NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
INOCULACIoN.]
39
It should be noted that the solitary case of death among the inoculated had pain in the
groin and fever at the time of inoculation—in fact, was suffering from plague already manifest,
—and therefore could not be expected to derive benefit from the prophylactic.
3. Lanowli.—A small hill-station and railway depot at the top of the Bhor Ghât was the
scene of the next demonstration. Plague first appeared here in April or May 1897,
and about 20 cases occurred. The disease subsided, but, after the onset of the monsoon,
re-appeared in epidemic form, at a time when, owing to the departure of the summer
visitors, the population numbered only about 2,000. Operations were begun towards the end
of July 1897, in C and D Wards of the town, these having been chosen by the local Plague
Committee for trial. A census having been made, inoculations were begun on 24th July
1897, and continued daily, as opportunity arose, among the friends and neighbours of those
attacked. A daily house-to-house inspection was kept up in these wards for weeks after
this, and the figures given below show the result obtained.
Table showing the incidence of Plague in C and D Wards of Lanowli in 1897.
Days showing no occurrences are omitted.
Date.
24th July 1897 ...
25th
do. ...
26th
do. ...
27th
do. ...
28th
do. ...
29th
do. ...
30th
do. ...
31st do. ...
1st August 1897 ...
2nd
do. ...
3rd
do. ...
4t,h
do. ...
5th
do. ...
6th
do. ...
8th
do. ...
9th
do. ...
10th
do. ...
11th
do. ...
12th
do. ...
13th
do. ...
14th
do. ...
17th
do. ...
19th
do. ...
20th
do. ...
22nd
do. ...
23rd
do. ...
26th
do. ...
3rd September 1897.
4th
do. ...
6th do. ...
7th
do. ...
13th
do. ...
23rd
do. ...
Uninoculated
population.
711
636
621
568
544
472
460
430
398
373
341
336
331
329
323
322
320
319
318
316
315
314
313
312
311
305
305
304
303
302
301
298
297
Cases.
4
5
4
2
3
2
6
3
8
8
1
3
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
...
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
Deaths.
4
5
3
2
3
1
4
2
6
6
1
2
...
1
...
1
...
1
...
1
...
1
...
5
1
......
1
3
1
1
Inoculated
population.
45
116
126
175
197
266
276
300
328
342
363
366
368
367
370
370
371
370
370
370
370
370
370
369
369
369
368
368
368
368
368
368
368
Gases.
...
...
.,....
...
...
1
3
3
1
1
1
...
...
...
1
...
1
...
...
...
1
...
...
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Deaths.
...
...
...
...
...
...
1
1
2
...
...
...
1
1
1
...
...
...
......
...
...
Taking the average daily strength of the two groups and comparing them, it is seen that
377 uninoculated had 78 cases with 57 deaths ; while 323 inoculated had 14 cases with 7 deaths.
If the inoculated had suffered in the same proportion as the uninoculated, they ought tο
have had 49 deaths, instead of 7—a difference of 85.7 per cent.
INOCULATION.]
45
house-to-house visitation conducted by Mr. Haffkine personally, by examination of the
burial-book at the Jamat Khana, and by the inoculation documents in the Laboratory. The
distribution of deaths in the two groups is shown below : —
Inoculated...
...
...
Not inoculated
..
Population.
3,814
9,516
Deaths
from plague.
3
77
Deaths from
other causes.
4
94
Admitting that not more than 77 deaths among the uninoculated were due to plague,
and supposing that the inoculated liad remained after operation as susceptible as before, they
ought to have had 31 deaths from plague, instead of 3 only ; or a difference of 89.7 per cent. in
favour of the inoculated.
10. Hubli.—Plague appeared in this mercantile town of 52,000 inhabitants in the end
of 1897. It then disappeared for a time, only to break out once more on the approach of the
monsoon. " The average rainfall between April and October amounts to more than 28 inches.
