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Officers and their Medical Officers did their best by daily visits to see
that these conditions were fulfilled. In some they were, but in many
not.
The results of the cases have not been given by all District Officers,
but in four districts, out of 66 isolated 38 recovered—a high percentage.
It would be unsafe to base conclusions upon such small numbers, and
in addition it must be remembered that the conditions of isolation
excluded all but fairly well-to-do people, whose constitutions are pro-
bably better able to resist the disease; they always had medical atten-
dance and frequently skilful nursing.
A few cases of Plague have occurred among the attendants upon
isolated cases during the year, but it would be difficult to say whether
they took the disease from the patient they were nursing or from the
same source as the patient. Obviously by remaining under the same
conditions under which the original patient was attacked, they were
liable to attack themselves, and this danger would have been minimised
if the original patient had been at once sent to hospital and themselves
to camp. Experience indicates that the danger of infection is very much
greater in pneumonic cases.
The District Officers generally consider that isolation at home gives
the patient but a poor chance, and there is a unanimous opinion that it
should at least be confined to the more enlightened and better educated.
Captain Lock writes:—
" After nearly 3 years' experience of Plague in Poona, Bombay and Surat,
" I am convinced that it is a mistaken kindness to permit a patient to be treated at
" home. Except in cases of European patients or patients nursed by European
" trained nurses, there has in my experience been only one result—the death of
" the patient."
Captain Boileau writes:—
" The character of the people is such that, no matter what class, they will always
do the best they can for the patient they are tending and, without reference to
Doctor's orders will, out of pure kindness of heart, and foolishness, give the patient
just whatever he asks for and generally succeed in killing him. A notable instance
of this actually occurred in the Sarvajanick Hospital, where the Hospital Assistant
got Plague and Pneumonia. He treated himself and also allowed Col. Wilkins
and Dr. Hunt to treat him. The bubo was opened and the man was doing fairly
well when cellulitis set in, and his leg became much inflamed. This Dr. Hunt pre-
scribed for and the lady nurse by careful watching was just making a good recovery
of the case, when a friend stepped in and administered gome native drug for the pur-
pose of relieving the patient's urinary organs. Some of this drug evidently drained
into the wound caused by opening the bubo, and blood poisoning set in from which
the man died the same night."
" Here is a case where the man was more or less under hospital supervision.
How much less chance would he have had under outside treatment, The treatment
of private practitioners also in my opinion leaves much to be desired, and very few
cases recover, the reason being probably that the medical man sees the patient morn-
ing and evening and for the rest of the day he is left to the tender mercies of his