NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
207
KHANDESH DISTRICT.
Area ... ... ...
Population in 1891
Density of populatio
Rainfall ... ...
...
n
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
10,454 sq. miles.
1,460,851.
139 74 per sq. mile.
About 22 inches.
Boundaries.
Khándesh, stretching nearly 160 miles along the Tápti, and forming an upland basin,
varying in breadth from 70 to 90 miles, is the most nor-
therly section of the Deccan table-land. Along the whole
northern frontier, the District is bounded by the Sátpuda range, from 80 to 40 miles wide ;
on the east and north-east, by Berár and Holkar's territory ; on the south, by the Nizám's
dominions : and on the west, by the Graekwar's territory (Baroda) and by Rewa Kantha.
Climate and natural features.
The Khándesh seasons are—the rainy season, from the middle of June to the middle of
October ; the cold season, from the middle of October to the
middle of February ; and the hot season, from the middle of
February to the middle of June. Owing to variety of height,
position, and character, the climate varies greatly in different parts of the District. In
the western hills and forests, the rainfall from the south-west monsoon is heavy, but in
the centre and south the fall is scanty and uncertain. As regards the general health
of the people, the hot weather is the most healthy, and the cold weather the most unhealthy,
season. In the beginning of the cold weather, the drying of the ground breeds much
malaria, and later on, the great daily extremes of heat and cold are very trying. In Khán-
desh there are four hot springs : three in Chopda, and the fourth in Shirpur. All the
varieties of soil that come under each of the three orders, black, red, and stony, are found
in this District. Many of the chief streams flow during almost the whole year, but most of
them are unfit for drinking, as their water is often polluted by the soaking of hemp and
other fibrous plants.
Previous epidemics.
There is no authentic record of plague in Khándesh
previous to 1896.*
The first case.
Imported into Dhulia.
12th October 1896.
The first case of plague in this District occurred at Dhulia, the head-quarter station, on
the 12th October 1896. The sufferer, who was a resident
of Mándvi in Bombay, left Bombay on the 11th October. He
was then suffering from high fever and was afraid he had
plague. He went by rail to Ohálisgaon, and thence by tonga, 34 miles, to Dhulia, which he
reached in an unconscious state on the 12th. He was under observation from the time
he arrived. The case was found by the Civil Surgeon, Lieut.-Colonel K. A. Dalai, I. M. S.
to be one of plague, and the patient died on the 15th.
Protective measures
at Bhusával.
November 1897.
No indigenous cases occurred in the District till November 1897, and the imported
cases were mostly found at the Bhusával Railway Station.
Under Government orders the inspection at Bhusával of
Railway passengers coming from Bombay began on the 1st
November 1896. The inspecting staff consisted, at first, of one Hospital Assistant, but
this was subsequently increased to two Assistant Surgeons and three or four Hospital
Assistants. The first case detected among passengers was on the 3rd December 1896, and
* Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XII.
KHANDESH DISTRICT.]
211
The kárkuns, vaccinators, pattáhwállás, etc., brought in from the tálukas, have been sent
back. A couple of special kárkuns have been entertained for the Plague Officer, and a
number of extra police have been enlisted to guard the empty town, the roads, the plague and
segregation camps, etc.; for sanction for them, I am applying separately.
Everything is being paid for by the Municipality, except the police and the disinfectants.
The parts of the town whose inhabitants the plague has been worst among are the cloth
bazaar and the street or two immediately to its north and south. The people principally affected
have consequently been Márwádis, and next to them Wánis. Then come the servants of
Márwádis and Wánis: chiefly Pardesis, with a Mussalmán or two, and a Kunbi or two. The
plague had got amongst two sets of people who work for Márwádis and Wánis, viz., hamáls
(Deccanis) and sweepers; but they seem, I am glad to say, to be free now since they went out
into huts."
Here, then, were found the ward system, evacuation, disinfection, railway inspection,
search parties, and segregation camps all working together. The result was to greatly diminish
the violence of the epidemic.
The following statement shews the progress of the epidemic, week by week:—
Period (week ending)
December 3rd
1897
"
10th
"
" 17th "
" 24th "
"
31st
"
January
7th 1898
" 14th "
"
21st
"
" 28th "
February 4th "
" 11th "
" 18th "
" 25th "
March
4th "
Total
Cases.
5
20
16
16
6
16
8
15
7
1
1
1
1
113
Deaths.
