NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
49
area. It may be necessary to constitute special search parties
under European officers.
23. If a case of plague be detected in a town (including a
municipal town) the Collector may not, without the sanction of
Government, cause the evacuation of the whole town, but may
cause the evacuation of a section containing not more than
200 houses.
Such evacuated area may be surrounded by a cordon, if
necessary by breaking down walls or houses, but with as little
injury to property as possible ; and its inhabitants may be
removed into a Health Camp.
24. When there is a town or large village in the vicinity
of an infected area, the Collector may establish a Camp of
Observation at such town or village and may order detention
and disinfection in such camp of all suspected persons coming
from such area without passes.
Dissolution of Hospitals and Camps, &c.
25. No Hospital or Suspect Camp or Observation Camp
shall be closed without the special orders of the Collector.
Provided there have been no actual or suspected case of
plague therein, the Collector shall, in his discretion, allow a
Health Camp to be closed after ten days, and a village or
town or section of a town to be re-inhabited one month after
evacuation.
Administrative Staff.
26. For administrative purposes in connection with the
plague, the Collector shall have under his orders the follow-
ing Plague Authorities :—
(a) A Superior Staff consisting of Plague officers
appointed by Government.
(b) A Subordinate Staff consisting of Assistant Plague
officers appointed by the Collector.
(a) Plague officers include Divisional-officers, Assistant
Collectors and the District Medical and Sanitary officer, and
also Personal Assistants to the Collector;
Special Divisional-officers (either to relieve Divisional-
officers engaged in plague operations or to be in plague charge
of a division);
Extra Assistants to be in charge generally of a Taluk but,
if necessary, of a smaller area.
(b) Assistant Plague officers shall be Tahsildars and
Deputy Tahsildars (ordinary or special) ex-officio ; or persona
7
50
of known and approved character and responsible position,
specially appointed.
Assistant Plague officers shall have the powers given by
Regulations 3 and 7 and (in infected areas) 27 of the Regu-
lations* published in Fort St George Gazette Notification No.
897 of 18th December 1897. Plague officers shall have these
powers, and shall also have powers given by Regulations 4
and 5 and (in areas Under Observation) 27.
27. The Collector may, from time to time, assign to
Plague officers and Assistant Plague officers, jurisdiction over
such local areas as he may deem fit.
He may also appoint any required number of Superintend-
ents of Camps or Gumastas as well as menial servants.
† 28. In the case of appointments made in connection with
the plague, the cost of which is under the standing orders
debitable to the ordinary service heads, the sanction of Govern-
ment shall be obtained and proposition statements forwarded
in accordance with paragraph 12 of the annexure to G.O.,
No. 604, Financial, dated 21st September 1896, as amended
by G.O., No. 785, Financial, dated 24th September 1897.
As regards appointments which are not additions to existing
establishments and which have been newly created on
account of the plague, the Collector shall forward, for the
formal sanction of Government, a monthly return showing
the number of such appointments, their designation, salary,
date of commencement and the duties attached to each
appointment. The return should be divided into two sec-
tions to distinguish the appointments paid from Local and
Municipal funds from those paid from Provincial.
Passports and Passes.
29. Passports and passes shall be in the forms attached.
Passports may be granted as prescribed in Rule 5 to persons
entering the district from an infected area; passes, by a
Plague Authority or other officer authorized by the Collector
in this behalf, to persons leaving an infected area within the
district.
‡ 30. The Collector may exempt from the necessity of
taking out passports or passes any person with regard to whom
there are no reasonable grounds for suspicion of infection.
* Printed on pages 24 to 40.
† As amended by G.O., No. 641-P., dated 2nd July 1898 ; Notification No. 582, Fort
St. George Gazette, dated 19th July 1898, Part I-A, page 206.
‡ As amended by G.O., No. 330-P, dated 14th April 1898 ; Notification No. 303, Fort
St. George Gazette, dated 19th April 1898, Part I-A, page 92.
