POONA DISTRICT.]
235
was either Europe or Nativo, according to the wishes of the patient. Food was supplied to
the poorer patients, and cots, blankets and pillows wore also found them. A small force of
Police was specially engaged to see that orders were carried out. This was done effectively
at Alandi and with less success elsewhere.
(9) No one was allowed to re-occupy his house until it had been disinfected and until
the officer in charge of plague operations was thoroughly satisfied that the infection had
disappeared. In consequence of the ease with which this was done, no cases of re-infection
occurred after the houses were again occupied.
(10) The people acquiesced in all the measures adopted for their welfare, except
(1) inoculation, and (2) separation from their sick relatives. Generally speaking, they will
have nothing to do with inoculation, and great tact has to bo exercised to prevent them
from becoming infected from contact with the sick. They arc generally very keen to keep
plague out of their villages.
(11) The plague work in the District was under the general control of Major Reade,
R.A. M. C., who had from time to time a Staff Corps Officer under his orders, notably
Lieutenant Wright, Irish Rifles, and Major Kreyer, I. S. C. At Alandi the measures were
supervised by Captain Morgan, R. A. M. C., assisted by Ráo Sáheb N. N. Sathe, the Plague
Mámlatdár, and Mr. G. B. B rahme, B.A. All these officers worked extremely well and were
assisted by the Schoolmasters of all the villages attacked and by numerous Hospital Assist-
ants, of whom the most efficient workers were Mr. G. B. Sathe, Hospital Assistant, Khedane,
and Mr. L. B. Yadav, Hospital Assistant, Alandi."
Poona City (excluding can-
tonment and suburbs).
From May 1898 to February 1899, Poona City was free from indigenous plague. The
large number of imported cases which occurred, however, were
naturally a constant source of anxiety. These imported cases
during this period numbered 37, of which 13 were detected at
the Railway Station and sent to the General Plague Hospital ; seven others also came by rail,
but were only detected after taking up their residence in the town ; the remaining 17 were
imported from neighbouring village. It is interesting to note the various methods by which
these last 24 cases were discovered, five were discovered by means of death-certificates ; two
were found ill on the road and taken to hospital; two occurred in the Savar's Gate Observation
Gamp ; the discovery of the remaining 15 was due to the surveillance system.
As each imported case was discovered every effort was put forth to prevent its establishing
infection ; and these efforts were so far successful that up to the middle of February 1899 no
spread of the disease occurred.
As regards the organisation and means taken up to the above date, Major W, L. Reade,
R. A. M. C., Chief Plague Authority, Poona City, reports as follows :—
"Mentioned in their place, the organization may he said to consist of two lines of defence,
the first line includes surveillance of arrivals, and the second line, corpse-inspection. Under
the term surveillance is included (a) inspection of arrivals by rail, (b) inspection of arrivals
by road, (e) surveillance of ' contact.'
(2) The town is divided into 17 districts, and each division is placed in charge of a Chief
Volunteer, usually a native gentleman of position in the division. The Chief Volunteer is the
executive plague official of his district, and he has working under htm a certain number of
other voluntary workers and two paid clerks.
(3) Each division is provided with an office, and the spirit of the voluntary system has
so far developed in Poona that those offices ave placed rent-free at the disposal of the Plague
Authorities.
(4) The surveillance of arrivals by rail and road is carried out at the divisional office, and
in the event of the non-attendance of a person on the surveillance list, a clerk or peon is at
once sent to visit the house and to find out the cause of non-attendance. Arrivals by rail are
sorted at the Railway Station, some are vouched for by Volunteers, and on being furnished with
a surveillance ticket are allowed to go into the town, also those in possession of ward or traders'
passes. The ward pass certifies that the owner is an inhabitant of a certain house in the town,
and the ticket is signed by the Chief Volunteer of the division in which, the person lives.