4
12
18
10
8
17
7
12
8
1
1
1
1
100
JALGAON
Population 16,000
Khándesh District.
Population—1,460,851.
On the 20th of January 1898, indigenous plague appeared (with two cases) at Neri
(population, 2,200), a village in the Jámner Táluka, and about
the same date at Pimprála, a village west of, and close to, Jal-
gaon. These two villages were at once evacuated. Subsequently another village in the
Jalgaon Táluka and four or five in the Jámner Táluka became infected. The disease also
appeared in one village of each of the tálukas of Chalisgaon, Amalner and Dhulia.
During the week ending the 28th of January 1898, 7 cases occurred in Jalgaon: the
infection in almost every case being clearly traced by the Collector.
During the week ending 31st of January 1898, the numbers were 15 cases—12 deaths in
Jalgaon; and the Collector, in an interesting note, endeavours to classify the attacks.
"The fifteen cases may, I think, be arranged under certain heads:—
A.—A Rangari woman and a Wáni woman did not, I should say, die of any
KHANDESH DISTRICT.]
213
The following statement shows the gradual spread, with the source of infection
where known :—
Táluka.
Jal gao n ...
Do.
...
Jálgaon ...
Jámner ...
Do.
...
Chálisgaon
Do.
...
Amalner ...
Jámner ...
Dhulia ...
··
...
...
...
...
··
Villages.
Jálgaon
Pimprála ...
Neri
Bholána
Neridigar ...
Talegaon ...
Pilkhod
...
Málpimpri ..
Samrod ...
Nagaum Khurd
Shelgaon ...
Shirud
...
...
...
...
··
...
...
...
...
...
Date of first reported cases.
10th December 1897
4th February 1898
4th February 1898
11th February 1898
.lltli February 1898
25th February 1898
4th March 1898
11th March 1898
11th March 1898
15th March 1898
18th March 1898
22nd March 1898
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Source of infection.
Sholápur (prob-
ably).
Jalgaon.
Do.
Unknown.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Each of these villages, as soon as indigenous plague was discovered in it, was at once
completely evacuated and disinfected.
The following table shows the number of cases in the District and in Jalgaon Town
during the successive months of the epidemic, together with the number of villages infected :—
Month.
October 1896 to December 1897 .
December
1897...
...
...
January 1898
February 1898
. March 1898
April 1898
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
Tota]
...
...
...
...
...
Number of
villages infected.
...
1
4
11
4
...
KHANDESH DISTRICT
(excluding Jalgaon Town).
Oases.
*40
5
5
74
117
15
256
Deaths.
*18
4
4
61
90
14
191
JALGAON TOWN.
Cases.
...63
46
3
1
...
113
Deaths.
... 52
44
3
1
...
100
* All imported.
From the 22nd April 1898 no case occurred till December 1898, when the disease
appeared in a village adjoining one of those infected in the previous fair weather, and
resulted in 25 cases—21 deaths during the week ending 16th December 1898. The returns
for the following week were blank.
54
214
[CHAP. VIII.
Since January 1899 plague again appeared and spread in Khandesh District. During
the week ending January the 6th there were 35 cases and 27 deaths ; and during the succeed-
ing weeks the figures rose steadily until the first week in March, when 73 cases—49 deaths
were recorded.
These were · the highest figures reached in the epidemic, and the next week showed a
decrease. Steadily the disease was got under control, until, for the week ending 5th May
the returns were blank. May, June, and July continued free, but towards the end of
August and in September and October plague again appeared, 166 cases—133 deaths in all
being reported.
The following are the monthly figures from January to November 1899 :—
Month.
January 1899 —4
February ,, — 4
March
,,
—5
April
,,
— 4
May
,,
— 4
June
,,
— 5
July
,,
—4
August ,, — 4
September ,, — 5
October ,, — 4
November ,, — 4
weeks
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
··
Total...
Cases.
142
163
242
100
1
2
...
56
102
8
...
816
Peaths.
108
146
197
64
...
2
...
31
94
8
...
650
215
NASIK DISTRICT.
Area ... ... ... ...
Population in 1891 ...
Density of population
Rainfall ... ... ...
...
... 5,940 sq. miles.
... 843,582.
... 142 per sq. mile.
... About 58 inches.
Boundaries.
Rhomboidal in shape, with a length of 108 miles from north-east to south-west, and an
extreme breadth from north to south of 87 miles, the Násik
District is bounded on the north by Khándesh ; on the east
by the Nizam's dominions ; on the south by the Ahmednagar District ; and on the west by
Thana, the State of Dharampur, and the Songad division of the Gaekwar's territory.
