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camp, assaulted the volunteer. . These were convicted and sentenced,
Qn more than .one occasion registration ramosis, cemetery messengers
and ,other members of the staff were threatened or assaulted, and not
infrequently serious difficulties were averted by the influence, tact and
firmness of volunteers.
A few heavy claims for damages or bitter complaints about dis-
infection were made ; and these .were always most carefully enquired
into, and if it was found that any damage had been done, compensation
w.as awarded. Disinfection must : almost always cause great inconvenience,
but the complaints and the claims were generally found to be grossly
exaggerated and diminished on enquiry to very petty dimensions.
It might be thought from the above that the attitude of the people
was violently opposed to plague measures ; but it should be remembered
that these instances of opposition extended over a population of 700,000
and a period of a year, and it may be safely said that the general
attitude of the people towards the plague staff was fairly friendly during
the year. Their belief in plague measures was no greater than before,
and, but for the pressure of various kinds that was brought to bear, very
few plague cases would have been reported. The staff had often to get
through a great deal of talking and persuasion in -order to accomplish
their work, but eventually the people almost always passively acquiesced.
Oapt. Boileau writes rather more hopefully than others on the subject,
,and the following is taken from his report:—
" On the whole, the attitude of the people towards plague measures has in
•this Ward been favourable and there is no doubt that many people who were
•against these measures last year have, in the year under observation, completely
.changed thoir views. Evacuation has been carried on to an enormous extent
in this Ward, and a rough estimate of the numbers in camp, in the whole
of my District including the large camps in the fields between Dadar and Sion,
would place the figures at about 60,000 souls. Many of these were in camp from
December and the camps this year lasted till the middle of May ; so that the people
may be said to have left their houses for half the year. Had it not been for this
precaution on their part, I believe the mortality would have been terrible, as
wherever people were obstinate and would not go to camp, plague most surely
visited them. The landlords have, as in former years, still been the cause of retaining
many people in their homes, who would in other cases have left, and these were
chiefly people who owed a good deal of rent. I have always endeavoured to
find out such people and assist them as much as possible.
" There can be no doubt that a vast amount of plague is still concealed, but it
seems impossible to trace it. Last epidemic there were only 4 cases of plague
reported from the camps. This year Mr. Harvey and his staff of 6 Registration
Ramosis reported no less .than 168 cases, and also gives it as his opinion that,
without doubt, many escaped observation. Many people were brought into the
camps, by, the last trains from Bombay, but although I had Ramosis on watch
I was unable to stop many of them. -In Dharavi I discovered 4 cases hidden
underbid hides—a very unpleasant task.
.".Inoculation has brought with it much good and amongst those who have
been done ,the old fear of the plague seems in a great. measure to have died out.
There is,still ,1.00m for much more work in. this direction,,and I .anr confident that