AHMEDNAGAR DISTRICT.]
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Every bouse which appeared to require it was thus opened up, ventilated and
cleaned ; and in the beginning of January 1898, Wards I, III, IX, and XI were evacuated.
Wards VII, VIII, and X were emptied three weeks later. This completed the evacuation of
the entire Town. As regards the spread of the infection, neither rats nor grain would seem
to bave been responsible for it, for very few, if any, dead rats were found; and
as regards grain, the Collector reports : " No case is reported where infection is traceable to
grain." But in parts of the District, cases of cats, rats, and mice \vere reported. Oases of
cats dying with plague symptoms were also found in Nagar ; and a reward of one anna was
offered for every cat killed. The authority for the diagnosis was the Civil Surgeon. From
the middle of January 1898 the numbers declined: by the end of February plague bad
ceased.
During the week ending the 18th of February 1898, more soldiers had been applied
for, to assist in the opening up of the wards vacated at the beginning of the month, and the
number was raised from 20 to 50 : Lieutenant R. W. Boger, R. Α., relieving Lieutenant Β. D.
Broughton, East Yorkshire Regiment, in the command.
Ahmednagar District.
In the District indigenous plague first appeared at Jaola, Táluka Panier, five cases
occurring on the 29th September 1897. Mr. J. Ghosal, I. C. S.,
Assistant Collector, was at once sent there, and carried out segrega-
tion of all families in which a suspicions death had occurred within the last five weeks, and
disinfection of infected houses. A special "Native Medical Officer was sent from Nagar to
assist him; and Police were also despatched to prevent persons from leaving for 8 days. Evacua-
tion was impossible on account of the rains ; and the Collector states : "To this perhaps is to
be attributed the long continuance of plague there."
A flying column sent out by the Surgeon-General, which had its head-quarters at Sirur
in the Poona District, assisted in the operations. Cases continued to rise, and on the 15th
October the evacuation of Jaola was ordered, the rains having presumably ceased. An obser-
vation made by the Collector at this time may here be quoted as supporting the probability
that rats carried about the infection :—
" It is noticeable that the plague had spread from the quarter which had been evacuated
to parts still occupied clearly without any human communication. Dead rats, found in the
roofs of infected houses when opened up, point to their being the means of conveying
infection."
The hamlet of Sháhápur, some 5 miles from Nagar Town, was now found to be infected
(6 cases), and was evacuated at once, its 58 inhabitants being transported to the Nagar Camp.
Only one case occurred amongst them in Camp, and thereafter they were free from plague.
In the vicinity of Nagar and its Cantonments infection seems to have been disseminated
chiefly by the Gaolies.
During the week ending the 15th October 1897, it was rumoured that there was
plague at Rújápur (population, 1,532), close to Sirur in Shrigonda Táluka, and this rumour
was confirmed during the following week.
.
Cases
The rapidly increasing weekly plague mortality in this village
5-10-25
weeks ending
9th—16th—22nd October appears to point to the serious consequences resulting from concealment"
and the absence of any combative measures : an example was made of those responsible.
The Collector's report of this little epidemic is interesting : —
51