9
Inoculations, 1900-01.
Jullundur
Hoshiárpur
...
...
Total
135,454
45,266
...
180,720
INOCULATIONS IN THE JULLUNDUR AND HOSHIARPUR DISTRICTS,
28. As previously indicated, besides describing the inoculation operations In the
Jullundur and Hoshiárpur Districts during
the epidemic of 1900-01, it is, necessary to
consider the results of the inoculation opera-
tions carried out in these districts at the close
of the previous epidemic.
On account of circumstances that have been mentioned in paragraph 4 of the intro-
duction to this report, as well as of others which will appear later, it will be most convenient
to deal with the Jullundur and Hoshiárpur Districts as one infected area, though separate
statistics for each district will also be given.
29. The following extracts from the Report on Inoculation Operations in the Jullun-
dur and Hoshiárpur Districts from October 1899 to September 1900, and from the Report
on Plague in the Punjab from October 1st, 1900, to July 31st, 1901, are reproduced in
order to give an idea, without the necessity of reference to these reports, of the inocula-
tion operations of 1899-1900, the results of which have to be considered in this report, and
of the altered conditions, as compared with former years, particularly with regard to the
measures adopted for dealing with the disease which prevailed during the epidemic of
1900-01.
30. The Report on Inoculation in the Jullundur and Hoshiárpur Districts in 1899-
1900 is divided into two parts : the first part describes in detail, and considers the results
of the inoculations performed during the epidemic of plague ; the second part deals
with the extensive inoculation operations which were carried out, for the most part, after
the epidemic had ceased, and with the considerations which led to the undertaking of
those operations.
31. The extracts given below are from the second part of this report, and include
a statement showing the number of inoculations carried out in the Jullundur and Hoshiárpur
Districts and the population of the infected area : a column has been added showing the
number of villages in the area. It may be added here that this infected area corresponds
with the " inoculated area " to be referred to presently : —
Inoculation after the subsidence of an epidemic of plague.
" The campaign of inoculation about to be described was, however, carried on for the most part in the
absence of plague, after the subsidence of an epidemic,
and its object was to prevent a fresh outbreak or failing
this it was hoped that any epidemic that might occur would be much less severe and easier to deal with than
those of previous years, and that by concentrating attention to such an outbreak it might be possible to finally
stamp out plague It was with this hope that over two hundred and fifty thousand people of the Nawashahr
and Garhshankar Tahsíls submitted to inoculation during the hot weather of 1900.
Considerations which led to the undertaking.
" The considerations which led to the undertaking of inoculation on such a very extensive scale were
as follows : —
Failure to stamp out plague.
" First and foremost was the fact that ever since the first outbreak of plague in the Jullundur District
in 1897 all efforts to get rid of the disease had failed.
" Evacuation, disinfection, cordoning of villages and other measures had been tried, and although there can
be no doubt that these operations kept the disease in check, yet they did not succeed in completely stamping it out.
" The severe and widespread epidemic which broke out in 1897 subsided during the hot weather of 1898,
and the Punjab was declared free of plague in September of that year.
" Strong hopes were entertained at the time that plague had been completely stamped out, but it again
made its appearance at the beginning of the cold weather.
" This outbreak increased in virulence during the early months of 1899, but subsided, like the former one,
as the rainy season approached, and like it was followed by another epidemic early in the cold weather. This
last epidemic followed the same course as its predecessors, and as village after village became infected, in spite
of every effort to arrest the spread of the disease, it was felt both by the officers in charge of plague operations and
by the people themselves that unless some more effective measures could be adopted than had hitherto been
resorted to, there was little hope of effectually ridding the country of plague.
" A second and very important consideration was the attitude of the people towards inoculation.
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The inhabitants of infected villages and of those in the neighbourhood had become familiar with the idea of
inoculation, and, although a large proportion of the people still had misgivings as to its effects, they no longer
regarded it with terror.
Report of the Indian Plague Commission on inoculation.
Government of India's Resolution.
" At this juncture came the publication of the Report of the Indian Plague Commission on Monsieur
Haffkine's Anti-Plague Inoculation with the Govern-
ment of India's Resolution endorsing the conclusions
and recommendations of the Commission,