Under these circumstances, although a large and weather-proof health camp had been pre-
pared for emergencies, complete evacuation of the infected town-site was impossible, and
the attempt to effect it would have led to the severest hardships and to the immediate spread
of the disease into surrounding villages and districts." It was for this reason, as Mr. Cappel
the Collector—whose words have just been quoted—remarks, that inoculation was tried so
extensively, being the only feasible measure under the circumstances. As Mr. Cappel further
remarks, " Inoculation seems therefore to be pre-eminently adapted for large towns and in-
dustrial places at all times, and in the rains it is, so far as present experience shows, the only
method of staying the disease which can be relied on. "
The enormous numbers inoculated, and the size of the town itself, precludes any such
accuracy of figures as was attained in the small village of Undhera, for instance, but
still the following figures taken from Captain Leumann's Report to Government may be
taken as substantially correct. The inoculations were begun on the 11th of May 1898,
and between that time and the 27th September, 38,712 persons were operated on : —
Dates.
11th May to 14th June 1898
Week ending 21st June
28th „
,,
5th July
,,
12th „
19th „
26th „
,,
2nd Ang.
9th
16th
,
23rd
,
30th
,
,
6th. Sept.
13th
20th
,
27th .
Actual population
of Hubli as per
weekly census.
( Fell from )
(
50,000 to )
(
47,427 )
47,082
47,485
46,537
46,518
45,240
43,809
43,707
42,768
40,441
39,400
38,210
38,382
38,408
39,142
39,315
Numbers not
inoculated.
44,573
41,494
30,042
36,020
33,255
29,716
24,112
21,031
15,584
10,685
6,367
4,094
2,731
1,136
937
603
Numbers
inoculated.
2,854
5,588
8,443
10,517
13,263
15,524
19,097
22,676
27,184
29,756
33,033
34,116
35,469
37,292
38,205
38,712
Plague deaths
among not
inoculated.
47
22
29
55
34
82
100
140
272
380
371
328
227
138
106
58
Plague deaths
among
inoculated.
1
3
]
6
0
7
15
16
19
61
41
28
34
46
35
20
12
46
[CHAP. 1., ΡT. IV.
Discarding the figures in the first row as not being accurate, the average population under
" Not inoculated " and " Inoculated " respectively for 15 weeks is as in the following table,
where also the occurrences in each group are shown:—
Average Population.
Inoculated
24,631
Not inoculated
17,786
Deaths
from Plague.
338
2,348
Percentage
oí Mortality.
1.3
13.2
In other words, 1 in every 72 of the inoculated population died, while 1 in every 7 of the
uninoculatcd succumbed to plague.
11. Southern Mahratta Spinning and Weaving Company's Mill.—The experience in this
Company's Mill at Hubli should be an object-lesson to mill-owners in plague-stricken towns.
On the 21st of June 1898 there were 1,173 mill-hands on the muster rolls.
Population.
Inoculated twice
1,040
Inoculated once only
...
...
58
Not inoculated
...
...
...
75
Total...
1,173
Deaths from
Plague.
22
8
20
Percentage of
Mortality.
2-11
13.79
26.66
If the 1,098 inoculated persons had remained as susceptible to plague as the 75 not
inoculated, they ought to have lost 292 by death, instead of 30 only.
12. Dharwar.—A town of some 32,000 inhabitants, situated in the Southern Mahratta
Country, 13 miles from Hubli, and the head-quarters station of the Southern Mahratta Rail-
way. Plague broke out here during August 1898, and inoculation work was begun almost at
once by the Civil Surgeon, and afterwards continued and practised on a large scale by Dr.
Miss Corthorn, who was sent there on special duty, and from whose report the following figures
are taken. During the 12 weeks covered by this report, from September 2nd to November
16th, 1898, the population actually residing in the town averaged 21,088, the rest having
fled to the fields or jungle in the neighbourhood. Of these persons, 2,367 were operated
on once, and 1,864 twice ; while 16,848 remained uninoculated.
The table below shows the incidence of plague among the inoculated and unino-
culated :—
Average Population present.
Inoculated
... 4,231
Not inoculated ... 16,848
Cases.
129
1,100
Deaths.
54
889
Case
incidence.
3.04 %
6.5 %
Case
mortality.
41.8 %
80.8 %
INOCULATION.]
47
If, therefore, the inoculated had remained as susceplible to plague as their fellow-towns-
men, they should have shown 270 cases with 223 deaths, instead of 129 and 54 respectively.
