. The dead are "buried or burned at
distances which vary from half to quarter of a mile from the high way, but I regret to record that the
fetid clothes of diseased persons, which, in many cases have been covered with vomit and excrement,
are not parted with or destroyed, but are carried on until water is reached, there washed, and
perhaps ere they are yet dry, the owner will have slaked his thirst at the very pool which he has
just impregnated with filth the most deadly. This washing has been stopped by the Police as far
as they can do so, but the sad fact remains that the people will not part with or destroy these
clothes which help to engender and spread the scourge. The motions and vomit of an affected
person are thrown carelessly on one side. No attempt at burying them is made, though the efficacy
of doing so has been strongly urged on the people, who also seem to have but little faith in our
medicines, and when attacked prefer either to meet their 'luck' quietly, or take medicines
prescribed by Native Physicians. The Police have done their utmost to combat these fallacies, but
have in many cases failed to produce any good effect.
" Thus far I have dealt only with the disease to the westward of Vellore. It spread also to the
southward, and on the 20th of May, a corpse was discovered in a nullah near Curcumbaddy, and was
recognized as a pilgrim from Conjeeveram, who had been attacked with cholera in Curcumbaddy
and taken on by his friends towards Arnee. The corpse was interred by the Police at a secure
depth. And on the 23rd cholera made itself felt in the village of Ghattery, situated about one mile
south of the Central Jail (Vellore). Here a female pilgrim from Conjeeveram was attacked, and
succumbed in a few hours; a. male who had also come from Conjeeveram with her, died in an
equally short time. Two other cases appeared in this village, but gave way to treatment by a
Dresser sent there by Dr. Fox.
" It will be seen that in every case in this talook the curse is traceable to the Conjeeveram
pilgrims who appear to have carried the germs of the disease with them and spread it unsparingly.
No fresh cases have been brought to notice lately, and the disease appears to be dying out."
Arcot Taluq.
Lieutenant Price's farther report is as follows :—
" The first case of cholera in the Arcot Talook was also the first case in the North Arcot
Sub-division. A pilgrim who had come from Tripatty to Conjeeveram, and
was returning from the latter place to the south, was attacked on the 10th of
May at Doshee, situated about four miles south of Conjeeveram. The victim in this case belonged
to a large party of pilgrims, and on the 11th of May, two more of the party were attacked and
abandoned on the road-side, about half a mile south of Mamandoor ; these two cases were fatal. On
the night of the 13th of May, a party of Conjeeveram pilgrims halted at Tetry, about twelve miles
south of, and on the same road as Doshee. On the morning of the 14th, one of them was attacked
with cholera, put in a cart and taken away by his party ; his fate is unknown. Simultaneously
with his being attacked, two children were seized with the disease and died. Within the week
three more fatal cases occurred in this village. It then spread to the east, and two cases occurred
in Mailma, situated one mile east of Tetry. It would appear that the villagers of Tetry took the
disease there, as they were in the habit of continually going there. The next case occurred at
Vundanagoor, still keeping to the south and on the line frequented by the returning pilgrims
from Conjeeveram. The attacked in this case was a pilgrim from that place; he recovered.
Wandewash.
Still holding to the southward the disease made its appearance at Wandewash
on the 26th of May, where a Conjeeveram pilgrim was attacked. His
treatment was immersion in a cold tank and copious drenches of cold water; he recovered. On
the 30th, the disease seemed to have radiated from Wandewash and became apparent at Theelar,
eight miles south ; Pernameelore, twelve miles west ; Trivatore, eleven miles north-west ; and
Parasoon, about five miles south-west. At the first named village, five villagers were attacked and
died. These men were not Conjeeveram pilgrims, but the cholera-stricken pilgrims had passed
through and halted at the village, and scorn to have left the taint behind them. At the second named
village, two Conjeeveram pilgrims were attacked and succumbed ; at the fifth named village, one man
and two children, Conjeeveram pilgrims, were attacked and died ; and at the fourth, two Conjeeveram
pilgrims were attacked and recovered. All the villages (excepting Paraasoon and Trivatore), whose
names I have given, lie on the roads that are the feeders to Conjeeveram. They have all been visited
by me during this month, and no want of sanitary arrangement was perceived, nor were they in a dirty
state, excepting the village of Mamandoor. The disease is clearly traceable in these talooks to Conjee-
veram. In every case, except at Theclar, the victims have been pilgrims, and even at Theelar the
presumption is strong, that the curse was brought by these pilgrims who halted there and passed on to