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District Officer, Captain Smith, to disinfect the whole house with a solution
of Perchloride of Mercury, 1 in 500. The house was fully disinfected with
this solution on 2nd February and completed on 12th idem. In all, twenty-
nine rooms were disinfected. The people were induced to go to camp ; but
only a few availed themselves of camp accommodation, while the rest preferred to
re-occupy the house after disinfection. No cases were observed in that house until
the loth March, that is, twenty-eight days after disinfection. After this, though the
house was tenanted, no cases showed themselves. A death from plague was
reported as having occurred in this house on 21st March. From inquiry it
was found out that the case was imported into this house from Parel; but no more
cases were noted until 1st April. This case occurred in the same room in which
the case of 13th March took place, the woman being the step-mother. Then on
7th April there were 2 cases of mother and child. The child was removed to
Dongri, where she died. These people had been living on the ground floor since
the particular disinfection. Here we have an instance in which the child was first
attacked and the mother was in attendance. Four days after, the mother con -
tracted the disease and died.
The Second House which was similarly treated was Picquet Road, No. 35-1.—
The plague history was as follows :—Plague deaths occurred on 15th October
4th, and 13th November 1900, 23rd, 26th and 28th January 1901. Owing to the
constant recurring of cases, the house was vacated on 28th January and the people
removed to camp. A few people, about 3 families, remained in the house. Ten
cases occurred in camp between the 31st January and 9th February, sufficiently
indicating that they were infected prior to being removed to camp. This may
afford an illustration of the necessity of vacation of badly infected houses.
At first individual rooms were disinfected with solution of Perchloride of
Mercury, 1 in 1,000. On the 18th February one of the persons yet resident in the
house died of plague. It was then suggested by me to the District Officer,
Captain Smith, that this house be taken up for experimental disinfection with a
solution of 1 in 500. The remaining people were advised to take camp accommoda-
tion. Two families did not go into camp. The whole house, twenty-eight rooms in
all, was thoroughly disinfected on 19th February. Special precautions were taken
in this house to completely and thoroughly saturate the partitions and floors as
they were of dung. It is a notable fact that in houses with wattle and daub
partitions and thickly laid dung floors a large quantity of solution is needed before
any impression can be made on them. At the same time it must also be remem-
bered that the solution is acted upon by contact with dung floors and partitions.
No cases were observed in this house until 17th March, when a case was brought
to this house from house No. 23, Picquet Road. On the 19th March the house
was again fully re-occupied. The first case after re-occupation occurred on the 2nd
April and the next on the 4th idem. After this, there were two cases on the 13th
May, one on 15th and one on 19th idem.
The third house similarly experimented on, was 155\1, Lohar Street—
The plague history is as follows :—Plague cases occurred on 10th October
1900; 25th and 27th January; 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 13th, and
17th February, and 1st March 1901. The disinfection in this instance
was carried out personally by the District Officer, Assistant District Officer
and myself, the solution being made up by the District Officer and the Assistant
District Officer. The whole house was deserted with the exception of four families,
who were turned out of their rooms, and put into other rooms until disinfection of
their rooms were completed. The solution used was 1 in 500. The disinfection
was commenced on 23rd March and completed on 25th March, except a few locked
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