Owing to the careful way in which the records of the inoculation work were kept, it is
possible to pronounce an opinion on the effect of inoculation on those actually in the
incubation stage of plague. In Dharwar 74 individuals developed plague within 10 days
of operation. As 10 days is generally admitted to be the limit of the incubation period, we
may assume that many of these persons had already the plague-germs in their bodies at the
time of inoculation. The following statement shows that the death-rate at no time exceeded
that among the uninoculated population ( 80.8 % ), and was generally very much below this.
It is evident, then, that inoculation of persons incubating plague does not do any harm, but,
on the contrary, increases their chance of recovery.
Inoculated (with plague actually developed)
Developed plague on day of inoculation ...
„
,, within 2 days of inoculation ...
4
6
10
Total within 10 days of inoculation ..
Cases.
5
5
13
7
19
25
74
Recoveries.
4
3
9
2
8
21
47
Deaths.
1
2
4
5
11
4
27
Percentage
of
Mortality.
20 0
40.0
30.7
71.4
57.8
16.0
36.5
13. Gadag.—A town in the Dharwar district of some 23,000 inhabitants. Plague
appeared here shortly after Dharwar itself was attacked, From Dr. Miss Corthorn's report
of her work there, the following information has been obtained.
In the 28 weeks from 18th November 1898 to the end of May 1899, which is the period
dealt with in the report, the incidence of plague was as follows :—
Average Population.
Inoculated once ... 1,365
„
twice ... 11,639
Not inoculatcd ... 4,163
Cases.
32
161
278
Deaths.
14
69
216
Case
incidence.
2.3 %
1.4 %
6-6 %
Case
mortality.
43.7 %
42.8 %
77.7 %
If the 13,004 inoculated had suffered to the same extent as those not inoculated, they
ought to have had 868 cases with 674 deaths, instead of 193 and 83 respectively.
14. Belgaum Cantonment.—A severe epidemic broke out in Belgaum Twon and Can-
tonment in April, and continued throughout May, June, July and August of the current year.
In the Cantonment, inoculation was vigorously pushed by the Plague Committee, who care-
fully watched and recorded the results, These are given in the table below which explains
itself :—
48
[CHAP. I, PT, IV.
Results of Inoculation in Belgaum Cantonment.*
I
Week ending
12-5-99 ...
19-5-99 ...
26-5-99 ...
2-6-99 ...
9-6-99 ...
16-6-99 ...
23-6-99 ...
30-6-99 ..
7-7-99 ..
14-7-99 ..
21-7-99 ..
28-7-99 ..
4-8-99 ..
11-8-99 ..
18-8-99 ..
25-8-99 ..
1-9-99 ..
8-9-99 ..
l
Number inocu-
lated during
the week.
898
451
231
199
165
74
113
310
648
1151
1254
1145
313
546
Only 2 (
77
134
TOTAL POPULATION,
9,543.
A. — Inoculated
B.- Uninoculated.
9,543{A. 1,230
{B 8,313
{A. 2,128
{B.
7,415
{A. 2,579
{B.
6,964
{A. 2,810
,, {B. 6,733
!
{A. 3,009
,, {B.
6,534
JA. 3,174
» \B.
6,369
{A. 3,248
,, {B.
6,295
{A. 3,361
,, {B.
6,182
{A. 3,671
,, {B.
5,872
{A. 4,319
,, {B.
5,224
{A. 5,470
{B.
4,073
{A. 6,724
{B.
2,819
{A. 7,8G9
{\B.
1,674
† {A.
8,182
9,052 {B. 870
† {A.
8,048
8,674 {B. 626
cases and 2 deaths in
8,947 {A. 8,590
{B.
357
9064 {A. 8,749
{B.
315
WEEKLY Nu
Gases.
14
34
10
17
5
31
3
27
10
32
1
45
2
34
1
33
3
47
4
71
6
51
4
30
24
!
12
i
18
5
6
the whole a
3
1
5
NUMBERS OF
Deaths.
8
19
4
6
3
19
21
3
21
3
26
19
2
22
1
34
1
50
4
33
3
36
2
15
3
15
3
6
canotment.
1
3
REMARKS.
•
•
.
* Taken from Collector of Belgaum's weekly report.
†
Cause of decrease—probably flight.
If, therefore, the inoculated had suffered to the same extent as the uninoculated, they
should have had 537 cases with 367 deaths instead of 87 and 40 respectively.
