CUTCH.]
339
Mundra Táluka--olher places.
Population—25,650.
Twenty-five places reported cases in this Táluka, but of these 9 had less than 5 cases each.
The total number of cases in Mundra Táluka and in the towns
of Mundra, Toda, Luni, &c., are given in the table of attacks
below.
Mándvi Town and Salaya.
Population—38.155.
The rise and progress of the second epidemic in Mándvi
are thus described by Major Hyde-Cates:—
"Towards the end of December 1807 and beginning of January 1898, 3 or 4 cases
occurred amongst the Meghwals living outside the Sonáwálla Gate of the town. In each
case the house or hut in which the case occurred was burnt down and the contacts segre-
gated. Finally this colony of Meghwals, being a standing danger, was removed to a site
about a mile from the town, where they were given assistance in building huts for themselves
on a systematic plan.
"On the 23rd February a case occurred amongst the Mahomedans living in houses
adjoining the old Meghwal quarters, and a block of houses containing some 80 people was
evacuated and the persons segregated for 20 days. No further case occurred amongst them.
" It was not till the end of March that indigenous cases began to appear with any
regularity, and then only 1 or 2 a day, but during the period January 16th to April 7th
there had been 25 imported cases with 15 deaths. All these cases were from Bombay,
and occurred in the observation camps.
"During January, there had been only 3 or 4 indigenous cases amongst the Meghwals
as reported above ; during February, there was only 1 indigenous case ; and during March
8 cases with 8 deaths. During April ea^cs occurred in ones and twos till the 30th
April brought 4 cases, the total for that month being 20 cases and 15 deaths. May saw
the commencement of the recrudescence in earnest, and during the week April 30th to
May 6th, cases went up with a bound from 6 cases and 2 deaths the preceding week
to 44 cases and 32 deaths. The second week in May showe 142 cases and 29 deaths, the third
64 cases and 36 deaths, the fourth week 81—68 and 33 cases and 23 deaths for the remaining
period of May 28th to 31st. Up to date of writing (20th August 1898), May has been the
worst month, the total cases during this month going up to 260 cases—179 deaths, and the
grand total from the start of the recrudescence, which may be put down as the 10th March
last to 31st May, amounts to 288 cases and 202 deaths."
Indigenous plague began with cases amongst the Saláts. This caste lives in the Návapura
quarter of the town—a dirty, crowded and insanitary locality inside the fort. Throughout
the previous epidemic this caste had enjoyed immunity from the disease while the Khatris
had suffered. On this occasion the Khatris were comparatively free, while the Saláts
suffered.
The disease in this epidemic was much less severe : and Major Hyde-Cates attributes this
decrease in virulence to the check placed on it by the following measures :—
(a) Evacuation.
(b) Death registration and death certificates.
(c) Segregation of whole blocks round the infected houses.
(d) Removal of the tiles some time previous to recrudescence.
On the operation of these measures, Major Hyde-Cates makes the following remarks :—
"(a) First and foremost, evacuating the town. So far back as February 1898, the
Darbár Chief Plague Officer called a meeting of the headmen of the castes, at which Dr. Mason
and myself were present, and we pointed out to them the advantages of turning out and the
serious consequent which would probably ensue if they neglected the advice and did not get
their caste people to go out. Some went out soon after this, but we had to have one or two
subsequent meetings, and it was not till the end of April, when cases had been occurring daily
during the month, that any appreciable difference could be noticed in the numbers in the town.
When the cases rose suddenly to 41 in the first week in May, the people began to turn out in