SURAT DISTRICT.]
183
others in the Bulsár Táluka, and in March, Umarsádi in the Párdi Táluka, returned high
Plague figures. In April matters improved, and in the first week of May there were only
8 cases—2 of them imported; but the unfortunate village of Magod has again been attacked,
though there is every hope that plague there will soon be brought under control.
The following are the figures, mouth by month, for the whole District during 1898 :—
Mouth.
January 1899, 4 weeks
February ,, 4 „
March
,,
5
„
April
,,
4 „
May
,,
4 „
June
,,
1 week
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total ... ...
i
Cases.
38
152
154
53
80
4
481
Deaths.
23
102
104
37
05
4
335
Dumas.
Population—4,287.
SACHIN STATE.
The course of plague in Dumas in the Sachin State may be appropriately noticed
here. As a precautionary measure, early in the progress of the
Surat epidemic, a check was placed on the road leading to Dumas
and Bhimpur, and the use of all other roads and bye-paths forbidden.
These restrictions were not, however, enforced in the case of people taking fish to Surat for
sale, and it was due to this probably that plague found its way to Dumas. This was treated
as an object-lesson for the neighbouring village of Bhimpur, the villagers of which did not
afterwards proceed into Surat, but stopped at the border and there transferred their fish to
Surat fish-sellers. Side by side with this theory of the origin, however, must be placed a
report to the effect that a case from Surat was smuggled into Dumas by boat, the shore being
too extensive for the Preventive force to watch thoroughly. The first case was detected on
the 1st January 1898, and the last on the 21st April : the total number between these dates
being 160. Of these, 9 cases occurred in January, 88 in February, 55 in March, and 8 in April.
On the very day on which the first case was discovered, the affected portion of the
village was evacuated, a Hospital was established, infected houses cleaned, ventilated and
disinfected with their contents which were exposed to the sun. Next day it was notified
that no corpse should be disposed of without the permission of the Hospital Assistant. The
Koli and Macchhi houses were distributed among the village officers and certain leading
men who volunteered for the work. All sickness was to be immediately reported. From
the 27th January, 1898, the evacuation of the whole village was commenced. On the 8th and
9th February however, there were heavy showers of rain and the people got back into the
village. After a week they were re-evicted as soon as a case occurred in a 'falia,' and
shortly the whole of the fishermen and Kolis were turned out. Mr. P. J. Mead, I.C.S.,
the Administrator of the Sachin State, makes the following interesting remarks on the
method of evacuation and segregation of contacts :—
"The population were turned out in long lines arranged in blocks. Every block was
supervised by one man. For this purpose I employed the Taláti and the various school mas-
ters, and later on the Patel for the Kunbis and Párais. The Patel had plenty of general
work, and did it splendidly. My supervisors were instructed to see every single person and
feel the heat of their bodies with the hand. They reported to me or to the Doctor. Not a
single case escaped detection, and very few were not early reported on. A few ,Macchhis,
who were turbulent, were suppressed, and the work went on with great smoothness.
"Before the village was evacuated, segregation sheds had been erected near the Hospi-
tal. These were never popular. After evacuation, segregation of contacts, was for a time