NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
182
3. No brushing of walls or floor should on any account be permitted. This is
a most dangerous proceeding and likely to spread infection.
4. The first work in all instances is to flood the floor of the infected room with
a solution of Perchloride of Mercury not weaker than 1—1,000. The junction of floor
and walls and all corners should then be mopped with the solution, as well as the
walls as far as the mop will reach, and beyond this a small hand-pump should be used.
The floor, if of earth, should then be dug up to a depth of 4t inches. (But this must
on no account be done before the surface has been flooded with the solution.)
N. B.—The solution of Perchloride of Mercury, 1 to 1,000, may be prepared! by adding 2 Ibs. crude of
Hydrochloric Acid to 100 gallons of water and then dissolving the mercury in it, with a handful of common
salt to expedite dissolution.
5. All furniture that can be dealt with should be likewise disinfected with this
solution either with a pump or a cloth.
6. After the work has been thoroughly done and the solution has dried, lime hot,
and in as strong a solution as possible, should be laid on all the walls, the floor and
ceiling,
7. Articles of value, likely to have been infected, should be classified according
to their nature —
(1) Those which can be boiled, if of cotton, to-be boiled for 3 hours in a 3 per
cent, solution of soft soap with water, or steeped in Perchloride of
Mercury solution after being washed (woollen clothes worn by a patient
to be burned), and then exposed to the sun.
(2) Articles which from their size or value cannot be boiled should be disin-
fected with a 5 per cent, solution of Carbolic Acid, which should be
allowed to dry upon them.
(3) Articles which can neither be boiled nor so disinfected, should be exposed
to the sun.
8. In parts of buildings where insects are likely to be harboured, kerosine oil
should be applied with a syringe, or boiling water poured over them.
9. In the event of the whole house requiring disinfection, the order of procedure
should be—
(1) Privies with their shafts ;
(2) Staircases and corridors ;
(3) The rooms in order;
first by washing every part with the Perchloride of Mercury solution, and then laying
on the hot quicklime.
10. All nahanis, nahani pipes, morees and traps should be carefully flooded
with Perchloride, and where necessary, entirely replaced at the expense of the owner
of the premises.
11. As a measure of precaution Carbolic Acid powder or dry Chloride of Lime
may be sprinkled inside buildings adjoining the infected one.
12. In the use of Perchloride of Mercury, a virulent poison, its properties,
when coming in contact with organic compounds, should be remembered.
13. A reward for dead rats may be given. They should be burned with
straw and kerosine oil.
N. I?.—-The disinfectant action of Perchloride on clothes is increased by the subsequent soaking of
thorn in Phenyle.
183
B(7).
List of Stores and Chemicals required on Disin-
fecting Work.
Names of Articles.
Leather Dholes
Manual Fire-engine -with 60 ft.
delivery hose, " nozzle," the
usual suction hose
r ,.
American rotary pumps with 3
ft. suction hose and 50 ft. de*
livery hose with nozzle 10
inches long and couplings to
fit the pumps
Brass hand garden pump
Wooden pump
60-gallon casks to be fitted on
country carts
30-gallon tubs
Wooden buckets
Wooden hand-cart from Munici-
Coir rope, 2 inches thick
Hemp rope, 1"
do
Coir string...
...
...
Coir rope for fastening water
Beed lime-washing brushes
Old paint tins, empty, for lime-
washing
Curry-stones with rollers for
grinding disinfectants
Teakwood planks, I0'xl2"x2",
for rotary pumps
Bamboo ladders, 10 ft. long
Bamboos, 2£" dia., 30 ft. long ...
Do.
2"
do.
Bed ochre in lumps for marking
Hurricane lanterns
Kerosine oil for lamps and burn-
ing clothes
Wick for above for Hurricane
G-alvanized-iron buckets
Scale and weights, g- oz., 2 oz.,
4 oz., 8 oz., 1 Ib.
G-arden watering cans with hose."
Copper wire for binding hose ...
Pickaxes
Cocoanut oil
Earthen pans for Nitric Peroxide.
Tin funnels, large size ...
DISINFECTANTS.
Perchloride of Mercury ...
Common salt
Carbolic Acid
Chloride of Lime
Unslaked lime ...
Permanganate of Potash
Copper filings j for Nitric per-
Nitric Acid j oxide
Bate.
Bs. a. p.
650" 0 0
to
800 0 0
108 0 0
7-0-0 to 22-0-0
2 8 0
5 0 0
2 10 0
••«*••
""{' 4 0
" 0 10 0
......