INOCULATION.]
49
15. Employes of the Southern Mahratta, Rxilway, Hubli.—These persons were living in
barracks, and in the Railway yard apart from the general population of Hubli town. They
were under close daily inspection by English officials, who formed a committee for this
purpose, with Dr. Chenoi as their medical adviser. The results given below may therefore
be regarded as accurate to a high degree, the numbers dealt with not being excessive, and the
supervision strict. Inoculation was begun early in June 1898, and after its introduction
plague cases appeared on 29 different dates between 11th June and 6th October of
that year.
In the following table " average " populations have been taken in each case, as the num-
bers present on each date when plague appeared varied ; the numbers inoculated steadily
increasing, while those not inoculated correspondingly decreased :—
Twice inoculated
Once
„
Not inoculated
Numbers.
990
270
760
Attacks.
6 (0.6%)
5 0.8%)
35 (4.6%)
Deaths.
1 (0.1%)
1 (0.3%)
21 (2.7%)
If the 1,260 inoculated had suffered to the same extent as the 760 not inoculated, they
should have had 60 cases with 34 deaths, instead of 11 and 2 respectively: a reduction in case,
of 81.7 per cent. and in deaths of 94· 1 per cent.
16. Broach.—A town of 40,168 inhabitants, situated on the sea-coast 200 miles north of
Bombay. Owing to the advent of plague, and consequent flight of many of the inhabitants
only 20,000 were found present when a census was taken on 16th March 1899. The average
population for the previous six months is estimated by those on the spot at 27,000, and this
number is therefore adopted for statistical purposes, in the figures given below, which are
taken from a report submitted by Dr. Burjorji Sorabsha, the medical officer employed by the
Parsi Panchayat to perform inoculation, among the members of their community. The
table below shows at a glance the events in the two sections :—
Population.
Inoculated
Not inoculated...
1,970
25,030
Cases.
6 (0.3%)
564 (2.2 %)
Deaths.
4 (0.2%)
460 (1.4%)
If the inoculated had suffered in the same proportion as the uninoculated, they should
have had 45 cases with 37 deaths, instead of 6 and 4 respectively: a reduction in cases of
86.7 per cent. and in deaths of 89.2 per cent.
Taking the Parsi community by itself, we find that during the period from October 1898
to March 1899, they numbered on an average 1,843 persons, of whom 1,080 were inoculated.
The following occurred :—
Population.
Inoculated
Not inoculated
...
1,080
763
Cases.
2 (0.2%)
9 (1.2%)
Deaths.
1 (0.1%)
5 (0.6%)
13
50
[CHAP
I., ΡT. IV.
If the inoculated Parsis had suffered in the same proportion as those not inoculated, they
should have had 12 cases with 7 deaths, instead of 2 and 1 respectively.
Inoculation appears
therefore to have reduced the number of cases by 83.3 per cent., and the deaths by 71.42
per cent.
Another community which shows striking results from inoculation is that of the
tailors of Broach. These numbered 225, and were all living in a camp outside the town,
under similar conditions as regards dwellings, mode of living, etc. Of this community 90
were inoculated, and 135 remained uninoculated. The following table shows the
incidence of plague in this community :—
Population.
Inoculated
90
Not inoculated
... 135
Oases.
0
10(7.4%)
Deaths.
0
6 (4.4%)
Comment is needless.
From the above observations, then, it may be taken as proved : —
(a) That inoculation is harmless.
(b) That when given in the incubation stage (i.e., before the signs of plague are
apparent) it has, in many cases, the power of aborting the disease.
(c) That inoculation affords to all those inoculated a strong protection against attack
by plague.
(d) That in the few cases when inoculated people are attacked a very large proportion
recover.
54
[CHAP. I, ΡT. V.
the prescribed form, and any balance remaining with such persons should appear in the
accounts in the balance remaining in his own hands, and he must be ready to hold himself
personally responsible for it. Each person so entrusted by the officer must keep the same
cash book and details as the officer, and the officer must keep a record of any suras so
entrusted.
Accounts should be kept in the accompanying sample Form A.*
If the advance runs short during any week it may be recouped on application and
on furnishing a receipt to the Deputy Commissioner/Collector. But the detailed account will be fur-
nished only once a week to the Deputy Commissioner/Collector, as provided in the next rule.
