NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
54
In D Ward there were 190 patients segregated at home and Capt.
Stuart, the District Officer, reports that 48 recovered. He holds that
although the staff carried out the orders with regard to them, yet it
would be absurd to imagine that segregation proper could be carried out
among the people in his district. He says that it was impossible to pre-
vent the healthy from mixing with the sick.
As regards those who were removed to hospital, one or two contacts
invariably accompanied the sick, but the remainder could not be persuad-
ed to go to camp.
Lieut. Ballantyne, District Officer of E Ward West, states that
there were 134 recoveries out of a total of 482 isolated cases.
Capt, Morris reports with regard to Byculla district that no less than
117 plague cases were found in a moribund condition, and that there
were scarcely a dozen recoveries amongst those isolated in their homes.
The mass of the people in this district are poor and live in a state of
overcrowdedness. He states with regard to contacts :—"Easy to find them,
but they have very quickly learnt that the District Plague Officer has no
power to enforce segregation."
Capt. Boileau District Officer, F & G Wards, reports that 45 per cent.
of the cases isolated recovered in the Parel section of this district, but
86 per cent. died in Mahim and Worli sections. For the whole district
he states there were 126 recoveries out of a total of 508 persons segre-
gated.
Dr. De Costa, Sectional Medical Officer for Parel section, states as
follows with regard to infection being conveyed from man to man :—
For 104 cases isolated I can count on at least 312 contacts. Of these not more
than 7 have contracted plague, and these were attacked within a very short
period of: the time the cases were attacked. So that it cannot be positively
asserted that they were not at all infected from the original cause. In fact,
man to man infection may he said to be very much smaller than is supposed
and the possibility of man infecting man (excluding wound infection) seems
to be infinitely small as compared with infection by rats (either directly or
indirectly through the soil.) In cases where rats have been found dead a crop
of cases has always been found ; whereas where single cases are found no report
of rats has come to hand.
Imported cases and isolated cases do not appear to spread infection at all
(or if so to a very small extent) and I should like to give it as my opinion
that I consider isolation to have had the very best results during the year under
report.
Capt. Bolton, District Officer for the Central District, states his
views as follows regarding the segregation of plague patients in their
homes :—
Isolation if carried out properly should be beneficial to the patient and of no
great danger to the inmates of the house ; but the bogus isolation as carried out in
Bombay is undoubtedly a source of great danger to the people. It causes an un-
58
Looking to the popular tendencies and the results so far achieved I think
isolation as a measure is one in the right direction especially if we compare the
recoveries and deaths in those isolated :—
For Fanaswadi.
48 deaths.
24 recoveries.
3 absconded.
2 hospital.
77
For Bhuleshwar.
86 deaths.
29 recoveries.
3 hospital.
118
The following will give some idea of the experiences met with in
enquiries into the cause of death and the difficulties in tracing the inci-
dence of plague amongst those in contact with plague patients, they are
given by Dr. Bardi :—
A Koli child, male, died in No. 6 (sub No. 4), Khunderao wadi on the evening
of 1st January 1901. When I went the next day to verify the death I found two
females in the room, who produced a bottle of medicine, and asked me to read the
name of the doctor who had been treating the child. As the name on the bottle
was a female one, my suspicions were aroused and on a light being produced I saw
a female lying on a bed with a big bubo in her right arm pit, high fever and a
very bad pulse. She was isolated in the house. The child's death was taken as
one due to plague.
The same day a Koli male living in the next room went voluntarily to the
Hindu Fever Hospital. I did not hear of this case until I received a memo, from
the H. F. Hospital.
The next day, i. e., 2nd January 1901, the father of the child and husband of the
woman was down with plague and was isolated in another room, but he was subse-
quently removed to the Hindu Fever Hospital where he died two days after.
About this time all the tenants of the 1st floor had left, except a poor Brahmin
widow, who worked out the whole day, but slept in the house, with her son aged
12 years. This woman was found to be suffering from plague by the D. P. O. C
Ward in the middle of the day. I saw her in the evening in company with Dr.
Vamanrao Mahadavrao, a medical practitioner and also a volunteer. She was in a
dangerous condition. Dr. Mahadavrao undertook to treat her gratis. This
woman recovered and a month and half later went to her native country cured
of the plague, but with a facial paralysis and partial loss of speech.