Climate and natural features.
The climate varies considerably in different parts of the District, the extremes of heat
and cold being greater towards the east. For a short period in
each year extreme cold and extreme heat are experienced, the
extreme cold usually in January, and the extreme heat in the beginning of April. Occasionally
in May, the thermometer rises to 102°, and during exceptionally cold weather in December and
the early part of January, it has been known to fall as low as 27°. Násik is one of the
healthiest districts in Western India. The rainfall is heavy in the hill-tracts in the west,
moderate in the centre, and uncertain and scanty in the east.
With regard to the soil, little need be said in a geological point of view. The valleys
are filled with disintegrated basalt of various shades, from grey to black, washed down by rain.
It is of an argillaceous nature, and its colour depends greatly upon the organic matter it has
imbibed, or the length of time it has been exposed to the air. The red soil is less common
and more tenacious than in most districts.
There is no authentic record of plague in Násik District previous to 1896.
Plague in the
Nàsik District.
December 1896 to
March 1898.
First Epidemic (July 1897—March 1893).—Imported cases of plague were discovered in
this District as early as December 1896, and from that date to the
middle of May 1897 forty-seven such cases occurred in different
parts of the district. No further case was observed up to the
end of July.
At this time it was rumoured that plague existed at Igatpuri, an important town
situated on the G. I. P. Railway, 28 miles from Násik, in the direction of Bombay.
The Collector at once visited the town with Major A. V. Anderson, I. M. S., and from the
inquiries they instituted, it was ascertained that plague really existed, and that cases had
been occurring for about a fortnight previous to their visit. Indigenous plague may,
therefore, be said to have commenced in the district towards the latter part of July 1897.
The infection is attributed to two cases imported from Bombay.
It was remarkable that, in spite of the comparatively large number of imported cases
which occurred in the District, indigenous plague did not show itself for a long time,—
especially in the town of Násik, where as many as 86 imported cases—26 from Igatpuri
alone—were discovered before the first indigenous case occurred on 12th October 1897. The
Civil Surgeon, Dr. Maynard, comments on these facts as follows : —
* Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XVI.
217
NASIK DISTRICT.]
(6) Defence of the roads leading into the town by ten clays' detention for arrivals
from infected places, and surveillance of new arrivals.
(7) The ward system.
(8) Corpse inspection.
In addition to these, Railway Camps were established at Mánmad, Igatpuri, and Násik Road.
The Observation Camp at Teola must be noticed ; the Collector says—
"An observation camp on a small scale was maintained at Yeola by the Municipality from
the 12th December 1897 to 80th April 1898. There were from first to last 315 admissions
from infected places. Ten days' detention was enforced, and the detained were, with their
belongings, disinfected on arrival. Not a single case of plague occurred in the camp, and
the Hospital Assistant attributes this to the thoroughness of the disinfection. There was a
difficulty in discriminating and providing for the indigent during detention. The evidence
is, of course, negative, but a share of the credit, for immunity of Yeola during 1897-98, may,
I think, be fairly claimed by the authorities who organized and worked the detention camp."
These measures were applied more or less thoroughly throughout the District.
In Násik Town these measures were introduced within a week or two of the
Nâsik Town
Population—24,429.
occurrence of the first case, with the exception of evacuation and
the ward system. Evacuation was begun by streets about the
1st of November 1897. But it was soon seen that the evacuation
of one or two Houses was wholly insufficient to check the spread. The evacuation of whole
blocks therefore took its place from about the 11th of November 1897 ; and was so thoroughly
carried out, that by the 10th of January 1898 11/12ths of the town lay empty. That this was
the measure which principally checked the epidemic will be seen from the following-
figures :—
Month.
October (5 weeks) ...
November (4 weeks)...
December (5 weeks) ...
Total
...
...
...
Population
by Census of
1891.
24,429
Casos.
52
137
186
375
Deaths.
38
106
147
291
REMARKS.
The figures for October are only
approximate, and include 7 im-
ported cases and 2 deaths.
The figures for the first two weeks
of November are only approxi-
mate.
3 months previous to evacuation.
NASIK TOWN
Population 24,429
220
[CHAP.
VIII.
Cleghorn, and Colonel Hay, I. M. S., visited the town, and expressed satisfaction with the
arrangements.
