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I consider for future epidemics camps should be erected on the Kennedy Sea Face by the
Municipality and the Goculdas Tejpal camp should be enlarged, and these camps should be
set apart solely for the use of people from all the badly infected quarters in C Ward and
other wards if necessary. These camps should be utilized only for the poor people who
should be made to compulsorily evacuate very badly infected houses. The history of all houses
is now well-known and these houses should be emptied previous to the outbreak of
plague in epidemic form. These people should be given camp accommodation for the whole
period of the epidemic and when plague had subsided, they should then be allowed to
return to their houses which should be well disinfected before they return.
Dr. Cama has suggested with reference to his own section that a health camp should
be built in North-Brook Gardens for the purpose of housing the poor from Kumbharwada
section, and that during the epidemic a hospital should be opened in the Grant Road
Hospital so as to enable the people to go and see their sick relatives, friends, etc. I
think this suggestion might be followed as regards the proposed Kennedy Sea-Face camps
as the Hindu Fever Hospital is there. 1 think this measure would be most popular with
the masses at large, and would tend very largely to reduce plague mortality in the crowded
parts of the city. The compulsorily vacated houses should be closed and not re-occupied
until the plague subsided.
Private
Camps.
The Kennedy Sea Face and Modikhana were again utilized by
various communities for camping out during the open season of the year
under report.
The camps were placed under the supervision of a Superintendent
with a staff of scavengers, halalkhores, &c.
As in the past so in the present year, the Pathare Prabhu Camp
was the best managed, though it was run very close by the Dakshni
Brahmin, Christian and Parsee Health Camps.
The Pathare Prabhu Health Camps.
The Honorary Secretary of the Pathare Prabhu Health Camp Rao
Bahadur Dhakji Cassinathji has been foremost in the work connected with
his camp, while he took a keen interest in the welfare of the other camps
as well. He reports as follows :—
Introduction.—The leaders of the Pathare Prabhu community had been keenly watch-
ing the results of the various efforts which were being made by Government, at enormous
cost, and under the advice of acknowledged experts. It has been amply proved by the ex-
perience gained by me as Chairman of the Volunteer Committee, Market Section, Ward
C and as Secretary of the Pathare Prabhu Health Camps, that the 'only remedy against
plague is to shift in time from the affected localities and that too for the season, and not
for ten or fifteen days, a period at one time thought to be sufficient. I found that houses
though thoroughly disinfected were not free from plague germs, and my conviction was so
strong that at one time I insisted upon the District Plague Officer sending back to the
segregation camp persons who were removed from a highly affected house and returned
after a short period. Under my advice these persons willingly consented to remain at the
camps for a longer time.
In my humble opinion, Government would do well if they spent more money in provid-
ing health camps for the poor, and aiding private health camps by contributing towards
the cost of erection of huts, for, as is the case with us, generally most of the occupants
are poor, and would have to be provided for in Government or Municipal camps if
there were no private health camps. I would, however, in consideration of such con-
cession, insist upon the strict observance of sanitary rules by the inmates of private health
Camps, as a neglect of the rules at any one camp does harm not only to the inmates of that
camp, but also to those of the adjacent camps.
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