On 23rd January 1901 a case of plague was reported in No. 348, Kalbadevi
Road, and on going there I learnt that the patient, a boy, died the same clay, and
that he was the son of the brother-in-law of the abovementioned Brahmin widow
and that he and his parents had lived in No. 6, Khanderao Wadi but had left it as
above mentioned.
On 25th January 1901 i.e., two days after, the father of the boy got plague
and died two days after.
From inquiry I ascertained that the widow and her son used to visit the
house in Kalbadevi Road, and that the last two deceased ( father and son )
used to nurse the widow occasionally during her illness.
59
Dr. Cama, Sectional Medical Offiicer for Kumbharwada section o£
C Ward, states that out of 136 patients segregated at home, 29 recovered,
but points out the conditions pertaining in his section as follows :—
The number of suffering cases was 321, of these
114
were removed to Hospital
* 178
were isolated at home
29
were found in a moribund condition.
321
* 29 recovered ; 5 absconded.
Home isolation was not practicable in this section as about 80 per cent. of such
cases were isolated in rooms not more than 8' x 6' in size with a window (put in
more for appearance sake than use) often with 12 to 18 people living and sleeping
in the same room as the patient.
Although persuasion was tried the people did not like sending sick persons to
hospital and paid no attention to any advice as regards how to treat the patients
or the excreta, etc. ; in fact, they neglected all sanitary precautions.
The effects of this so called isolation on the people living in the same room
as the patients was most harmful indeed.
47. 1st Carpenter Street.—First case occurred on 24th February 1901. On
25th February 1901 three deaths from plague occurred in the same room. They
were all related to one another. The first was taken ill about 10 days before, the 2nd
about 5 days before, and the 3rd and 4th about 3 days before death.
A great many more instances can be given, and they point very clearly to the
fact that keeping the sick under these conditions has spread the disease to a very
large extent indeed amongst contacts. The following is an example :—
159, Northbrook Street.—This is a very large house, 4 stories high. On the
ground floor there are 11 rooms of which 5 were empty as improvements were
being made in the house. There were approximately 50 people, and there were 12
deaths from plague amongst them in a month. All these cases were treated as home
isolation cases.
People frequently asked for prescriptions which were always supplied.
The people in this section have very primitive ideas as to the treatment of
plague. In one case two bottles of tonic were administered, and in another some
Bass' beer was given. The people were greatly disappointed at the failure of these
remedies.
As regards well-to-do people in this section the privilege of home isolation has
undoubtedly increased the chances of patients, in fact, made them equal to those of
people sent to hospital, as they are nursed and looked after at home and efficient
medical aid is engaged.
If required many instances can be quoted of the recovery of cases under the
above conditions.
The total number isolated under such circumstances was about 20 and out of
these 8 recovered.
In the case of infected houses 12 more recovered as the patients were kept
separate in well ventilated rooms.
60
Evacuation.
The policy pursued this year with regard to evacuation is generally
indicated in the Summary o£ Orders for District Officers. (See page
38.)
While therefore private health camps were encouraged in every way,
there was a reduction rather than an increase in the provision made at pub-
lic expense for the general population
The opinion of the district officers is that it would be well if more
semi-permanent camps could be formed for the reception of the inhabitants
of the worst infected houses and localities. Greater efforts will probably
be made next year in that direction.
Lieut. Dalgliesh in charge of B Ward North had the control of an
excellent camp near Elphinstone Bridge, and yet he found he had to use
persuasion to induce the people to evacuate their infected quarters and
take refuge in the camp which was close at hand. He states :—
From time to time I succeeded in getting the tenants of some of the worst
infected houses to go to camp, and the results so far as checking the plague among
them were successful in every case. When they returned to the same houses
again, plague nearly always once more broke out after a lapse of time varying
from fifteen days to two months from the date of re-occupation. One great ad-
vantage in removing contacts and evicts to segregation camp» lies in the fact that
a sick person can be removed straight to hospital from camp, whereas one cannot
do so in their own houses unless they are willing to go. The following among
many others tend to shew that evacuation of infected houses is a good preventive
measure.
12-14, 2nd. Nowroji Hill, Smith.—This was a small house inhabited by 50 or
60 people. Six deaths from plague and 1 suspicious occurred between 8th Janu-
ary 1901 and 22nd January 1901. The house was vacated on the 23rd January
1901 and re-occupied again on 11th February 1901, having been disinfected
in the meanwhile. No more cases of plague have occurred in the house up to
date.