51
31. The Collector may at his discretion exempt from
the necessity of taking out passes persons who are merely
returning from an infected area to their own village after
bringing to market in such area articles of food or fuel;
Provided that such return be within eight hours after
arrival and not after sunset, and that such exemption shall
not apply to any such person who may have entered a dwell-
ing house within the infected area.
32. Passes may be of two kinds, either (1) general, or (2)
special. General passes may be given, to agriculturists and
others having occasion to make daily or frequent journeys by
road, rail or boat from an infected area, and may be given
for an indefinite period; but they will not cover residence
outside of the infected area, and will not cover journeys by
rail unless that is expressly stated on them. In the case of
agriculturists, where the officer granting the pass is satisfied
that it is necessary for the whole family to go and work in the
fields, a single pass may be given for the family, but there
must be a separate pass for each person making a railway
journey under a general pass. Special passes shall be passes
permitting persons to leave the infected area and reside else-
where, and may be granted for households, provided that the
name and description of each person covered by the pass is
entered therein.
33. General passes should be given freely, and in the case
of agriculturists working in the fields need not be revoked
even should a case of plague occur in the family of the pass-
holder.
34. Special passes may also be given freely, especially at
the beginning of an epidemic, when a Plague Authority is
satisfied that no case of plague has occurred in the house of
the applicant, or in any adjacent house or among any of his
relations or associates : provided that the Plague Authority
may always require the disinfection in a prescribed manner
of all clothes and other articles to be taken away before a
pass is given. When the applicant is known or suspected to
have been exposed to infection, no officer shall grant a pass
until the applicant has been kept under medical observation
(1) for a period which may extend to ten days, (2) or until
the reasons for suspicion have disappeared. In such cases
disinfection of clothes, &c., should always be insisted on. In
this rule applicant includes all the persons in a household on
whose behalf a special pass is applied for.
52
Disinfection.
35. When it is provided in these rules that disinfection
may be employed, disinfection as follows, as often as seems
to him necessary, may be ordered by any Plague Authority
unless where otherwise provided:—
Of the person (if specially ordered by the Collector).—
In a bathing tub with Jeye's fluid or carbolic acid, strength
1 in 100.
Of travellers' bundles (1) if specially ordered by the
Collector, to be opened out and steamed for 20 minutes by
steam pressure of 20 lb. and temperature 250° ; or (2) other-
wise, to be treated as below :—
Of clothes, silks, etc.—To be exposed first one side,
then the other, for eight hours in a strong sun.
Other cloths, etc.—In perchloride of mercury, 1 in
1,000.
Of an infected house.—If its value is Rs. 100 or less
and there is no danger of the fire spreading, it may be burnt.
Otherwise, if a Plague Authority so directs, it may be unroofed
and treated as follows after removal of all surrounding
obstructions (walls, huts, sheds, pandals, etc.) to ensure a
complete perflation of air.
Of houses in an infected area.—Each house shall be
opened to light and air in its dark rooms. Infected things
of small value such as bedding, cots, etc., may be burnt.
Everything else, as well as the entire interior of the house,
including the floors, shall be sprayed or sprinkled with
perchloride of mercury. Rubbish shall be burnt or carted
away. Then the exterior and interior of the house shall be
limewashed, chloride of lime being mixed with the limewash.
Of other places and spaces in such an area.—As any
Plague Authority may direct.
36. Any person disobeying or contravening or refusing to
submit himself to any Regulation made under the Epidemic
Diseases Act, 1897, or. obstructing any measure which has
been taken by Government, or which any authority, or officer
appointed under competent authority to carry out such Regu-
lation, has been required or empowered to take under any
such Regulation, shall be deemed to have committed an offence
punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, and
shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment of either de-
scription for a term which may extend to six months or fine
which may extend to one thousand rupees or both.
53
APPENDIX A.*
PASSPORT.
(To be issued to a person arriving from a plague-infected locality, or a notified area,
under Regulation 5 under the Epidemic Diseases Act, published in the "Fort
St. George Gazette," dated 1st March 1898, Part 1-A, pages 55—63 and
Regulation 17, published in the " Fort St. George Gaze-tie," dated 11th April
1899, Part I-A, pages 139—141.)
