NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
102
attack. This being so, it is evident that the camp should be
arranged so that the shed occupied by a person eventually
attacked may be destroyed or disinfected with the least practi-
cable disturbance of sheds inhabited by the unaffected, and with
the least expenditure. It follows that it is better to make each
shed as small as compatible with the comfort of a single family,
which may be taken as the unit, The average family consists
of five souls. Where this is exceeded and, in consequence,
overcrowding occurs, all male adults over 12 years of age should
be provided with sleeping accommodation in huts separate from
the family.
27. Each hut should afford an area of 12 feet in length
by 10 feet in breadth. The roofing may be formed of any shape
or material that can be conveniently obtained; but a plan having
been adopted, it should be adhered to throughout the camp.
Each hut should be 20 feet distant from its neighbour in the
same line. Each line of huts should be 40 feet distant from its
neighbour. Each line should consist of four huts ; four such
lines would form a block. Each block should be 60 feet distant
from the neighbouring block. Blocks may be arranged in lines
not exceeding two deep to any length desirable. If it be
desired to make a second series of such blocks opposite to one
already formed, an interval of 100 feet should be allowed. The
second series of blocks should have huts en echelon with
reference to those opposite to it. Where economy of space is
desirable, the intervals may be reduced to one-half the measure-
ments here suggested.
28. In places where, in consequence of want of funds or
space, it is found impracticable to construct, in accordance with
Rule 27, separate detached huts, they may be replaced by large
sheds, each containing twenty rooms in rows of ten arranged
back to back. The rooms may be separated by partitions of
matting, 7 feet high, so that the space under the roof slope
will be common to all the rooms. No windows are necessary
and it will be enough to provide each room with a single door,
2 feet 6 inches in width.
29. Blocks should be distinguished by initial letters. These
should be exhibited on boards placed in front of each. Each
hut should have its number and block distinctly painted on a
board, in white letters on black ground. The boards for huts
should be large enough to allow the number of inhabitants to be
shown in chalk letters.
30. No camp should contain more than 1,000 inhabitants.
When more have to be accommodated, a distance of at least a
quarter of a mile should be allowed between the camps. In
103
this event, completely separate executive staffs should be pro-
vided for the respective camps.
31. The whole camp should be effectually fenced. Huts
for the police guard should be placed in such position that the
whole camp is under view.
32. Huts should be provided for the menial servants.
33. Attached to the " suspect " camp should be an observa-
tion ward. This should be built for accommodation of patients
at the rate of 1 per cent. of suspects. The design should be
in all respects as stated in paragraph 8 et seq. In this ward
should be placed persons who having fever or other complaints
simulating plague must await the decision of the medical officer
before transport to the plague hospital.
HEALTHY CAMP.
34. The object of this camp is to provide shelter for the
healthy and those not suspected of being subject to incubation.
The structure as stated for the suspect camp would in all
respects suit, except that no fencing need be employed. It
would, however, rest with the officer responsible to use large
huts for accommodation of several persons at a time, if it be
found impossible to meet the demand for small huts on the
family principle, on account of want of labour. In this case,
sheds should be classed for males and females, respectively.
Association in this manner is not likely to be otherwise than
distasteful except to the poorest classes, and should not be
followed unless excessive expenditure or absence of the neces-
sary labour at command requires it. Sheds on this system,
preferably of the circular form described in paragraph 15,
should be made. These sheds might be arranged in triangular
form, so that the base of the camp is exposed to the prevailing
winds.
35. Persons should be encouraged in the healthy camp to
erect their own huts, but care should be taken that old material
from unknown sources is not used in their -erection. When
persons build their own huts, the site must be carefully
measured, and any attempt to exceed defined limits should be
prohibited.
WATER-SuPPLY FOE HOSPITALS AND CAMPS.
