KAIRA DISTRICT.]
165
The plague operations at Umreth and the surrounding villages were first placed in
charge of Khan Bahadur Bahmanji Edulji Modi, District Deputy Collector. Although the
plague lingered in Umreth for a considerable period after total evacuation, the comparatively
small number of attacks and deaths, when the population of the town is considered, is a
proof of the successful management of Mr. Modi and the officers under him. The lingering
tale of two or three cases weekly was chiefly due to surreptitious visits paid by the people
to their houses before they had been properly dealt with. On the 81st December 1898,
for instance, 3 cases—2 deaths are reported from Umrebh during the week. The Collector
accounts for it :—
"In Umreth Town there were during the week 3 cases and 2 deaths. These cases were
all of persons who had gone bach to their houses after evacuation."
Nor did Umreth cease to report its weekly case or two till the 17th February 1899 :
since which date it has been free from plague. The following is the monthly plague
mortality for Umreth Town from first to last :—
September
October
November
December
January
February
Month.
1898 ...
,, -4
,,
-4
„ —5
1899—4
„ —3
weeks
,,
Total
...
..
...
...
.··
Cases.
18
21
44
22
6
5
116
Deaths.
12
21
35
18
6
5
97
The epidemic at Umreth was remarkable for two reasons—the small number of cases
per week, which never in any week reached 20, and the lengthy period during which a few
cases continued to occur. The infection of Umreth, slight though it was, from the menace
it offered to Dakor Town, distant from it only some 4 miles, was a canse of grave anxiety.
Captain C. W. Somerset, I. S. C., 12th Bengal Infantry, took up the duties of Plague
Officer on 29th December 1898, by which time the epidemic at Umreth itself was nearly
over. The Collector remarks that no definite steps for re-occupation had, however, been
taken. Disinfection and whitewashing had been stopped in December on the occurrence
of two more cases among the Golas, and nothing further done. He continues :—
"Matters stood thus when after taking over charge of the District I visited Umreth
in the beginning of February and was surprised to find that nobody made a move towards
re-occupation, and meanwhile all business in the town was at a standstill. I learnt that the
people objected to wholesale disinfection and limewashing, and that the municipal resources
were exhausted and several months' pay of the municipal establishment was in arrears."
Ventilation only was therefore enforced ; holes being made in the roofs and walls of
houses ; rooms which could not be reached by the sunlight being by such means disinfected.
The houses were then left thus for a week exposed to sun and air, at the end of which period
re-occupation was permitted. This work of exposure was supervised throughout by Captain
Somerset, aided by a Head Karkun and two volunteers.
Ánand Taluka.
Besides Umreth, no less than 38 villages were attacked in the Anand Táluka. including;
Anand Town (pop. 9,214). The latter, however, was but
slightly affected, reporting in all 59 indigenous cases—44
deaths, between the 10th February 1899 and the 26th May 1899 (including 2 cases—
42