24
The epidemic proper may be said to have commenced on the 26th December and
from that day onwards there were only 3 days on which I had no report of Plague cases or
deaths,
F & G, (Parel.)—Infection was brought into F and G Ward (Parel) by rats which most
probably migrated from the Southern Districts of the city ; as at the outset of the epidemic
was characterized by finding plague cases and deaths simultaneously with dead rats, that is, in
604, Parel Road, 51-70 and 72, Curry Road from which the epidemic spread northwards to
Suparibag Road, 79-67 and 57, and later still to Parel village, Government House, Mounted
Police Lines, Governor's Road, Elphinstone Road.
Worli.—The same thing happened in Worli when the epidemic began in Haines Road
and Dhobighat, whence it spread northwards up to Do Lisle Road and Arthur Road into the
north of the section. The disease was chiefly (almost entirely in fact) confined to the lower
classes (except in the case of Goanese of which a fair number died), and communities attack-
ed may be classed as follows :—
1. Marathas.
2. Moehis.
3. Mohammadans and Perdesis.
4. Parsis and Brahmins,
5. Native Christians.
The epidemic proper commenced in Pavel in January, increased in February, reached its
climax in March and declined in April to May. I cannot see that this section was affected
to any appreciable extent by famine-stricken people or vagrant people as this class of people
seem to wander through the section towards the heart of the City, and do not stay here in
any great numbers.
Worli, Mahim and Dharari— The Worli and Mahim sections showed a clean bill of
health until October when two imported cases were reported, one from Dhobi Talao to Mori
Road No. 565, another from Arthur Road Hospital to Custom Road No. 478, and the first
local case occurred in a tailor's shop in Mahim Bazaar. In November 1900 only 3 Plague
cases occurred in Mahim Bazaar, and then there was none up to 22nd December when Plague
broke out in Purbadevi Road from when it spread all over the section.
At the same time the disease attacked Worli. The infection was without doubt from
rats which were found in quantities dead and dying. From Worli 1st Pacady it worked
its way steadily northwards through 2nd and 3rd Pacady (its coming being regularly
heralded by news of dead rats,) until it reached Worli Koliwada where it joined the
Purbadevi epidemic,
From Purbadevi it spread steadily northwards through Mahim Bazaar on the west and
Lady Jamsetji Road on the east until it reached the confines of the district. The disease
travelled very slowly and constantly harked back to localities through which it had passed
and so slowly did it travel that it has only just in May reached Dharavi. This, however, is
not unusual, and 1 think the year under report is very much the same as other years. The
communities chiefly attacked were :—
1, Marwaries, Bunias and Marathas.
2, Panchkalsis and Kolis,
3. Parsis and Goanese.
I have very little to report as most people from this section leave their houses and go
into the fields when Plague breaks out amongst them. Consequently there is little reinfec-
tion of localities.
In Sion and Sewri sections, the epidemic started with importations from Poona and
Nasik in September, but it was not until February that indigenous cases made their
appearance in various parts of the sections.
These reached their height in March when the epidemic obtained a firm footing.
April and May the epidemic began to decline but very gradually.
Communities Attacked,—The disease appears to have attacked all classes alike, but most
severely the lower classes of Hindoos. Unlike other parts of the district the epidemic took
no regular course but broke out everywhere, Vincent Road, Matunga, Sewri and Sion and
Bhoiwada all producing a large crop of cases at the same time.