36. The water-supply should be secured from a source
reliable as to its purity. When open water-sources are used,
care must be taken to prevent contamination by plague-infective
matter borne on chatties, ropes or hands. The only way to
104
secure this is to see that no person connected with the handling
of plague patients or the disinfection of material, is allowed to
have anything to do with the drawing of water or its distribu-
tion. In other words, specially-selected persons should he
employed. If a stream or tank, the use of impervious platforms
or special lifting apparatus designed so as to prevent contami-
nation should be arranged for. Wells should be effectually
covered in. Where pumps can be obtained and are suitable in
respect to extent of lift required, these should he employed.
If pumps are not employed, at least the water-source should
have a special guard, and the water should he lifted by use of
a metal bucket and light chain reserved for this purpose. The
water thus lifted by any of these moans should be stored in
covered barrels provided with taps, or, still better, in iron cube
tanks provided with taps. On no account should the promis-
cuous plunging of vessels into water-supplies by persons in camps
and hospitals be permitted. At the same time, every facility
for the observance of caste sentiments should be afforded by
the employment of caste natives, wherever handling of vessels,
&c., is unavoidable. In towns having public water-supplies,
the extension to hospitals and camps of the supply by means of
a temporary line of pipes is advisable.
37. Where open wells are unavoidably employed, disinfec-
tion by means of permanganate of potash at intervals of three
days is desirable. In the case of tanks of such size that expense
of using permanganate of potash must be regarded as undoubt-
edly excessive, the alum process should be employed either to
the bulk if comparatively small, or to the breadth of 25 feet
from the edge, if unmanageably large.
LATRINES IN CAMPS AND HOSPITALS.
38. In camps, one latrine should be provided for every
block. If time permits, the surface should bo made impervious.
If this is not feasible and earthen flooring is unavoidable, it
should be burnt over daily, and the earth should be renewed at
intervals. In hospitals and suspect camps, all excreta should
be received in impervious vessels, in which disinfectants are
ready placed.
DISPOSAL OF CORPSES.
39. The clothes surrounding the corpse of a person dead of
plague should be saturated with coloured perchloride of mercury
solution—the necessity for so doing having been carefully
explained to the relatives. Cremation is the preferable method
of disposal, but great care should be taken before burning a
105
corpse to ascertain whether there are caste or race objections to
this being performed. If there be reasonable objection, the
corpse should be buried not less than six feet deep. It is
advisable to select a place for cremation in reasonable proximity
to the plague hospital, so as to prevent corpses being carried
through inhabited parts. If plague corpses are to be buried,
the burial-ground should be specially selected by a medical
officer after careful examination.
GENERAL SANITARY PRECAUTIONS.
40. When disinfection of a person is to be effected, all
clothing should be removed in a shed protected from public
view. If women are treated, a female attendant only should
be present. Any useless rags should be burnt. The clothing
should be removed, and be plunged into a wooden tub contain-
ing a solution (1—1,000) of perehloride of mercury, and be
allowed to soak for 30 minutes. It should then be removed,
washed in the ordinary manner, and dried in the sun with free
exposure to the air. Suitable clothing for temporary use should
be provided. When the disinfected clothing is ready for use,
the whole body should be carefully cleansed with soapnut; but
preferably, soft soap should be employed. If the latter be
used, it should be explained to the person that soft soap is made
from vegetable oils, but its use should not be insisted on.
Except as to method of disinfection of clothing, as to which
special rules have been issued, the same procedure should be
pursued at stations where disinfection by steam is practised.
41. The treatment of a person before admission to the
healthy camp shall be as laid down in paragraph 40. But, in
the case of the suspect, the persons may be required to throw
over the body, after careful cleansing, a solution of phenyle in
the proportion 1—100. A bath of plain water may be used
subsequently.
42. Bathing of patients admitted to hospital should be
conducted only under orders of the medical officer responsible.
The method of disposal and disinfection of clothing just de-
scribed will, however, be applicable.
CAMP STAFFS.
