16
February, 110 cases of Plague. Esplanade continues to be infected. Sailors'
Home and Apollo Bunder claim victims. Europeans were first attacked. This month
marks two strides in the course of the epidemic. Bomanjee Lane and Jeejeebhoy
Dadabhoy Lane northwards and a second to Fort, South, marking Elphinstone Circle,
Meadows Street, Forbes Street, Rope Walk Lane and Rutherford Street. This
infected Section of Fort, South, is a fairly extensive area. From the 1st of the month
there was a large mortality of rats coincident with the attacks among human beings.
The big offices were constantly sending information of dead rats found, and it was
in this neighbourhood that 14. cases alone occurred during the month,
March. 106 cases of Plague. Epidemic very localised in Fort, South, and not
scattered as in preceding month. British Hotel Lane and Bell Lane distinctly
marked. Mortality during this month very high in Pultan Road Municipal Chawl,
but very little Plague acknowledged. Fort, North, continued, infected, but confined
to the localities previously infected—Borah Bazaar Street, Bazaar Gate Street and
Miut Road Street. Mangesh Senoi Street and Ghoga Street were infected for the first
time. Dropping cases occurred in other directions, but nothing to mark severe
infection.
April. 103 cases of Plague. This month is distinguished by scattered cases
over the Esplanade. 21st Bombay Infantry Lines, 5 cases, Offices of Messrs. Ralli
Brothers, Gilbert Payne, Solicitors, National Bank. In the latter offices rat mortality
was very marked. Borah Bazaar Street, Bazaar Gate Street, Maruti Street, Mint
Road, continue infected. Streets which all through the Epidemic have kept up their
bad reputation. Fort, South, quite free.
May. 30 cases of Plague. Rat mortality is less noticeable. Plague cases were
principally confined to roadside cases and scattered cases in Esplanade Section.
Regarding the latter cases a history of rat mortality was invariable, and was very
marked in the Cooperage Bungalow, Messrs. Sassoon Offices and Rev. Gray's bun-
galow, Marina Lines. Odd cases occurred in Maruti Street, Bazaar Gate Street
and Mody Street, Gunbow Street; during this month Plague was epidemic in no part
of this section.
Summing up the history of this section, I would emphasize the following
conclusion :—
A few black patches on a sketch of the section would distinctly mark the infect-
ed areas—centres of the disease. That it is round these few centres that Plneue o
has thrived, excepting Mint Road. I maintain that there is no question of doubt
as to the reason why Plague has bad such hold over these small local areas, There
has, on the other hand, been much Plague in Mint Road—Plague in houses which are-
clean and well ventilated—amongst people who are healthy, educated and clean
livers. This is unexplainable, except that this street lies in a neighbourhood liable
to infection from any passing form of disease.
Isifected areas.
Referring to the infected areas the houses in these small centres are old,
ill-drained, badly ventilated ; the houses are occupied by a narrow-minded, prejudiced
class, ignorant of the most primitive Jaws of health as crowding together and
careless in habits :—(1) Cawasjee Patel Street and its branching lanes covering a
small limited area; (2) Maruti Street, Bomanji Lane and Police Court Lane;
(3) North end of Borah Bazaar Street and Manordas Street ; (4) Bell Lane, British
Hotel Lane. If these above four centres could be cleared away. Plague would
have little hold m the Fort Section.
I am a\vare that the numbers of Plague cases have not decreased very consider-
ably this year ; but at the same time the epidemic has been more localised, and it is
this facfc that raises the hope, that if these centres are efficiently dealt with, that the
annual-visitai ion from Plague can be stopped.