KOLABA DISTRICT.]
301
10th September 1897, there were 17 cases and 11 deaths, but thereafter the outbreak yielded
to the energetic measures, and a decrease was soon manifest. Early in October, Assistant
Surgeon Shikare was recalled, and at the same time Dr. Sprague's health gave way—not,
however, before the Panvel epidemic was well under control, and the chances of an increase
at the other affected places were reduced to a minimum. In November 1897 Mr. Brooke
replaced Mr. Gray as Collector. About this time plague showed a tendency to rise at
Panvel, but was again put down, and, though it lingered until the beginning of April 1898,
was never severe.
Mázgaon.
Population—1,559.
The Janjira State had been free from July 1897 ; but in October the village of
Mázgaon, which had also suffered during the previous epide-
mic, was stricken, and, in the week ending loth December
1897, reported 10 cases. The State Kárbhári ably managed
operations, being successful, with the help of evacuation and cognate measures, not only
in repelling the outbreak, but in confining it to the limits of the village. In November,
there was an improvement, and though the figures were comparatively high in December,
plague disappeared in January 1898 : not to appear again in the State until October 1898,
and then only for the space of three weeks.
With the end of December 1897 the second epidemic in Kolába may be said to end
and the third to commence ; for, as already observed, plague did not cease in the District
since its first appearance in February 1897. The following statement compares the figure
at Panvel with those in the rest of the District, and in Mázgaon in the Janjira State, from
August to December 1897 :—
Month.
August
1897
...
...
...
...
September " ... ... ... ...
October " ... ... ... ...
November " ... ... ... ...
December " ... ... ... ...
Total ...
PANVEL.
Population—10,417.
Cases.
39
27
32
17
115
Deaths.
30
19
27
16
92
REST OF THE DISTRICT
(excluding Panvel
and Mazgaon).
Cases.
28
45
28
28
22
151
Deaths.
19
34
26
20
18
117
MAZGAON.
Population—1,559).
Cases.
22
11
2G
59
Deaths.
15
6
17
38
The cases in the "Rest of the District" were contributed chiefly by Cheul, Roha, Revdanda,
and Campoli (Khopowli).
Third Epidemic (January 1898—June 1898).—From the beginning of June 1897, the
disease, though constantly present, had not assumed serious proportions. On the contrary,
the decrease in the number of cases in December 1897 led to the hope that ere long the
Kolába Diststrict would see the last of plague. In the last week of that month there were
but seven indigenous cases, four of which were returned from Panvel Town, and one from
Revdanda. Attention was, therefore, directed to the necessity of observing arrivals from
infected places, and Observation Camps and posts were established at sixteen stations in the
District and two in the Janjira State. Some of these Camps were successful in shutting
out infection, but others proved powerless to repel the disease, which broke out at some of
the very places they were designed to protect, e g., Karanja and Alibág. Altogether about
14,000 people were detained at these Camps ( those travelling with passes or depositing
a cash security being exempted from detention ) ; and 22 cases were discovered among them.
67