43. Subordinate Superintendents of camps should be ap-
pointed as held requisite by the officer responsible. No sub-
ordinate charge should be for a larger population than 1,000.
14
106
CONSERVANCY STAFF.
44. One toti of each sex and one sweeper should be
appointed for every 300 inmates of the suspect and health
camps. For every 12 servants of the menial conservancy staff,
one peon should be employed.
CONSERVANCY ARRANGEMENTS.
45. At each camp and hospital, an incinerator should be
made. Any native mason who has seen a country " chunam
kiln," will be able to make an incinerator of mud and brick or
stone, sufficiently well for the purpose. They should be
circular structures 4 feet in internal diameter at the bottom
and 3 feet at the top.* Openings should be left at the bottom
for vents. In these, all rubbish, rags, and other destructible
matter collected from the camp site should be burnt daily. If
the plague hospital is attached to a large town, it is well to
obtain a field " Silchar incinerator." If such an incinerator is
possessed, all excreta from the suspect camp and hospital should
be burnt in it.†
46. All excreta from the hospital and suspect camp having
been received on disinfectants should be buried in pits not less
than 5 feet deep in a locality well removed from habitations
and water-supplies. Excreta from the healthy camp should be
treated in trenches of the ordinary breadth and depth, that is,
not exceeding 18 inches, but quick lime should be added freely
to the trench contents.
47. Care should be taken to see that no slops are thrown
on the ground in any camp. In the suspect camp and plague
hospital, all waste water other than that from the kitchen
should be received in open tarred dhobie tubs, in which disin-
fectants are already placed. Their contents should be removed
at regular intervals to trenches at a suitable distance from the
camp. In the case of the healthy camp, the inhabitants should
be required to transport all slops to trenches specially prepared
for the purpose.
BAZAARS.
48. Arrangements should be made in the proximity of each
camp for the maintenance of bazaars. Only dealers having the
written authority of the officer in charge of the camp should
* In rainy weather these can he provided with corrugated iron covers with protected
smoke vents.
† Vide G.O. No. 487-P., dated 17th May 1898 5 and G.O., No. 636-P., dated 2nd July
1898.
107
be permitted to ply their trade. It should be seen that these
persons are not inhabitants of affected villages. If the number
of persons segregated is not so large as to demand the opening
of a special bazaar, the officer in charge should make such
arrangements compatible with sanitary requirements as will
prevent inconvenience to the inmates.
PRECAUTIONS IN HOSPITALS.
49. Bottles of lysol or phenyle, and solution of perchloride
of mercury should always be placed beside conveniently
arranged basins for the washing of the hands of medical offi-
cers, nurses and attendants, respectively. It is better not to
dry the hands with towels after disinfection.
50. All excretions and secretions and rags soiled with them
should be received into vessels already containing disinfectants.
Promiscuous spitting in the wards should be specially prohibited
—all sputa should be carefully received into small tarred
mullays or earthen receptacles having disinfectants in them.
Soiled mats should be burnt; soiled clothing should be steeped
in perchloride solution directly it is removed from hospital.
Soiled patches of flooring should be disinfected with perchloride
solution, and be replaced by fresh material.
51. Clothes used during duty in wards and disinfection
should be exposed to sun action as soon as the person has ful-
filled duty. Before washing, they should be soaked in per-
chloride of mercury solution. Menial servants in wards and
disinfectors should be provided with shoes during work.
APPENDIX.
The following equipment should be maintained for a ten-bed
hospital. It should be possible to transport all articles with
the Ambulance Staff when proceeding to an infected locality:—
SANITAEY EQUIPMENT.
Soapnut
Soft soap
Perchloride of mercury
* Commercial sulphuric acid
*
Do.
hydrochloric acid
Phenyle
lb.
"
"
"
"
"
10
10
100
30
30
60
* Articles marked with an asterisk are intended for ambulance staffs; for stationary
hospitals, the amounts should he reduced or the articles he omitted at the discretion of
the indenting officer.