«••.*•
1 2 0
0 6 0
1 0 0
0 6 0
0 5 0
0 3 0
3 8 0
2 4 0
0 1 0
0 14 0
......
0 12 0
""6" 4 0
5 0 0
2 0 0
2 8 0
15 0 0
25 0 0
1 12 0
f
0 9 0
1
5 5 0
Per
1
}• Each.
J
a
»
jj
»
u
ibo'ft.
Cwt.
......
......
•«••••
Each.
Ft.
Each,
)>
jj
Ib.
Each.
Tin.
Yard.
..»..
Each.
......
• • . «••
......
Lb.
Maund.
Gallon.
Cwt.
Ton.
Lb.
Lb. -\
Gallon. J
Amount required per 1.000
square feet.
Vide Notes.
Do.
......
10 for 25 houses.
4 for every £ furlong.
12 always.
24 do.
1.
••»•*•
• • • •••
40 or more.
2 always.
2 cut into 5 ft. lengths.
8.
50.
50.
2 Ibs.
3.
As required.
6.
1 set.
12 for 500 houses.
30 feet.
......
12.
1 to each cask.
fib. to 1,000 sq. ft.
14 ozs. to the above.
1 gallon to 800 sq. ft.
As required, vide Notes.
If cwt. to 800 s-q. ft.
6 ozs, to 2,250 c.f t.
Vide Notes.
185
If Plague appears among the occupants of large rooms inhabited by several
families of persons,—Moohis for example,—it will at first he enough to segregate
the infected family in a Puhlic Segregation Camp, and disinfect and limewash their
portion of the room, and the common privies and bathing-places.
If a second attack should occur, all the inmates of the dwelling 'will be removed
to a Public Segregation Gump.
A casual guest attacked by Plague in an inn or eating-house shall be detained
in an Hospital, but it will not be necessary to treat others in the house as contacts
unless the person attacked has lived in the house.
In the latter case the treatment of the other inmates will depend upon the cir-
cumstances, and P'yftMcatoiofflcPTH are empowered to take the requisite action for
/
i icig'iio AUuiioriOics,
J-
their segregation, if necessary.
When persons attacked by Plague are found in dwellings other than their own
homes, full inquiry should be made at the latter by the District Medical Officers
as to the existence of Plague therein.
Contacts in the dwellings of infected persons who work in their houses (goldsmiths,
coppersmiths, hand-loom weavers, &c.) will be dealt with according to the judg-
ment of the
ras
S^nS!^°r S
5 provided that the sick are isolated in Hospital and
the dwellings disinfected.
The period of segregation for contacts shall be ten days, but this may, under the
orders of the Plague Committee, and for urgent reasons, such as overcrowding of the
camps, be reduced to seven days.
In special cases, when supervision can be ensured, contacts may bo released on
surveillance, under the orders of the Plague Committee, after passing seven days in a
Segregation Camp.
2nd December 1897.
B(9).
Circular to House-holders re Servants' Quarters.
Two cases of Plague have recently been found, one among the servants and in
the compound of a gentleman residing on the Cumballa Hill, and the other under
similar condition on Malabar Hill.
Previous to this no cases have been recorded on the Hill for several months.
Residents are, therefore, requested to second the efforts of the Plague Officers and
to see that—
(1) All the servants' quarters and cook-houses are at once cleaned and white-
washed.
(2) That no outsiders live in the compound among the servants, and that
families of servants do not reside with them, thereby reducing the popu-
lation as much as possible.
(3) That all kutchra is daily swept up and burned.
(4) That on a case of sickness occurring among the servants intimation is
at once sent—
(a) to the Plague Office near the Post Office, Malabar Hill, or
(V) to the Office near Messrs, Kemp and Co.'s Shop, Cumballa
Hill.
186
B (10).
Circular to District Plague Officers limiting Plague
Operations after Riots of 9th March 1898.
17th March 1898.
To
THE DISTRICT OFFICER,
WARD.
MEMORANDUM.
In accordance with instructions issued by Government, all Divisional and Sub-
divisional Officers are to see that—
(1) There is to be no compulsory search in -any house unless the fact is
reasonably established that it is a Plague-infected house.
(2) No patient is to be removed to a plague hospital unless the case is undoubtedly
a Plague case ; and no medical certificate shall be accepted as evidence that the
case is one of Plague, unless it is signed by a fully qualified Medical Officer.
