INOCULATION.]
43
7. Umerkhadi Jail, 'Bombay.—Plague appeared in this jail in the end of December
1897. Three prisoners took the disease and subsequently died. Then 011 1st January 1898,
inoculatiou was offered to the prisoners, who all, 401 in number, declared themselves
willing to undergo the operation. It was resolved, however, for the purposes of demonstra-
tion, that only one-half of each group of prisoners should be operated on. Two prisoners
only refused to allow inoculation.
No distinction was made between the groups of
inoculated and uuiuoculated prisoners; they had the same food and drink, the same hours
of work and rest, and the same accommodation. After this, plague cases appeared at
intervals for a space of 30 days, and were distributed as follows. During this time an almost
equal number of releases took place in the two groups, and the average daily strength
exposed to the disease up to the end was 147 inoculated and 127 not inoculated.
Average.
luoculated
Not inoculated.
Population.
147
1.27
Case.
3
10
Deaths.
6
REMEAUKS.
* The dinscase was so mild in these
cases that the hospital authorities
were doubtful whether they were
cases of plague.
8. Undhera.—Plague broke out in this agricultural village, which is situated 6 miles
from Baroda, in the end of December 1807. According to a census taken by the Baroda
authorities on 5th January 1898, there were 1,031 souls in the village. Between that date
and 12th February, when the inoculations were performed, 70 persons died of plague, 10 had
left the village, and 5 were born, thus leaving 950 persons alive on the latter date. This
is equivalent tο a death-rate of 766 per mille per annum, and will serve to show how
virulent the epidemic was. On 12th February the village was visited by Mr. Haffkine,
Major Bannerman, Indian Medical Service, the chief Plague authorities of Baroda State, and
some half-dozen local medical men, and by them inoculation of 513 of the inhabitants was
carried out the same day. By reference to the census papers the whole of the inhabitants
were called out house by house, and the half of each section of each household inoculated.
In this way an endeavour way made to inoculate half the men, half the women, and half
the children in each family, and to arrange that a fair proportion of the sickly-looking should
be placed in each division.
An investigation as to the results of the inoculations in Uudhera was made on 4th April
1898 by Surgcon-Major-Greneral R. Harvey, Director-General, Indian Medical Service ;
Mr. Haffkine, Major Baunernuin, I. M. S., and Captain Dyson, I. M. S., with the aid of the
local authorities of Baroda. Bach house in which a plague case had occurred since the
12th February was visited, and the occurrences among the members ascertained by personal
inquiry from the survivors, by reference to the hospital register, and from the census papers
in which the doses of prophylactic administered had been entered. The following is the
result of this investigation. The plague continued in the village for 42 days after the
inoculations were performed, and affected 28 families only : and these families are therefore
alone dealt with below.
Among the inoculaled.
(a) There were no deaths from causes
other than plague.
(b) There were no deaths during the
first 3 days after inoculation, the first
fatality being recorded ou the 2lst, 8 clear
days after.
(c) From the 15th February till the
end of the epidemic there were 8 attacks of
plague, of which 3 proved fatal.
Among the uninoculated.
(α) A child aged 1 year died of bronchitis
on 21st February 1898.
(6) Three died of plague during the first 3
days following the inoculation, and arc there-
fore omitted from the calculations as having
been attacked before those in the other section
were operated on.
(c) From the 15th of February till the
end of the epidemic, 27 more attacks of plague
occurred, of whom 26 died,