224
[CHAP. VIII.
absence of any segregation or surveillance system,, it was impossible to prevent the impor-
tation of infection by persons incubating the disease, which, towards the end of January
1897, was declared epidemic in the City.
In March 1897 a Plague Committee was appointed to devise and introduce measures to
deal with the epidemic, the President of which, Mr. W. C. Rand, I.C.S., was murdered in
June 1897. In this, the earlier period of Plague history, the panic produced by pesti-
lence, the stampede from any place where its incidence was assuming serious proportions,
the distrust alike of hospitals and treatment, all combined to hamper and impede the
success of the measures it was found necessary to introduce, as well for the sake oí the
stricken people themselves as for the protection of those as yet. only menaced. Mr. Rand's
description of the situation in those early days is impressive : —
"The state of the City was one of panic. A large proportion of the leading men of
the place had already left, or were preparing to leave, Poona on account of the outbreak.
Several of the Municipal Commissoners and Honorary Magistrates were among the deser-
ters. The majority of the Gujaráti and Marwadi traders (who have the grain trade entirely
in their hands) were closing their shops and returning to their native countries. The mass
of the people were, asa natural consequence of their ignorance, opposed segregation either
of the sick or of apparently healthy persons who had been exposed to infection. Most of
the influential men left in the town declared themselves in favour of the principle of segre-
gation, but their ideas on the subject were generally crude, and few, if any, of them were
reconciled to the application of it to persons of their own position in life. Another fact to
be reckoned with was that a section of the Brahmin community, including some of the most
influential men in the City, were disinclined to support any measures that emanated from
an official source, and were more likely than not to work against any operations that might
be set on foot by Government to deal with the emergency.
"Another important factor, too, in, the situation was the state of the labour market
Many labourers were leaving the town on account of the epidemic, and owing to the panic
that prevailed, those who remained could not be relied, on to work regularly, especially if
there was an element of danger in the work to be done. It was difficult, therefore, to carry
on lime-washing and other measures of disinfection on a large scale with, private labour.
Under these circumstance, it would have been unsafe to attempt to carry out any extensive
operations against the plague without a disciplined and reliable agency. It was of the
utmost importance to crush the epidemic with the least possible delay, both to stay the great
mortality that was taking place in Poona and to prevent the spread of the disease to the
other towns of the Deccan, in none of which had it so far attained epidemic proportions."
Nevertheless, the first epidemic was of short duration, for the disease rapidly subsided
during April and May 1897, the following being the total recorded figures : —
First Epidemic.
20th January to 27th May 1887 ..
Cases.
2,854
Deaths.
1,834
But this, as Mr. Hand points out, was probably only about half the true plague mortality.
In the District, during this first year, the spread of the disease was very limited and
Poona District.
its virulence slight, as the following figures, which do not
include the City epidemic, and which cover the entire first
period, show :—
First Epidemic.
January to May 1897
...
...
...
Cases.
215
Deaths.
189