9, 1st Nowroji Hill, North, 3rd Cross Lane.—Two deaths from plague occurred
on the ground-floor of this house, which was one with a very bad previous record,
on the 8th February 1901 and 9th February 1901. The ground-floor was vacated
on 10th February 1901 and re-occupied on 1st March 1901. Two suffering cases
were removed to hospital from the camp on 10th February 1901 and on 12th
February 1901. No cases occurred in the house on re-occupation.
Lieut. Shakespeare gives the following statement of the experience
gathered by watching the results of evacuation and re-occupation of
infected houses in B Ward, South :—
Street Address.
Coorla Street, 45...
III Koliwada, 10
Surat Street, 66 ...
Date of
disinfection
and Evacua-
tion.
23-3-01
12-3-01
3-4-01
Date of
re-occupation.
2-4-01
23-3-01
13-4-01
Plague cases
during 1 month
before disinfec-
tion.
9
7
7
Plague cases
during 1 month
after disinfec-
tion.
3
.....
3
Vacated partly or
entirely.
Entirely vacated,
Do.
Do.
62
In Girgaum exists a better class of people of course, and they removed to
private camps on the seaside ( Marine Lines ), the result being that there has been
less mortality this year from plague.
Now, I will mention an instance of a place where had it been evacuated im-
mediately the loss of life would not have been so heavy. On the flats at Tardeo
the sweepers of the Health Department had sheds. Plague broke out there and in
3 days 30 cases occurred, and before evacuation a total of 60 was reached. The
place was eventually evacuated and the people sent to Arthur Road Hospital
camp. Had this been done at the commencement there would never have been
sixty. It would have been also impossible to isolate cases as there were no less
than 6 persons in each room.
Another instance of the good effect of evacuation. In No. 169, Girgaum Back
Road a woman was attacked with plague and died on the 28th February. Her
daughter fell sick and died also of plague on the 5th March. The people in the
adjoining rooms were advised to evacuate which they did and returned after a
month. No more cases or deaths have taken place in that house.
Captain Moore's report on the evacuation carried out in Wari Bunder
district is interesting. The case of the Narielwadi villagers who neg-
lected the opportunity offered them to camp out will probably be a lesson
to these people. He states :—
In my opinion, and in my Sectional Medical Officer's, evacuation, combined
of course with disinfection, is indisputably the most efficacious measure. Every
facility was offered but in the case of the Narielwadi villagers they refused to
have a camp until it was too late to build one such as would suit them.
The following were the most notable places evacuated some at the occupants
own suggestions, and others after days, and even weeks of persuasion :—
14, Belvedere Road to Wari Bunder Camp, not a large house, 15 plague, 5
cholera and 5 other causes between 1st June 1900 and 6th October 1900 ; not a
single death after removal to Camp. Dhakji Purbhu's Wadi.—Private camp, no
more cases. Bowan's Chawls—Private camp, no more cases ; 1 and 2, Gurup Deo
Road—Private camp, 2 more cases ; Mugal's Chawl—Private camp, no case ; 4,
and 32, Parel Road—Private camp, no case ; Sussex Road,—Private camp, no
case; Coliwada, Reay Road,—Private camp, no case. "Khadda" 41-15, Nesbit
Road between 31st January 1901 and 26th February 1901 ; 26 cases and 25
deaths; eventually pursuaded to come to Wari Bunder camp; no more cases.
31, De Lima Street.—Parsis, Five plague cases in one family ; came to Wari
Bunder camp ; after that no fresh cases.
Ambewadi—Private camp; after which no more cases.
The people in the following localities neglected to use the camp provided
for them:—
Narielwadi Village...
20, Babula Tank Road
12, Byramji Hall Lane
6, Mazagon Road
6, B B Mazagon Road
6, D Mazagon Road
5, Belvedere Road
7, Belvedere Road
Haji Cassum's Chawls
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
..
Cases.
38
17
33
83
25
39
14
21
22
Deaths.
38
15
31
77
21
32
13
20
21
65
the Discretional Relief Fund, and by the receipt of the new plague
regulations issued in the same month.
These regulations, by
abolishing compulsory segregation and evacuation removed the main
inducement which led to inoculation, and all that could be done to
encourage it was the opening of fixed stations where doctors attended at
stated hours, furnishing the necessary instruments and serum and giving
every facility for having the operation performed, the Sectional Medical
Officers attending patients at their own houses if so desired. The pay-
ment of money from Municipal funds was discontinued. No change was
made in the system of recording inoculations, but to ensure that they
were genuine no certificate of inoculation was allowed to be issued without
the knowledge and approval of the District Officer.
