94
disinfected before storing away in the godown. Cots are also supplied to those suf-
fering from indifferent health. The inmates must sleep in camp at nights. A roll-
call is held daily by the Camp Master to see that all return to camp. During the day
they are allowed to come into and leave the camp as often as they like and with abso·'
lute freedom. In case of plague in the camp the patient is at once removed to hos-
pital, the contacts follow after getting their good clothing, &c., thoroughly disinfected.
The hut is then swept and the rags, &o. } burnt at once, and the hut itself is thorough-
ly disinfected for 3 or 4 days and left unoccupied for 10 days.
Women who are brought to camp having lost their bread-winners by Plague,
and others who are unable to go to work always receive compensation from the
Relief Fund established for the purpose. As a rule they are detained 10 days in
camp, but if the camp is full and pressed for room, they are allowed to leave before
the ten days elapse, but not before the rooms from where they have been evacuated
have been thoroughly disinfected.
If the house or chawl from where they came are under repairs and not ready
within 10 days, then they are allowed to stay in camp until such time as their
quarters are fit to be re-occupied.
I need hardly say that the contacts and evicts greatly appreciated the camp and
often begged to be allowed to stay on and even suggested paying rent if allowed to
do so ; they never forgot to express their gratitude, in the shape of a " hurrah
salaam," when leaving camp. Their out-going and in-coming cartage was always
paid.
Disinfection Work at the Sterilizer.— On arrival in camp the contacts and evicts
are at once taken into the disinfecting camp with all their clothing, boxes, furniture,
&c. The clothing is placed in the sterilizer and disinfected.
While the above process is on, the boxes and furniture are well washed in a
strong solution of phenyle, the contacts and evicts in the interim are having a bath
with strong carbolic soap, the clothing on their person is now taken to the sterilizer
and thoroughly disinfected as above according to regulations. Great care is taken to
avoid the infected clothing coming in contact with the disinfected clothing.
All contacts and evicts on their way to the Mahratha Hospital have their
clothing, &c., sterilized here, and all clothing from contacts and evicts who are
admitted into the Wari Bunder Camp have the clothing sterilized here.
When Plague is in full force the sterilizer is kept working the whole day con-
tinually. Having a sterilizer in the camp greatly facilitated the work of disinfec-
tion. A thermometer is always placed in the middle of the clothing which should
not register less than 212° Fah.
The following brief report from Dr. P. J. deSouza, the Medical
Officer of the Goculdas Tejpal and Charney Road Camps, is also of
interest:—
Health Camps have this year also been an interesting and useful feature in the
plague operations.
In my report, last year (vide Report of the Municipal Commissioner on plague in
Bombay for the year ending 81st May 1899, page 76), I endeavoured to make clear
the arrangement and the system observed in these camps, and also enumerated the
number of camps then existing under my charge as Medical Officer and the
accommodation each contained. This year it was not found necessary to have a camp
at the Crawford Market, but the Charney Road and Goculdas Tejpal Camps were
aguin requisitioned» One or two slight changes were made in the rules in force last