1. No. of passport.
2. District.
3. Station of issue.
4. Date of arrival.
5. Name of person.
6. Father's name.
7. Caste.
8. Age.
9. Whence coming.
10. Destination and residence during the next ten days (give District, Taluk,
Village, Street and Number or Name of the owner of the house).
11. When the duplicate of the passport sent and to whom.
I declare the above information to bo correct, and I do hereby
to
appear
bind myself to present the above-mentioned person inspection, daily, for the next
ten days before the local authority, i.e., the Medical officer, or the Station-house
officer or the village headman of the town or village where I may be for the time
being.
Date
Signature or mark of traveller.
Declared and signed before me.
Date
Signature and designation of officer
issuing the passport.
(SEE REVERSE.)
NOTE.—This should be prepared in triplicate, one copy being retained by the officer issuing it
the second delivered to the person, to whom it is issued and the third sent to the local authority of
the place of destination.
* As amended by G.O., No. 864-P., dated 7th June 1899 ; Notification, No. 524, Fort St. George
Gazette, dated 13th June 1899, Part I-A, pp. 239-240.
55
II.
[Greneral Pass—Regulation 32.]
(To be issued for daily or frequent journeys by road or boat from an
infected area.)
No.
District.
Station of issue.
Name of person.
Father's name.
Caste.
Age.
Ordinary residence.
Journey covered by this pass.
This pass protects the person named above and the members of
Ms family mentioned on the reverse, but it does not authorize journey
by rail, for which a separate pass shall be obtained by each individual
requiring it, nor does it cover residence outside the village of
It will be in force until revoked.
Signature.
Designation.
Date.
(Reverse of Form II.)
Name.
How related to pass-holder.
Signature.
Designation.
Date.
56
III.
[Greneral Pass—Subsidiary pass for Railway journey only—
Regulation 32.]
(To be issued for daily or frequent journeys by rail from an
infected area.)
No.
District.
Station of issue.
Name of person.
Father's name.
Caste.
Age.
Ordinary residence.
Journey covered by this pass.
Signature.
Designation.
Date.
IV.
[Special Pass—Regulations 32 and 34.]
(To be issued to persons leaving an infected area to reside elsewhere.)
No.
District.
Station of issue.
Name of person.
Father's name.
Caste.
Age.
Ordinary residence.
Whence arrived.
Whither going.
57
This pass covers also the members of the family of the above-named
person, whose names and descriptions are given on the reverse.
Signature.
Designation.
Date.
(Reverse of Form IV.)
Name.
How related to pass-holder.
Signature.
Designation.
Date.
8
58
CHAPTER IV.
(1)—REGULATIONS FOB THE INSPECTION OF INWARD-BOUND
VESSELS UNDER THE EPIDEMIC DISEASES ACT, 1897.
(G.O., No. 745, Marine, dated 23rd August 1897 ; Notification
No. 163, "Fort St. George Gazette," dated 31st August
1897, Part I, pages 1117 to 1119.)
IN exercise of the powers delegated to him by the Governor-
General in Council under section 2, sub-section (3), of the
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, His Excellency the Governor
in Council is pleased to prescribe, under the said Epidemic
Diseases Act, the following temporary Regulations to be
observed in all ports of the Madras Presidency. These
Regulations will supersede those now in force and which are
published on pages 601—604, Part I of the Fort St. George
Gazette of the 11th May 1897 :—
Definitions.
1. In these regulations—
(1) "Vessel" includes anything made for the con-
veyance by water of human beings or of
property.
(2) "Port officer" includes any person acting under
the authority of Government in charge of port discipline.
(3) " Master " when used in relation to any vessel
means any person (except a pilot or harbour master) having
for the time being the charge or control of the vessel.
(4) " Sanitary authority " means the Collector of the
district, and the Municipal Council or Local Board, the area
under whose jurisdiction includes or abuts on any part of a
customs port. Where a customs port is included within or
abuts on the jurisdiction of more than one of the authorities
above-mentioned, the Governor in Council shall appoint
which of them shall be the Sanitary authority for the purpose
of these Regulations, or he may distribute among them, in
such manner as he may deem fit, the duties imposed by these
Regulations. The jurisdiction of every Sanitary authority
shall, for the purposes of these Regulations, extend to sea-
ward for a distance of three miles beyond low water mark on
all parts of the coast line bounding the area ordinarily under
its jurisdiction.