(3) No Plague case which a fully qualified Plague Medical Officer may pro-
nounce to be hopeless, shall be removed to hospital without the consent of the
relatives.
(4) No inmates of a house are to bo removed without intimation being given
to the head of family.
(5) When any damage is caused by destruction of property (to diminish risk
of infection) compensation must in the case of the poor be paid on the spot; and
that there should be no destruction of property when disinfection will suffice.
B (11).
Suggested Arrangements for working Native Agencies-
In each District or Sub-division of a District a Committee of Native Gentlemen
should be formed, whose duty will be to discover cases of Plague in their districts.
The best means of doing so is to sub-divide the District into small portions, each
under a house-visitor appointed by Local Committee, who should look after from 200
to 400 inhabitants.
Each member of the Committee should have a certain number of such house-
visitors working under him, and should receive daily reports from each.
Each house-visitor should daily see or enquire about all the people put under
his care, and, when there is a case of sickness, report it to his superior, who should
arrange to send a medical man or nurse to see the sick person.
Should the sickness prove Plague, arrangements should be made by the Com-
mittee to send the sick person to hospital, and to have the Contacts segregated. Also
to have dirty clothes burnt and bedding and other clothes disinfected at one of the
Steam Disinfectors.
All cases of Plague should bo reported to the District Plague Officer, who will
arrange for the necessary disinfection of the house, &o. It will be a sign of caroloas
work on the part of a house-visitor if repeated oases of death occur without it being
previously known that the persons wore sick.
Eaoh Committee should amplify the above where considered necessary*
138
worked in conjunction with these Committees. Government desire also that those
Committees shall be worked in conjunction with the Central Grievance Committee
sitting under the Chairmanship of Mr. DuBoulay at the Town Hall, and complaints
heard by that Committee, if well founded, wilt be referred to the District Officer
and the Local Committee of the area to which they refer. It is requested that ar-
rangements be made to give such complaints thorough investigation, after which a
report should be forwarded to the Bombay Plague Committee, who will take the
necessary action.
Another revision which Government desire shall be immediately attended to
is, that under the new arrangements the services of as many subordinates and lower
subordinates as possible shall be dispensed with. It having been laid down that
only a Medical Officer with fully qualified degrees is to give an opinion on Plague
cases, it follows that Medical Students and Hospital Assistants will no longer be of use
in house-visitation. District Officers should therefore give this matter their early
consideration and submit lists of staff which they propose to reduce.
In the event of a case of plague occurring in the family of a well-known and
well-to-do respectable person, Government desire that if the house is a detached one.,
and if the patient can be isolated, and if the family agree to remove to one of the
Committee's Health Camps or dwell where they can be placed under supervision, the
Plague Committee will allow the patient to remain in the house and can be attended
to there by his own Doctor and one or two members of his family.
B( 13)
Circulating further Government Instructions.
No.2137/P
GENERAL DEPARTMENT,
To
25th
March 1898.
THE CHAIRMAN,
BOMBAY PLAGUE COMMITTEE-,
SIR,—In continuation of my letter No. 1988/P, dated the 18th instant, I am directed
1o convey the following further instructions for the guidance of your Committee :—
(1). Persons should only be compulsorily removed by order of a Plague
authority to a health or segregation camp when their house is known
to be infected with Plague and when they are unable to satisfy the
Plague authority that they will remain under observation in a suffi-
ciently isolated and convenient place.
(2). Voluntarily removal to a health camp or other place of safety should
be
(3). If a Plague case can be suitably treated and isolated in a house of
sanitary situation free from danger of spreading infection, the patient
may be allowed to remain provided the other occupants (save the imme-
diate attendants) remove themselves elsewhere as above stated.
(4). In the case of all removals sufficient time should be allowed, under proper
observation, for the making of the necessary arrangements.—I have, &c.,
H. S. LAWRENCE,
for Secretary to Government,
Copy forwarded for information and guidance to District Officer,
Ward.
189
C (1)
Rules for Camps.
I. On admission to the camp everyone before being allowed into the wards
must be medically examined and have their names, castes, and date of arrival, &c.,
registered.
II. The wards have been detailed according to the various castes, and new
arrivals ought immediately to make known their caste in order that they may be
shown to their proper wards.