108
* Permanganate of potash
* Chinese pumps
* Slippers (native), pairs
Tins, kerosine-oil, 125°H
alf-casks (wooden tubs)
Galvanized iron buckets
* Paint brushes
* Black paint (ready made)
* Red paint
* Whitewashing brushes, country
* Mops
. .
. .
MEDICAL STORES.
Chentsu cots
Date mats
Oumblies
Pillow-cases
Carpets
Native clothing, men
Native clothing, women
Slippers for ward coolies
Copper dekchas, large size, for boiling
clothing
Frying pan
Iron enamel cooking-pots
Zinc buckets
Firewood axe
Kitchen knife
Iron kettles
Hanging meatsafe
Hanging lamps
Hurricane lanterns
Portable tables
Portable chairs
Time-piece
Folding screens ...
Bed-head ticket frames
Temperature charts
Zinc dressing trays
. .
Large jars (old arrack) for disinfectants.
Hand-basins for disinfectants . ,
Washstand with basin complete
Lotion bowls
. .
Bed-pans
Ice box
Pewter or enamel urinals
Earthen pots and mullays as required.
lb.
lb.
"
No.
"
"
"
"
"
"
Pairs.
No.
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Set.
No.
"
"
"
"
"
"
3
5
50
6
8
6
4
10
5
50
20
15
30
15
15
30
15
15
2
2
1
6
3
1
1
2
1
2
4
2
2
1
1
12
50
1
2
2
1
4
7
1
6
* Articles marked with an asterisk are intended for ambulance staffs; for
stationary hospitals, the amounts should be reduced or the articles be omitted at the
discretion of the indenting officer.
109
FOR NURSES.
Camp portable dining table
Camp portable side table
. .
. .
Chairs
Easychairs
Hanging meatsafe
Box with lock and key for stores
Table lamp
Dinner table cloth
. .
. .
. .
Table napkins . .
Vegetable dishes
Pudding dish
Soup plates
Meat plates
Tumblers
Spoons
Knives
Tea-pot
Coffee-pot
Cups and saucers
Sugar-basin
. . . .
Butter-pot
Portable cots with beds, pillows and
curtains
. .
. .
. .
Sheets
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
Counterpanes . .
. .
. .
Blankets
Portable washstands with enamel bowls.
Zinc baths
. .
. .
. . . .
Commodes
. .
....
Chamber-pots
..
Candle-stick
. .
. . . . . .
Hurricane lamp . .
. .
. .
. .
FOB MEDICAL SUBORDINATE,
Cots (bed and pillow)
Washstand (complete with enamel basin,
&c.)
Towel rack
Table
Chair
DISPENSARY FURNITURE.
Portable shelf for drugs and appliances.
Box with lock and key for poisons . .
Dispensary table
Writing table
Chair
Wash stand (complete with enamel
basin, &c.)
Towel rack
. .
. . . . . .
No.
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
No.
,,
,,
,,
,,
No.
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
6
2
1
2
4
4
4
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
4
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
110
Towels . .
. .
. .
Tin kettle
.. No.
3
1
Books and stationery, as required by District Sanitary Officer.
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL APPLIANCES.
(a) Appliances.
Small pocket dressing-case
Gum elastic catheters . .
Hypodermic syringe
Enema syringes
. .
Two-ounce syringes
Sponges
Ice bladders
Ice bags
Waterproof sheets
Pestle and mortar
Glass rod
Boll of sticking plaster
Bandage cloth
Flannel
Carbolic soap
Lint
Cotton wool
Tow
Linseed
Spirit lamp
Test tubes
Urinometer
. .
Nitric acid
Liquor potassas
Fehling's solution
Drainage tubing
. .
Scales and weights, with spare set
grain weights
Dispensing bottles
Corks
Draught glasses
Large pewter measure
.. No.
• •
55
• •
?5
• •
„
• •
„
. .
,,
• •
„
• •
55
• •
„
. . „
• •
„
• •
51
.. Y ds.
