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Since the opening of our Health Camps the mortality in our community from plague has
been considerably reduced and the work at our Fever Hospital lessened. The cases that do
occur are directly traceable to the families having stayed in their houses even after the rat
mortality was discovered. The delay in some instances was due to a show of foolish courage
in disregarding Nature's warning, while in others simply to unavoidable causes.
The space allotted to us on the Kennedy Sea Face is limited while the number of applicants
for accommodation is increasing year by year, owing to the people's inability to bear the
expenditure incidental to removal to the suburbs every year. I had therefore to encroach
upon the open space in our camps hitherto reserved for recreation purposes to provide
additional accommodation.
Last year it was the intention of our community to erect huts in our Health Camps of
a semi-permanent character to avoid the large recurring annual expenditure and in com-
pliance with my request the Municipal Commissioner kindly obtained the consent of the
Chairman of the City Improvement Trust and intimated to me that the Municipality also
had no objection to my proposal. But before this intimation was received the camps had
to be erected and therefore they were constructed on the old lines and no further action was
taken in the matter.
Visits of their Excellencies Lord and Lady Northcote to the Health Camps.—His
Excellency Lord Northcote, the Governor of Bombay, visited our Fever Hospital and Health
Camps on Thursday the 7th March last. His Excellency was received by Rao Bahadur
Dhakji Kashinathji, the Honorary Secretary, Mr. Nanu Narayen Kothare, Mr. Anandrao
Harishankar and Drs. Atmaram V. Velkar, Vinayek S. Trilokekar and Anandrao P.
Kothare, Members of the Pathare Prabhu Health Camps and Fever Hospital Committees.
His Excellency, having honored the whole community by his visit to the Health Camps,
to see personally the arrangements made for the shelter and comforts of the poor, who
the Chairman assured His Excellency, felt grateful to him for the sympathy thus shown to
them in such calamitous times. His Excellency then thanked the community for the hearty
and loyal welcome given him and expressed his satisfaction with the arrangement of the
Health Camp.
This year the community was very fortunate, for their Health Camp was visited also by
Her Excellency Lady Northcote. On the 12th March last Her Excellency was received at
the entrance by Rao Bahadur Dhakji Kashinathji, Mr. Nanu Narayen Kothare, Mr.
Anandrao Harishankar and Drs. Govindrao B. Prabhaker, Atmaram V. Velkar, Vinayek
S. Trilokekar and Anandrao P. Kothare. and Messrs. Jagannath N. Desai and Laxuman
V. Jayakar, managers. On entering the compound, Her Excellency was received by Miss
Kamlabai Prabhakar and Miss Kirtikar who conducted her to a specially prepared seat where
a large number of the ladies residing at the camp had already assembled, and who on her
arrival rose to their feet and offered to Her Ladyship a very cordial welcome. Her Excellency
while being conducted round the camp by Rao Bahadur Dhakji, the Honorary Secretary,
made minute inquiries about the erection, maintenance and management of the camp and
after a careful inspection left amidst the cheers of the people.
Sites.—With the permission of the Municipal Commissioner our Camp No. I was
erected on the Kennedy Sea Face and Camp No. II near the Hindu Gymkhana. This
year several private health camps which were elsewhere before, were allowed to be put up
on the Kennedy Sea Face without leaving sufficient open spaces between the several camps,
and thus there was somewhat overcrowding which might be avoided in future.
Municipal Help.—The Municipal Commissioner was, as usual, kind enough to pro-
vide latrines, washing places, water taps, tubs for cook-room waste water and lights, also
conservancy establishment and Police Ramosis. For all these concessions our community is
thankful to that officer. I would, however, request him to re-consider the question of water-
supply and drainage.
The want of an adequate supply of water in Camp No. 1 was almost intolerable, and this
fact was acknowledged by the Officers concerned. It is evident that unless water-connection
is given direct from the main on the road, our want in this respect will not be met. This