The stations mentioned below were opened in November for pur-
poses of inoculation and were maintained throughout the year. Dr. A. G.
Viegas, Dr. P. J. DeSouza, Dr. Trilokekar and a few other private medi-
cal practitioners also opened stations and assisted in inoculation work
throughout the year.
List of Inoculation Stations.
Inoculation Station.
A Ward office near Queen's Statue ...
Vithal Sayanna Camp (Colaba)
Chukla, Sub-Office Nagdevi
Mandvi District Plague Office, Argyle Road
B Ward Office, Jail Road, East (Dongri Section) ...
C Ward Office, Pydhoni
District Plague Office, Cumballa Hill...
Do. do.
do, Charni Road ...
Inoculation Shed, Haines Road near Jacob Circle ...
District Office Madanpura, near Sunni Julai Hospital
Do. do, at Wari Bunder
Do,
do. Battliwala's Dharmasala, Foras Road, Tardeo...
Parel, Dr. Wadia's Dispensary
Sion, Phutka Talao Sub-District Office
Naigaum, Rao Balladur Vasanji Khimji's Bungalow...
G. Marshall & Co., DeLisle Road
Mahim and Worli Sub-District Office, Mahim
District Office, Babula Tank ...
2nd Nagpada Sub-Office, Tank Street
Northbrook Gardens Camp
Byculla Sub-Office, Ripon Road, K.B. Abdul Razak's Stables.
Time of Inoculation.
9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
4 P.M. to 5 P,M.
8 A.M. to 9 A.M.
4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
10 A.M. to 11 A.M.
\ 3-30 P.M. to 4-30 P.M.
10 A.M. to 11 A.M,
4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
\ 4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
8-30 A.M. to 9-30 A.M,
3 P.M. to 4 P.M.
9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
3 P.M. to 4 P.M.
9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
3 P.M. to 4 P.M.
9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
3 P.M. to 5 P.M.
9-30 A.M. to 10-30 A.M.
4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
3 P.M. to 4 P.M.
8 A.M. to 10 A.M.
8 A.M. to 10 A.M.
8 A.M. to 10 A.M
8 A.M. to 10 A.M.
8 A.M. to 10 A.M.
7 A.M. to 8 A.M.
4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
7 A.M. to 8 A.M.
4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
10 A.M. to 11 A.M.
4 P.M. to 5 P.M.
Note.—No Inoculations will be performed on Sunday Afternoon. Inoculations will be performed by the
Sectional Medical Officers in private houses on application being made to the District Officer
concerned.
17
66
The total number of persons inoculated was roughly 7,000, a figure
which shows clearly how little previous experience has taught the
masses to believe in the efficacy of the operation. A list of the
inoculations performed is here appended :—
List of Inoculations Performed in Bombay from June 1st 1900 to
29th May 1901.
Part of Town and Names of Operators.
District.
A Ward
B Ward (North)...
B Ward (South)...
C Ward
D Ward
E Ward (Byculla)..
E Ward (Wari
Bunder)
E Ward (West)..
F & G Wards ..
Central District ..
Names of Operators.
District Medical Staff ...
Dr. R. T. Nariman
„ R. M. Kalapesi
„ B. S. Shroff
District Medical Staff ...
Dr. E. Moses
District Medical Staff
Dr. Shivdas Permananddas
District Medical Staff
Dr. P. ,T. De Souza
„ S. V. Kantak
„ Purshotum Harichand
„ S. S. Missir
„ V. S. Trilokekar
„ A. G. Viegas
„ A. P. Kothare
„ D. P. Sethna
District Medical Staff
Dr. A. D. Modi
„ S. V. Kantak
,, A. H. Ghaswalla
„ S. B. Naik
District Medical Staff ...
District Medical Staff
District Medical Staff
Dr A. S. Paymaster
District Medical Staff
Laboratory Officers
District Medical Staff
Dr. K. S. Shaik Abdul Kadar
Total ..
Total inoculated persons from
week ending 6th June 1900
up to 29th May 1901.
In persons
newly-
inoculated.
389
7
25
7
330
...
51
...
100
134
7
2
• • •
23
974
10
...
371
1
13
9
6
639
121
892
25
315
234
1,149
433
6,267
In persons who
were also inocu-
lated previously.
6
...
149
...
5
2
...
34
20
38
16
13
4
185
...
...
8
...