III. At 7-30 a.m. and 4-30 p.m. a bell will be rung and everyone must
assemble between the wards for the muster-roll to be called. All must attend excepting
the patients in the observation and hospital wards, and those to whom special per-
mission has been given for being absent. No one after falling in will be allowed to
leave the place assigned till discharged by the officer taking the roll.
IV. All clothing is to be disinfected on admission and before discharge from
camp.
Cotton clothing is to be placed in the sun for two hours ; woollen and cloth fabrics
are to be put in a disinfecting tank.
No one will be allowed to leave the camp unless these two disinfections have been
performed.
V. A post-box is placed at the main entrance gate, and is cleared twice a day.
Stamp and writing materials may be obtained at the shop at current rates.
VI. No smoking or naked lights will be allowed in the wards at any time.
VII. All complaints must be addressed to the Chief Medical Officer.
VIII. A case of persistent temperature that does not show any sign of yielding
to treatment should be sent to hospital after 24 hours.
IX. Rations will be issued after morning roll. It must be understood that those
only whose subsistence depends solely upon their daily wages are entitled to Govern-
ment ration. Those who can afford to pay for rations must obtain them from the
camp contractor at the established rate.
C (2)
Bules for Disinfection at Health Camps.
If there is a Steam Disinfector at or near a camp, all clothing and bedding
should be passed through it—(it would be well to have Central Disinfection Station
for camps)—and the people arriving should have their persons washed and be given
a douche of 2 per cent, solution of carbolic acid or phenyle solution.
If there is no Steam Disinfector at or near camp, arrivals from a healthy locality
may enter the camp at once after washing, if their kit is clean.
But arrivals from a suspected locality and dirty people should have their persons
washed, the washing being finished with a douche of 2 per cent, carbolic acid solution.
Their personal clothing should be put to soak in a 1—1000 solution of perchlorido
of mercury for ten minutes. The clothing of children should be dipped in plain
water after being soaked, to prevent risk of poisoning.
All clothing and bedding in the camp should be exposed to the sun daily for a
few hours.
190
C (3).
Regulations for the Management of Segregation
Camps.
(Framed under G. R. No. 5 2 7 9/3 4 3 4 -P of 29th Septemler 1897.)
1. The area occupied by a Segregation Camp shall be deemed to be a place of
observation within the meaning of Rule 29 of the General Rules under Act III of
1897.
2. No person or persons shall enter a camp without a pass from the Bombay
Plague Committee except (a) persons sent to the camp for segregation ; (6) Superior
Officers holding powers under the Plague Committee ; (c) Police Officers on duty.
3. No visitor or pass-holder shall on any pretext enter a camp between sunset
and sunrise,
4. Yisitors may enter a camp between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., provided
they have first obtained a brass pass at the entrance gate and have entered their names
and addresses in the address book kept-there. This regulation may be suspended at
any time by the Chief Medical Officer of a camp for such period as he may think fit.
5. No visitor will be allowed to leave a camp until he has returned his brass
pass and signed his name against his former signature in the address book at the
entrance gate.
6. The number of visitors in a camp at any one time during the day shall·
not exceed 200. All visitors and temporary pass-holders must leave a camp when
ordered to do so, or, failing orders, before 5 p.m.
7. Permanent pass-holders on showing their passes may enter a camp at any
time between sunrise and sunset, but must leave the camp before sunset.
8. Surveillance passes may be granted by the Chief Medical Officer of a camp
to such applicants as he may think fit, provided he is satisfied that such applicants are
persons of respectability and position, and provided the headman or one of the leaders
of the community or communities to which such persons belong (on direct personal
knowledge or after special satisfactory inquiry) stands surety for them and undertakes
that they will return to the camp for medical inspection when and as often as they may
be required to do so; and provided also that such persons show no suspicious symptoms.
If inmates let out of camp on surveillance fail to appear and produce the members
of their party at any of the times appointed by the Chief Medical Officer of the camp,
the sureties of such inmates will be posted as defaulters and the continuance of the
concession of surveillance will be endangered. It follows that all leaders should take
such zealous and intelligent interest in each candidate as to prevent the risk that the
candidate will incur on failing to carry out his undertaking, and tho surety, equally
with the defaulter, be involved in the disgrace attendant thereto.
9. Surveillance passes may be granted by the Chief Medical Officer of a camp
at his own discreción in extraordinary cases (such as for marriage or funeral ceremonies
or other cases which do not permit of delay), provided the grantees show no suspicious
symptoms.
10. Surveillance tickets will be issued only between the hours of 8 a.m. and
11 a.m.
