AHMEDNAGAR DISTRICT.]
203
and consisted of 70 huts in 7 rows of 10 each, ail facing north. It had baths, latrines, and,
ultimately, a good water-supply laid on from the station reservoir. It was protected by a fence
of brambles, and guarded by a Police guard formed from a force of 2 Head Constables and
12 Policemen supplied by the Poona District. With a few exceptions, all passengers by the
G. I. P. Railway arriving at Dhond were detained there for ten days. At 7 A.M. every
morning there was a roll-call of all the passengers thus detained ; and disinfection with
perchloride solution was carried out between 9 A.M. and 12 noon. Food was supplied at
cheap rates, and about two-thirds of the passengers detained were fed at Government
expense. After completing ten days in the Camp, passengers were carefully examined by
Assistant Surgeon C. M. Rodrigues on the eve of departure. Later, Mr. P. S. Bhátye
was placed in charge of this Camp, which throughout fulfilled its object most efficiently.
The conduct of the people was good.
As has been already stated, the Railway Station Camp and the Cantonment Camp were
also in part Observation Camps, and, as such, both were useful.
The statistics of the Dhond Camp and of the Railway Station Camp are given below :—
Name of Camp.
Dhond Observa-
tion Camp.
Railway Station
Camp.
Date of estab-
lishment.
3rd December
1897.
1st October
1897.
Date of disso-
lution.
1 6th May
1898.
20th May
1898.
Total
number
detained.
4,139
3,510
Largest number
detained in one
week.
473 (during week
ending 25th
March 1898).
297(during week
ending 10th Dec-
ember 1897).
Found with
suspicious
symptoms and
sent to Plague
Hospital.
192
No record ...
Developed
Plague.
Cases.
8
9
Deaths.
7
9
The total cost of erecting, establishing, and maintaining these Camps was —
Dhond Camp
Station Camp
...
...
...
...
...
Rs. a. p.
4,037 11 10
3,827 14 0
Shrigonda.
Population—6,365.
To return to the District. By the week ending the 4th December 1897, plague
had yielded to the prompt evacuation carried out in Pimpalner and
Nighoj, but during this week it had broken out in a severe form in
Shrigonda, which reported no less than 30 cases. Shrigonda is one
of the most important places in the District, and consists of the village itself and 10 hamlets.
It is the head-quarters of the Táluka, and a large trading centre. In spite of its size and
importance, however, it possesses no Dispensary, a defect which was much felt during the
epidemic. The origin of plague there was probably importation from Sirur, but the fact that
the disease was concealed for a week or two before its existence became known renders this
a matter of conjecture. The chief action taken is thus described by the Collector : —
"The town was divided into 10 blocks. Each block was vacated as soon as any
plague cases occurred in that part. This partial evacuation proved no success ; and block
after block had to be vacated ; and the last two blocks were emptied before plague actually
appeared in them. Thus by the 16th December the whole place had been evacuated.
There was no Health Camp : most people erected their own huts, the poor being helped
with some materials . . . There was a marked improvement immediately after evacua-
tion."