22
...
...
...
3
34
161
...
700
67
Total Number of Inoculations by Classes from 1st June 1900 to 29th May 1901.
Castes and Nationalities.
Jains
High Caste Hindus
Low Caste Hindus
Mahoniedans ...
Farsees ...
Jews
Europeans
Native Christians
Total ...
Total inoculated
persons from
week ending 6th
June 1900 up to
29th May 1901.
75
18
2,082
2,926
351
463
15
82
15
151
89
G,267
Capt. Moore reports as follows regarding inoculation :—
Inoculation is practically a dead letter in E Ward East Wari Bunder. All
the staff are inoculated as well as a few outside people mostly respectable well to
do people—Portuguese and Parsees. There are 2 volunteers in the district neither
of whom have been inoculated. I have made many attempts to get people inoculat-
ed and have been well backed up by the Sectional Medical Officers but we are
always met with the same reply, " It is no good. It stops our work. How much will
you give us. " One disinfection coolie who had been inoculated got plague and
recovered in six days. Dr. Dalai in Mazagaon was supplied with all the necessary
instruments and offered free inoculations in Mazagaon but could not get a single
person to allow it and so gave it up.
Here is an instance of good effect of inoculation, " Khudda," 24-45, Nesbit
Road, occupied by about 360 people—all Mahars—working in P. & O., G. I. P.,
B. B. & C. I. Railway Shops. In 1899-1900 most were inoculated. There were
no cases amongst the inoculated and only 6 cases amongst the non-inoculated. This
year they steadily refused inoculation without compensation. Plague began on
1st February and there was one death per day till they were all eventually
persuaded to come into Wari Bunder Camp on 28th February. From 1st Feb-
ruary to 28th February there occurred 28 plague deaths with 3 suspicious cases and
2 were removed to hospital. There was no case amongst the inoculated in this ward.
Captain Smith makes the following remarks :—
Inoculation as a plague measure is to all intents and purposes as far as this
ward is concerned non-existent. In the beginning of the year under report a
certain amount of inoculation was done as at that time compulsory removal to
hospital in the case of sick people and compulsory removal to camps in the case
of contacts were the chief measures. A large number of people accepted inocu-
lation in preference to going to camp as the lesser evil of the two.
Since the above measures were done away with and moral suasion was
recommended as a means to inducing the people to be inoculated, and when in
addition to this the dole of rice and gratuity of annas four per person inoculated
was done away with and replaced by a gratuity of annas two only, and that only
when it could be ascertained that the person inoculated had suffered loss of
wages, etc., inoculation stopped practically.
69
I might mention one fact that may also have some bearing on the objection
many people have to being inoculated and that is that the doses of prophylactic
for inoculation have increased up to 10 c. c. in some brews. This is a very large
amount and some practitioners have asked me, when I could only supply serum
of 10 c. c. dosage, if it was not possible to get some serum of say 5. c. c. dosage
as their patients objected strongly to having such a large quantity injected
into them.
At the end of the year Dr. P. J. de Souza of New Hanuman Lane was
practically the only one doing any inoculation in this ward, and the only people
he gets are those I have already mentioned as having some connection with
Hyderabad.
Inoculation certificates have a regular market value, I have been informed and
I forget the exact rates, but I believe as far as I can remember they go from Rupees
five and upwards. Some well-to-do persons, I have every reason to believe, are
prepared to pay very highly for inoculation certificates, provided they themselves
are not inoculated. In view of the fact that forged inoculation certificates were put
into circulation, I have made the following arrangements to have a check on certi-
ficates. As soon as any person has been inoculated by a practitioner in this ward
the certificate book is sent to me, and I countersign and initial foil and counter-foil
at the same time ; I see that all particulars are filled in ; and that the left thumb
impression is a good one.
None of the staff of this ward were inoculated. I am not in a position to give
any instances of deaths having occurred amongst inoculated people. As far as I
could ascertain the general attitude of the richer classes was quite antagonistic
to this measure. This was also the case with a large proportion of the poorer
classes. As I have pointed out a certain number would have got themselves
inoculated, but for the fact that no money compensation was given as well.
The boom in inoculation was last year. This year no meetings were held in
this ward. Volunteers and others did not give any special assistance this year.
Great difficulty was experienced in ascertaining whether persons
who died from or were attacked with plague had previously been inocu-
lated or not ; but it is safe to say that the vast majority of those attacked
had not been inoculated within the previous 8 months.