• •
„
. . Cakes
.. lb.
• •
„
• •
>5
• •
„
.. No.
• • „
• • 55
. . „
• « 55
• • )5
. . Yds.
of
.. Set
.. No.
. . Gross
.. No.
• •
„
One ounce and one minim glass measure ,,
Slab
. .
. .
. .
Spatulas
Large mixture bottles . .
. .
Clinical thermometers . .
Jars for disinfectants
. .
..
(b) Drugs.
Acid Boracic
„ Carbolic
. .
,, Gallic
. .
. .
. .
„ Hydrocyanic
. .
. .
„ Sulphuric
Ammonia Bromide
. .
• •
„
• • 5>
• • 55
• •
„
• • „
.. lb.
.. „
. . oz.
• • „
• • „
• • »
1
2
1
2
2
3
12
2
2
1
1
1
6
2
12
2
2
10
10
1
6
1
1
2
2
2
1
30
1/2
20
1
1
1
2
6
4
6
1
3
4
1
12
6
111
Ammonia Carbonas
Aqua Distillata
Argenti Nitras
Bismuth Subnitras
Cafeine Citras . .
. .
. .
Camphor
Cocaine Hydrochloras
Extractum Belladonna
„
Ergot Liquid
Tincture Ferri Perchloridum
Glycerine
. .
. .
Gum Acacia
. .
. .
Hydrargyri Perchloridum
,,
Subchloridum
. .
Iodoform
Liniment Camphor
. .
„
Iodi
Liquor Arsenicalis
„ Ammonia
„ Epispaticus
Oleum Anethi
„
Menth. Pip.
Potassi Citras
,,
Iodid
Pulvis Ipecac.
Tincture Digitalis
Pulvis Ipecac. Co.
„
Jalap Co.
Santonine
Soda Bicarbonas
Tincture Aconite
„
Cardamom Co.
„
Cinchona Co.
Hammamalis
. .
Tincture Hyosciami
,,
Iodi
„
Opii
Unguentum Hydrargyri
„
Simplex
Vaseline
Spirits of Wine, methylated
Zinc Oxide
Soda Salicylas
Tincture Nucis Vomicœ
Liquor Strychnia
Liquor Hydrargyri Perchloride
Spirits Ammonia Aromatici
Magnesia Sulphatis
Spirits Æther Nitrosi
Quinine Sulphatus
Acid Nitric Hydrochlor. dil.
Ammonia Chloride
. ,
. . oz.
.. lb.
.. dr.
. . oz.
• • ,,
• • ,,
.. dr.
. . oz.
..
,,
.. lb.
.. ,,
' ' 5)
..
,,
. . oz.
.. lb.
. . oz.
..
,,
.. lb.
. . oz.
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
• • 5>
..,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
.. lb.
.. ,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
..
,,
. . oz.
..
,,
.. lb.
.. ,,
.. ,,
.. ,,
. . oz.
.. lb.
. . oz.
2
2
1
4
½
2
½
½
2
2
½|
½
¼
½
2
½
4
2
1
½
½
2
2
1
2
1
2
½
2
2
2
2
4
4
¼
½
I
½
½
4
4
1
1
4
1
2
1
6
112
Potassi Bicarbonas
Spirits Chloroform
Cerri Oxalat
Liniment Terebinthinæ
Phenacetin
Lysol
lb.
oz.
,,
lb.
oz.
lb.
1
8
2
2
1
5
(G.O., No. 629-P., dated 30th June 1898.)
113
IMPOST ANT RULINGS.
I—Original Mufassal Regulations of 18th December 1897. (a)
1.
Regulation 1.—" The Regulation should be strictly carried
out throughout the Presidency as a check on the working of
the revised Mufassal Regulation (a) 17 (G.O., No. 466-P., dated
13th May 1898), and prosecution should be resorted to in
places where the duty of reporting arrivals from plague-
infected parts is neglected in spite of repeated warnings. If
in any municipal town the existing sanitary staff is unequal
to the task of properly carrying out the system of observa-
tion, it should be strengthened." (G.O., No. 556-P., dated
11th June 1898.)
