258
[CHAP. VIII·
18th December 1896—A fatal case imported from Bombay was not reported till after
death had occurred. (Pandharpur.)
21st January 1897—A Máng woman, who had been to Bombay to attend her son who
died of plague, returned to Hotgi village. She was taken ill of
plague on the 21st and died the same day.
23rd January 1897—A man. with a ticket from Bombay to Sholápur was found in a
semi-conscious state in the lavatory of a carriage at Hotgi Rail-
way Station. He was brought to the Plague Hospital at
Sholápur and died on the 25th idem.
24th January 1897 1st February 1807—Between these dates 3 inmates of the but in
which the last case had died, and another woman of the same
caste living in an adjoining hut, were taken ill of plague and all
died, the last death occurring on February 1st. These 4 were
not exposed to any source of infection, except from case No. 4.
The cases were not reported until February ]st. The remaining
members of the families were segregated in their fields, and
their huts and the sweepings round about were burned. No
other case occurred in the village.
Two more imported cases occurred 011 the 4th February 1897 and then 6 indigenous
cases, the infection this time coming from Poona. The Collector's notes on these cases are
us follows :—
4th February 1897—Λ labourer died of plague at his nativo village of Oztirc in Karmála
Táluka shortly after his return from Bombay.
Do.
—Two labourers died of plague at their native village, Kumbhej, in
Karmála Táluka shortly after their return from Bombay.
5th February 1897—About February 1st a Marátha woman died of plague in Bárámati
Táluka, Poona. Her brother, who lived in Sindowádi, Táluka
Málsiras, au adjacent village, wont to her funeral, lie returned
to his village and was well until the 5th idem, when the plague
declared itself and he died on the 7th. The surviving mem-
bers of his household were at once removed from the village to a
field at a distance when the following cases occurred :—
]4th February 1897—Brother of the above—died ou 15th February 1897.
16th February 1897—Mother of the same
do.
20th
do,
23rd February 1897— Brother
do.
do.
25th
do.
4th March 1897—Sister-in-law
do.
do.
5th March 18971
8th March 1897— Brother
do.
do.
10th
do.
11th February 1897—Besides these, a Rámosi woman who lived near was attacked on
the 11th February. She was removed by her friends to the
adjacent village of Dharampuri, where she died on the 13th.
The measures adopted were immediate segregation, not only of the victims, but of
all those who had been in any sort of communication with them, the disinfection or destruc-
tion of any articles that might be supposed to be infected, and the evacuation, unroofing, and
disinfection of all houses occupied by such persons. The measures were successful, for,
although imported plague continued to be discovered up to the end of April,* there were no
more indigenous cases. So ended the first epidemic, if
* 29 cases—25 deaths in all.
epidemic it can be called ; and Sholápur District was free from
either imported or indigenous plague for 5 clear months, i.e., from 27th April 1897 to
about the end of September 1897.
The Second Epidemic began on the 2'Jst September 1897, and up to the 8th of
October 1897 there were 19 cases—13 deaths in Sholápur Town, and 2—2 in the District.
Of these 6 cases —4 deaths were imported. The actual dates of these cases are not known :
but they all occurred previous to the 8th of October.