11. No person will be granted a surveillance ticket who has not first been
photographed.
191
12. Surveillance ticket-holders shall return to the camp from which they
procured such tickets between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., on the day or days
specified by the Chief Medical Officer of the camp, nnd shall not depart again from
such camp until their tickets shall have been duly endorsed.
13. No person detained within a camp shall be allowed to communicate with
persons outside the limits of the camp where he is detained, except with the express
permission of the Chief Medical Officer of the camp.
14. No person or an inmate, whether a pass-holder or a camp servant, shall leave
a camp at any time otherwise than by the recognized entrance gate and with a pass
or special permit signed by the Chief Medical Officer of the camp.
15. All persons whatsoever, detained or being within a camp or occupied or
employed in connection therewith, shall be subject to the orders of the Chief Medical
Officer of the camp.
16. Any person leaving or attempting to leave a camp, except as laid down in
Rule 12, or in any other respect disobeying these Eegulations, is liable to be prosecut-
ed under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and will be dealt with accordingly.
C (4).
Notification and Rules for Private Camps in Thana
Districts.
PEESONS resident in Bombay will be permitted to reside in camps of their own
construction at selected places in the Thana District on the follo\ving conditions :—
1. Parties consisting of any number of parties to be formed. For each family
a person (headman) who can, in the opinion of the Collector (or other
person authorized by him), be trusted, will make himself responsible»
2. The site to be occupied will be allotted by the Collector and as far as
possible according to the wishes of the party.
3. Each family to build ils own shed. Ten feet to be left between each shed
and thirty feet between each line of sheds.
4. The headman to be responsible for the cleanliness of his party's camp
and for the using of an allotted sito for natural purposes.
5. A register of persons permitted to reside in the camp to be kept, showing
the number of persons in each shed. The register to be open to inspec-
tion by any Plague Authority at any time.
6. The headman to be responsible thai; every case of sickness in the camp is
at once reported to the nearest Plague Authority or to such person as
may be appointed for each camp.
7. The headman to be responsible that all orders which the District
Magistrate may find it necessary to issue by reason of Plague in the
camp will be obeyed without trouble.
8. The headman to be responsible for damage clone to trees or other
property near the camp by members of his party.
192
9. Each member of the party to undergo medical inspection before leaving
Bombay in the first instance.
10. Only the working members of each party to be allowed to go to Bombay
daily. Each such person to travel only on a monthly railway pass.
11. The headman to be responsible that no member of his party leaves the
camp to live elsewhere. Any person sleeping out of the camp for one
night to be considered to have gone to live elsewhere.
12. Each party to make its own arrangements for its supply of food. Until
ten days have elapsed from the arrival of the party in camp, none of its
members to go into neighbouring villages.
13. The camp site to be vacated and sheds cleared away within a week from
the receipt of an order from the Collector, when the latter shall consider
that there is no longer any reason why persons should not return to
Bombay.
14. These conditions to be accepted in writing by the headman. Any
breach thereof may be punished at the Collector's direction by with-
drawal of permission to use the camp site.
R. P. BARROW,
Collector and District Magistrate, Thana.
BANDEA, 2th February 1898.
C (6).
Circular to Labour Employers re Health Camps.
To prevent the departure of deck labourers the Port Trust Contractors have, I
believe, put up sheds for their men, and I understand have by this means succeeded in
securing their stopping in Bombay.
II. The Plague Committee are anxious that provision should be made for fill
persons whose departure from Bombay would cause inconvenience to the trade of the
City. Large camps are being got ready in the Dadar rice fields, most of which area
is at present wholesome and suitable. If applications are made to the Secretary to
the Plague Committee sheds will be reserved and handed over at cost price. Nego-
tiations are also in hand to secure cheap or free workmen's trains. The site of the
camps is close to the Dadar Station and the inmates would probably enjoy good health.
III. If Dadar is too far for working men there is an admirable site at Sewri,
and also good sites on Port Trust land near Narielwadi.
IV. If arrangements can be made with the Muccadums or other organisers of
labour I think camps for 500 to 1,000 persons could be got ready in 10 to 15 days ;
cost price being paid for the huts and the Committee arranging for water and
sanitation.
V. I am hopeful that many Marathas and other labourers will be found ready to
take advantage of those arrangements.
VI. The Committee consider the planting out of the working classes in the
fields a matter of great importance and are ready to take any steps to encourage such
settlements.
BOMBAY, 15th February 1898.