SECOND PERIOD.]
3
now hoped that the pestilence would gradually disappear altogether from the Presidency
Recrudescences were perhaps feared, but not expected, at any rate in a severe form, and
every effort was put forth to prevent them. Inspection of passengers by road and rail
and sea ; strict segregation of those arriving from infected places, prompt isolation and
disinfection where, notwithstanding all precautions, cases had been imported,—all these and
many other measures were rigidly enforced to procure immunity and prevent infection from
taking root. All such hopes were, however, frustrated : all efforts unavailing. In the second
year Plague struck the Presidency with twice the severity of the first year—established a
wider area of infection—burst out in individual epidemics of greater severity—doubled the
Plague death-roll.
After the general subsidence, above-mentioned, of plague throughout the Presi-
dency, which took place in June and. July 1897, the first places to be re-infected
were KaradTown (middle of July 1897), followed in a month by Surat City and District,
Kalyan Town, Poona City and District, Nasik Town and District, and the Satara District, in
all of which plague re-appeared during August. Kolaba District, which had never been quite
free, continued slightly infected throughout; and though the figures were small, no week
passed without plague being returned from it. It, too, after a lull in July and August, became
slightly worse towards the middle of September 1897. Of the Native States, Cutch,
where plague had never quite ceased, became worse in September, the figures running
over 100 per week. Mundra Town (population, 10,433) was infected towards the end of
August, Palan pur Town (population, 21,092), which had suffered from a slight epidemicfrom
February to May 1897, was re-infected in August, and succeeded in two months in infecting
the rest of the State. About this time Aundh State became infected for the first time.
Plague in Sind throughout this second year was limited to a slight outbreak at Kotri
(population, 7,909) which, beginning in the end of October, continued till the end of January
1898 ; and to a violent epidemic at Karachi in April, May, and June 1898, a mild infection
being disseminated by it to parts of the Karachi District.
We now come to one of the most serious aspects of Plague during this second year—its
dissemination and spread into other Districts, now infected for the first time. These
Districts and States were Ahmednagar and Aundh—infected in September 1897 ; Sholapur,
Belgaum, and Dharwar (the latter very slightly )—infected in October 1897 ; and
Khandesh — infected towards the end of November 1897. Rewa Kantha followed later in
March 1898.
The extent of the prevalence of plague during this second period may be seen from Maps
Nos. II and II (a), and a comparison of these Maps with Maps Nos. I and I (a) will show how
much fresh ground the disease had gained, and the deeper root the infection had taken.
During the first year a great part of the southern portion of the Presidency had escaped.
At the end of the second, year, i. e., in June 1898, the following were the only places which had
throughout remained free from plague ;—Bijapur, Kaira, Kanara, Panch Mahals, Thar and
Parkar, and the Upper Sind Frontier. Dharwar and Broach might, indeed, be added, as a
great struggle was going on in each-of these Districts to prevent the infection taking root—
a struggle the issue of which remained doubtful until June 1898, i. e., until the beginning of
the Third Period.
The following statement shows the duration and total figures for the worst epidemics
during the Second Period ;—