Among the people who were turned out of the infected block were certain Kunbis who
went into their fields. These people stealthily visited the infected quarters and kept the
plague alive amongst the evacuated population. The result was a re-introduction of the
disease into the town by their means. It was now necessary to carry out measures on a
much larger scale. Accordingly, groups of huts for a Hospital and a Health Camp were
built on an excellent plan outside the town and large numbers of people vacated their
houses. In December a Staff Corps Officer arrived, while the Staff was augmented by an
Assistant Surgeon, 2 or 3 Hospital Assistants, an Abkari Inspector and a Municipal Sani-
tary Inspector. Miss Clark and Miss Fulcher of the Zenana Mission voluntarily rendered
the greatest assistance at the hospital.
But the disease scarcely seemed to yield, as the following figures will show:—
Week ending
10th December 1897
17th
do.
24th
do.
31st
do.
7th January 1898
14th
do.
Total
Cases.
21
19
24
26
63
70
231
Deaths.
16
13
17
18
48
62
174
The Hospital and Camp had already outgrown their former size, but were not yet
large enough to accommodate the number requiring admission. The Camp was therefore
rapidly enlarged and the whole remaining population transferred thither. The public
offices were shifted to the vicinity of the Camp, and a Post Office was also set up there.
The weavers had special sheds constructed for them in which they erected their looms.
Thus the town was entirely deserted, or rather a new temporary town was created in its
vicinity. Meanwhile systematic disinfection was carried out in the town. By the first
week of February the town lay empty, and the effect of the measures was highly salutary,
the figures diminishing rapidly. The following statement shows the figures after the 14th
January when the zenith was reached:—
Week ending.
21st January 1898 ...
28th
do.
4th February 1898
11th
do.
18th
do.
25th
do.
4th March
1898
11th
do.
18th
do.
Total
Cases.
50
29
27
12
10
11
2
4
1
146
Deaths.
41
27
20
13
9
9
4
3
126
MALEGAON
Population 15,502.
222
[CHAP. VIII. NASIK. DISTRICT.]
Though a large number of the places stricken during the first epidemic remained
free on the second occasion, all the important towns were attacked a second time. The infection,
wherever traceable, appears to have been due to importation, and there is no history of a true
recrudescence. The following are the monthly figures for the second epidemic :—
Mouth.
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
1898,
1899,
4 weeks
5 „
4 „
4 , „
5 „
4 „
4 „
5 „
4 „
4 „
Total ...
NASIK DISTRICT.
Population —
813,582.
Cases.
212
717
563
191
210
107
266
400
150
98
2,923
Deaths.
155
535
352
123
170
06
211
335
134
08
2,180
NÁSIK TOWN.
Population —
24,429.
Cases.
...
...
...
...
18
85
210
111
46
470
Deaths.
...
...
13
70
160
08
40
390
The figures for the month of May 1899 and two weeks of June were encouraging
enough, but by the end of June it was clear from the returns that the Násik District was
doomed to suffer still another epidemic, which has eclipsed in virulence, if not in duration,
the one preceding it. Through July 1899 a steady increase took place, but with the
advent of August the rise became much more rapid. The returns for the fourth week of
September were 1,051 cases—805 deaths, the figures for the whole month being 4,345
cases—3,268 deaths. Thereafter the disease rapidly declined, and at the present time
(November) has almost wholly subsided.
Over 90 places were attacked throughout the whole District; the monthly figures
for the whole District being : —
Mouth.
June
1809
July ,,
August
,,
September ,,
October
„
...
...
...
...
... · ·
··
...
...
...
Cases.
129
714
1,008
4,345
2,316
Deaths.
111
661
1,460
3,268
1,882
REMARKS.
NASIK DISTRICT.
Chart showing Plague Mortality.
SURAT DISTRICT.
Chart showing Plague Mortality.
223
POONA DISTRICT.
Area ... ... ... ... ...
Population in 1891
...
...
Density of population
Rainfall ... ... ... ...
... 5,352 sq. miles.
... 1,067,800.
... 199 51 per sq. mile.
... 27 inches.
Boundaries.
Poona is bounded on the north by Ahmednagar ; on the cast, by Ahmednagar and
Sholápur ; on the south, by Málsiras in Sholápur, and
Phaltan, Wái and Bhor in Sátára ; and on the west by
Koha in Kolába, Bhor in Sátára, Pen in Kolába, and Karjat and Murbád in Thána.