59
(5) "Port Health officer" includes any duly qualified
medical practitioner appointed by a Sanitary authority or by
the Local Government to act in the execution of these Regu-
lations.
(6) " Observation " means segregation either on
board a vessel, or in an isolation camp or place.
(7) " Surveillance " means that the persons subjected
to it will not be isolated; they will at once obtain free pra-
tique, but will be kept under medical supervision.
2. (1) " Infected " used with reference to a vessel denotes
any vessel with plague on board, or on board which one or
more cases have taken place within twelve days.
(2) " Suspected " used with reference to a vessel
denotes any vessel on board which there has been a case of
plague at the time of departure, or during the voyage, but on
which no fresh case has occurred for twelve days.
(3) "Healthy" used with reference to a vessel
denotes any vessel which has come from, or which during the
voyage has touched at, an infected port, but which has had no
death, or case of plague on board, either before departure,
during the voyage, or on arrival.
Regulations.
3. The master of every "infected," "suspected," or
" healthy" vessel shall, when within
three miles of the coast of any part of
the Madras Presidency, cause to be hoisted at the foremast
head the Commercial Code flag Q being a yellow flag, and
shall keep the same displayed during the whole time
between sunrise and sunset. If any person on board such
vessel be at the time suffering or suspected to be suffer-
ing from the plague, the master shall also hoist the Commer-
cial Code flag R below the yellow flag Q. Any such vessel
arriving at a port after dark shall hoist on coming to an
anchor one white light at the foremast head and one red light
at the mainmast head.
4. The master of any such vessel shall before arriving
at an anchorage pump out the bilge water, if possible after
disinfection, and pass fresh sea water over the parts that have
been in contact with the bilge water. The bilge water shall
not be discharged within port limits.
* No tindal or other person in charge of, or navigating,
any registered boat shall attempt to make such boat fast to,
or shall take it alongside of, a vessel in quarantine or
* Added by G.O., No. 410, Marine, dated 23rd May 1898 ; Notification No. 57,
Fort St. George Gazette, dated 7th June 1898, Part I, page 514,
66
coming from an infected port, until such vessel has been
granted pratique by the Health officer of the port.
5. The Port officer on the arrival of any vessel display-
ing the flag or flags or light or lights aforesaid, or if he
ascertains from the master of such vessel, or otherwise has
reason to believe, that the vessel is infected, suspected or
healthy from an infected port, shall detain such vessel, and
order the master forthwith to moor or anchor the same in
such place as may be fixed by him; and the master shall
moor or anchor accordingly. Provided that in the case of
any ship which has not communicated with the shore, the
master if he objects to submit to the obligations imposed by
these Regulations shall be free to put back to sea. In such
case the Port officer shall send immediate information to the
Sanitary authorities of the port in India, Burma or Ceylon
to which the vessel is bound or at which she is next about
to call.
6. While a vessel shall be so detained, no person shall
leave the same.
7. The Port officer, on the approach to the port of any
vessel displaying the flag or flags or light or lights aforesaid,
or on his detaining any vessel as aforesaid, shall forthwith
give notice thereof and of the cause of such detention to the
Sanitary authority of the port, and also to the Port Health
officer.
8. The detention by the Port officer of a vessel under
Regulation 5 shall cease as soon as the vessel shall have been,
as hereinafter provided, duly visited and examined by the
Port Health officer or, if the vessel shall, upon such examin-
ation, be found to be infected or suspected, as soon as the
same shall be moored or anchored in pursuance of Regulations
9 and 13.
