166
No. 2.
Heport of the Mahratha Plague Hospital from 1st June
1899 to 31st May 1900.
The Hospital was originally opened by the Mahratha Committee, was subse-
quently handed over to the Plague Committee (now extinct), and then to the Muni-
cipality. The situation, disposition, arrangement of wards, the conservancy, water-
supply, disinfection, mortuary, the arrangement for the disposal of the dead, &c., have
been described in the last year's report. The following important changes have
been made by Sirdar Mir Abdulalli, Khan Bahadur, and the Committee of the
Hospital.
Permanent Wards.—It was found that the repair of the zaoli roofs of the
wards and other sheds cost the Municipality something over Es. 2,000. The Sirdar r
thinking this annual expense to be an extra burden on ihe Municipality, thought it
meet to erect more durable structures \\hich would not require repairs every year.
With this object in view he opened the subject to the Members of the Committee
and to some of his benevolent friends, and obtained ready support from Rao Bahadur
Kushaba Chapajee Kale, Mr. Tukaram Javjee, Sirdar Khan Bahadur Haji Kassum
Mitha, Mr. Nowrojee Manekjee Wadia, C.I.E., Bao Bahadur Dhondiba Haumantrao
Barde, the late BaoSaheb Ghamajee Ballajee Bukare, and some wealthy fruit and hay
merchants. Five wards have been built in a double row on a piece of ground belong-
ing to the Municipality and bordering on the Connaught Boad which has now been
transferred to the City Improvement Trust. These wards are built of teakwood frame-
work with glass doors and windows and brick masonry on the east and west. The foun-
dation and plinth are of stone masonry about li feet above the road level. Each ward is
70 feet long and 24 feet wide with a open verandah of 3 feet all round. The floor-
ing of the ward is of Indian patent stone and the verandah has a coping of stone?
all over. The roof is a gable one of Mangalore tiles and without a ceiling. Tho
wards are well ventilated on all sides by means of flaps near the flooring ; one foot
open space at the top of the wooden framework on the north and south and
hooded tiles placed at a distance of the two feet from the ridge of the roof to serve
the place of a double roof forming ridge ventilation. The wards run from east to
west and have an accommodation for 30 patients in each ; so the five newly built
wards of permanent structure can hold 150 beds, conveniently and comfortably,
The office is a permanent building of brick masonry and teakwood frame-work
with glass windows and doors. The roof has a ceiling of planks, covered with
Mangalore tiles. It is 47 feet in length and 27 feet in width and is divided into
three compartments, the office, dispensary and store-room, and the nurses'
sitting room. The flooring is made of Indian patent stone. The building has a
verandah of three feet all round. It is the gift of Bao Bahadur Dhondiba
Hanmantrao Barde and the late Bao Saheb Ghamajee Ballajee Bukare.
Roach.—New roads have been constructed running between the newly built
wards. It was necessary for this purpose to excavate heap of earth and blast rocky
protuberances to level 'the ground. The central road is 286 feet long and 20 feet
wide, cross roads are 60 feet long and 18 feet wide, while the two roads behind the
wards are 286 feet long and 6 feet wide. All these ro a els are pucca built, metalled
and rolled.
Temporary Wards.—The wards situated in the interior of the hospital com-
pound were found to be very rickety and would not have stood in the present
monsoon, so the Sirdar decided to rebuild the most worn-out ones. Each of these
wards is built on a masonry plinth, 1£ feet high, with teak rafter posts and a roof
of bamboo and cocoanut zaolies. The sides are made of bamboo-ribbing and plas-