2.
Regulation 3 (b).—" In regard to the question of the
segregation of a plague patient in his own house, I am to
point out that the cases contemplated in Mufassal Regulation
3 (b) and Madras City Regulation 11 (b) were exactly the
cases in respect of which an exception has been admitted in
paragraph 6 of the Resolution (b) of 3rd February of the
Government of India. In this Presidency, both in mufassal
stations and in Madras, it is common for well-to-do Native
gentlemen and for Europeans to inhabit detached houses in
the midst of spacious compounds. It appears to His Excel-
lency the Governor in Council that should an occupant of
such a house be attacked with plague, thoroughly efficient
segregation could be enforced. This would in no way inter-
fere with the ultimate vacation of the house. Meanwhile,
the usual disinfecting precautions would of course be taken,
and in the case of persons inhabiting such houses, would no
doubt be efficient as they would be under professional super-
vision. In these circumstances, I am to request that the
Government of India may be moved to allow the Regulations
in question to stand in their present form." (Letter to Gov-
ernment of India, No. 120-P., dated 2nd March 1898.)
" I am directed to state that under the circumstances
explained in your letter, Mis. No. 120-P., dated the 2nd
instant, the Government of India do not wish to urge the
modification of the revised Plague Regulations issued by the
Government of Madras for the mufassal and for the City of
(a) Printed on pages 8 to 21.
(b) Printed on pages 71 to 90.
15
114
Madras in the manner suggested in my letter, No. 270, dated
the 8th February 1898.
" I am, however, to state that the Government of India
consider that when segregation on the large premises of
European and Native gentlemen is permitted, the sick person
and the other inhabitants of the infected house should be
located under shelter in the compound, and that the house
itself should be immediately evacuated and disinfected in
the manner indicated in paragraph 6 of the Resolution of
the Government of India,* No. 227—240, dated the 3rd
February 1898." (Letter from Government of India, Home
Department, Sanitary, No. 626, dated 23rd March 1898,
printed in G.O., No. 303-R, dated 1st April 1898.)
3.
Regulation 14.—The following is a list of railway in-
spection stations under this Regulation :—
(1) Podanúr under a retired Military Assistant Surgeon. (G.O.,
No. 261-M., dated 22nd February 1897; and Notification
No. 2, Fort St.. George Gazette, dated 2nd March 1897,
Part I, page 272.)
(2) Arkonam under a temporary doctor obtained from England.
(G.O., No. 319-M., dated 27th February 1897 ; and Notifi-
cation No. 1, Fort St. George Gazette, dated 2nd March 1897,
Part I, page 272.)
(3) Kondapalli under a Military Assistant Surgeon.† (G.O., No.
1639-M., dated 23rd July 1897; and Notification No. 28,
Fort St. George Gazette, dated 27th July 1897, Part I,
page 958.)
(4) Hospet under a Commissioned Medical Officer. (G.O., No.
2393-M., dated 1st November 1897; and Notification No.
774, Fort St. George Gazette, dated 2nd November 1897, Part
I-A, page 271.)
(5) Tungabhadra under a Commissioned Medical Officer. (G.O.,
No. 337-P., dated 16th April 1898; and Notification No.
302, Fort St. George Gazette, dated. 19th April 1898, Part
I-A, page 92.)
There is also an inspection station at Perambúr under
Madras City Regulation 12 of the 18th December 1897.
4.
Regulation 14.—" With regard to the examination of
passengers, the Government considers that all passengers
should be required to quit their carriages and be examined
on the platform or in some suitable place, cases of suspicion
* Printed on pages 71 to 90.
† Ordered to be placed in charge of a temporary doctor from England—Vide G.O.
No. G37-P., dated 2nd July 1898,