9. The Sanitary authority shall, as speedily as practicable,
with the approval of the Port officer, fix some place where
Vessels may be moored or anchored for the purpose of Regula-
tion 13 ; and shall make provision for the reception of plague
patients and other persons removed from vessels under these
Regulations. The place to be fixed as aforesaid, where any
vessel may be moored or anchored for the purpose of Regula-
tion 13, shall be some place within the jurisdiction of the
Sanitary authority, unless the Local Government otherwise
orders, in which case the place so fixed shall, for the purposes
of these Regulations, be deemed to be within such jurisdiction.
61
10. On receiving the notice prescribed by Regulation 7,
the Port Health officer shall forthwith visit and examine the
vessel, in regard to which such notice shall have been given,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether she is infected,
suspected or healthy. He shall also do so if he have reason to
believe that any vessel which has arrived or is within the
jurisdiction of the Sanitary authority, whether detained by
the Port officer or not, is infected or suspected or has come
from or touched at a port where plague prevails. The
master of such vessel shall permit it to be so visited and
examined and shall afford all reasonable facilities for such
examination as the Port Health officer may deem requisite.
11. For the purpose of ascertaining the state of the vessel
as aforesaid, the Port Health officer may demand from the
doctor of the ship or, failing him, from the master a declara-
tion on oath whether there has been or has not been a case
of plague on the ship since her departure, or whether any
person suffering or suspected to be suffering from the plague
has left or been removed from the vessel prior to or during
the voyage, and all particulars relative to any such circum-
stance ; and the doctor or the master, as the case may be,
shall be bound to make a true declaration to the best of his
knowledge and belief.
12. When the Port Health officer has made such exami-
nation as aforesaid, he shall forthwith give a certificate in
duplicate in the following form, or to the like effect, and
shall deliver one copy to the master and transmit the other to
the Sanitary authority. He shall also, if the vessel is infected
or suspected, give immediate information of the fact to the
Sanitary Commissioner for Madras :—
Certificate,
day of 189
1 hereby certify that I have examined the vessel
of
, now lying in the port of
(or detained at
) and that I find
that she is
(a) " infected " with plague,
(V) " suspected," or
(c) " healthy " from an infected port (as the case may be).
(Signed)
Port Health Officer.
13. The master of any vessel certified by the Port Health
officer to be "infected" or "suspected" shall thereupon
62
moor or anchor her if he has not already done so at the
place fixed for that purpose under Regulation 9 where she
shall remain until the requirements of these Regulations have
been duly fulfilled, and from which she shall not depart
without the written or, where communication with the vessel
is impracticable owing to stress of weather, the signalled
permission of the Port Health officer.
14. No person shall leave any such vessel until the exami-
nation hereinafter prescribed shall have been made.
15. (1) The Port Health officer shall, as soon as possible
after a vessel has been certified as infected, suspected or
healthy, examine every person on board the same.
(2) If any person on board any such vessel is found
to be suffering from plague, or from any illness which the
Port Health officer suspects may prove to be plague, the
Port Health officer shall certify accordingly. Every person
who shall be so certified by him shall, if possible, be imme-
diately disembarked and shall be detained for treatment in a
suitable hospital or ward or isolation camp or other place.
(3) If the vessel is certified to be infected, all persons
on board shall be kept under observation or surveillance, as the
Port Health officer may determine, and shall, if possible, be
disembarked for the purpose.
(4) All persons kept under observation, whether on
shore or 011 board the vessel, shall be detained for such period
as the Port Health officer shall, in his absolute discretion, pre-
scribe with regard to the sanitary condition of the vessel and
the date of the last case of plague which has occurred among
the crew or passengers, but which shall not exceed ten days
from the date of the occurrence of the last case of plague
which has occurred on board, or which may subsequently occur
among the persons detained in such camp or place as the
Sanitary authority shall have appointed for the purpose of
their detention or on board the vessel, after which they shall,
if certified by the Chief Medical officer on the spot to be free
from the infection of plague, be permitted to proceed to their
destination.
(5) If the vessel is certified to be suspected or healthy,
all persons on board who may disembark shall be subjected to
surveillance either at the port or at their destination as the
Sanitary authority may direct, in the case of a suspected vessel
for a period of ten days from the date of the arrival of the
vessel in port, and in the case of a healthy vessel for the period