Climate and natural features.
Its height above the sea, its freedom from alluvial deposits, and the prevalence of westerly
breezes, make the climate of Poona dry and invigorating and
better suited to European constitutions than most Indian
climates. The air is lighter, the cold more bracing, and the heat less oppressive than in
most parts of Western or Southern India. There are three seasons : the cold season from
November to February, the hot season from March to June, and the wet season from June to
October. The coldest month of the year is January,
The soil of the District is lighter in the west than in the east. It belongs to three classes,
black, red, and coarse gray. Poona is crossed by many rivers and streams, the chief of
which is the Bhima, which for more than a hundred miles forms its eastern boundary. Dur-
ing the rainy season all of these rivers flow with a magnificent volume of water, and during
the hot season shrink to a narrow thread in broad stretches of gravel.
There is no authentic record of plague in Poona previous to 1896.*
Between December 1896 and November 1899, Poona City and District have each suffered
from four epidemics, the epidemics in each case being of crescent magnitude. The dura
tions of these epidemics were approximately as follows :—
Epidemic.
1st Epidemic ...
2nd
„ ...
3rd
„ ...
4th „...
Town.
January to June 1897
July 1897 to June 1898
February 1899 to Oct. 1899...
District.
February to March 1897...
July 1897 to March 1898
July 1898 to March 1899
July 1899 to Nov. 1899 ...
REMARKS.
Town : moderate.
District : very mild.
Town : severe.
District : mild.
Town : every severe.
District : mild.
District : severe.
Poona City was originally infected from Bombay, and Poona District probably received
the infection from Poona City.
Poona City.
Population—118,657.
First Epidemic (January 1897—June 1897).—Measures for the protection of Poona
(City were instituted as early as September 1896 : the first of
such measures being Railway Medical Inspection, the arrange-
ments for which were first made by the City and Suburban
Municipalities, but which were improved and extended by Government, who took it over
from the 21st March 1897. By this means many arrivals suffering from plague were
detected ; but legal power to send them to, or detain them in, hospital was wanting ; in the
Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XVIII.
POONA DISTRICT.]
225
Second Epidemic (July 1897—March 1898).—Throughout June 1897 there was an
Poona City.
almost complete subsidence of the disease, both in the City
and District ; and it was hoped that the disease would die out
altogether. These hopes were not realized : for the City was not free from plague for any
one week during the following ten months, and it soon passed through a second epidemic of
far longer duration and greater severity than the first.
No details can be given for this second epidemic, as no report has been received for the
period June 1897 to June 1898 for Poona City: but the following statement shows how,
from the middle of September 1897, the figures rose steadily and rapidly, subsiding again
towards the end of December :—
Week ending
3rd September
10th
„
17th ,,
24th ,,
1st October
8th
„
15th
„
22nd „
29th
„
5th November
12th ,,
19th ,,
26th ,,
3rd December
10th ,,
17th ,,
24th
,,
31st
,,
L897
Add—August 1897
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Cases.
13
22
66
100
166
199
321
349
510
650
524
611
525
496
520
408
285
190
71
Deaths.
12
15
41
74
110
143
191
281
365
460
393
436
433
394
383
350
250
167
40
Total for the second epidemic up
to the end of 1897
... 6,026 4,538
After Mr. Rand's decease in June 1897, Mr. R. A. Lamb, I.C.S., was appointed Chair-
man, Poona City Plague Committee, which post he held until February 1898 : and he was
succeeded by Colonel (now Brigadier-General O.'M. Creagh, V.C., who remained Chairman
until the dissolution of the Committee by Government Resolution No. 2586/2982-P of the 7th May
1898, when Major Reade, R. A. M. C., was placed in charge of all Plague operations in the
City with the title of Chief Plague Authority. This last arrangement has remained in
force up to the present time.
In Poona Cantonment a Plague Committee was appointed in November 1897 by order
of Government, the first Chairman being the late Lieut.-General J. Duncan, Commanding
the Poona District, and on his death Major-General G. Hogg, C.B., was appointed.
Major-General C. J. Burnett, C.B., took over the duties of Chairman, Poona Canton-
meut Plague Committee, on 31st December 1898.
Lieut.-Colonel T. R. Macpherson, I.S.C,, was appointed Chief Plague Authority, Poona
Cantonment and Suburban Municipality, on 23rd February 1899, vice Lieut.-Colonel
Newnham-Smith, proceeding on leave to England.
57