A weekly return in the accompaying Form B* should be forwarded to the
Chief Accountant/Huzur Deputy Collector, and should be for the week ending 6 A.M. on Saturday.
It should reach the Chief Account ant /Huzur Deputy Collector, on Saturday, if possible, and as soon as possible
thereafter the amount spent during the week will be recouped to the officer concerned. If
necessity arises, additional advances can be made during the week in anticipation of the
submission of accounts. Expenditure will be classified under three heads, as shewn in the
Forms—Hospitals, Compensation, Camps.
To avoid confusion, it is directed that where a camp is combined with a hospital, the
expenditure should come under the head 'Hospitals.' Camps will include authorized
segregation houses.
The Deputy Commissioner/Collector will arrange that the cash book of each officer holding an
advance shall be inspected once a week/from time to tome, so that he may be in a position to satisfy the
Plague Commissioner that the relief money is being expended on the object for which it
has been given, that there is no waste, and that due foresight is exercised so that the small
available funds may not too rapidly be exhausted.
Form C * will be prepared from Form B, and will be forwarded punctually by the
Deputy Commissioner/Collector to the Plague Commissioner in duplicate."
* Form C only has been inserted here. The others are forms dealing merely with details of expenditure.—J. K. C.
DISORETIONAL REL
c.
Return of Expenses on Discretional Relief for Week ending
Date.
October
24th.
RECEIPTS.
Opening Balance
Received from Plague
Commissioner.
Total ...
Rs. a. p.
5,000 0 0
5,000 0 0
Disbursing Officer.
District Officer, A Ward, Fort and Colába.
,,
Β „
Mándvi, etc. ...
,,
C
,,
,,
···
,,
D
,,
,,
···
,,
E
,,
,,
...
,, F & G „
„
Total
* Balance in hand ...
EXPENDITURE.
Relief in
Hospital.
Rs. a. p.
120 0 0
200 0 0
25 0 0
... ...
345 0 0
Compensation.
Rs. a. p.
35 0 0
15 0 0
10 0 0
5 0 0
65 0 0
Relief in Camp.
Rs. a. p.
50 0 0
100 0 0
40 0 0
175 0 0
365 0 0
Total.
Rs. a. p.
205 0 0
315 0 0
75 0 0
180 0 0
775 0 0
4,225 0 0
5,000 0 0
* Includes balances with Disbursing Officer.
I certify that I have received accounts for the sums entered in this statement and have satisfied myself that the money is properly expended.
Date
189
Signature of the Deputy Commissioner
Forwarded to the Plague Commissioner.
in Bombay, or of the Collector of
}
the District elsewhere.
3
58
[CHAP. I., ΡT. V.
(1) Compensation.—This might be of various sorbs, i. e., for clothing destroyed, for
bedding burnt or for damage sustained to property by disinfection. Thus a patient's cloth-
ing or bedding, on admission to hospital, may be burnt as suspicious. The man is pro-
vided in consequence with new clothes or new bedding, the amount being of course dispro-
portionate to the intrinsic value of the articles replaced.
If by disinfection, removal, etc., a poor man's house or property sustains any damage
of any kind, compensation is invariably given to make good such damage,
(2) Subsistence allowance,—This is granted when the supporter or bread-winner of a
family is attacked by plague and removed to hospital; for instance, in cases of weavers,
workmen, and labourers, in general, attacked, who are obliged to work hard all day for a
scanty pittance, and who invariably have a large number of relatives depending on them,
a daily allowance, generally equal to that which they ordinarily earn, is made over to their
families or dependants as the case may be, till such time as it takes them to get cured of the
disease and resume their places as bread-winner.
(Instances of compensation, etc., are given on pages 96 and 96 of the Municipal Commis-
sioner's Report for 1898-99.)
The actual grants allotted, together with the amounts expended, and the balance
remaining, are given District by District below :—
Total Expenditure on Discretional Relief (by Districts) from its institution
in November 1898 to the 27th May 1899.
Locality.
1
Bombay City
Belgaum
Bijapur
Broach ...
Dharwar
Hyderabad
...
Panch Mahals
Poona
Ratnagiri
Satara ...
Sholapur
Thana
Total amount
received.
2
Us. a. p.
60,000
5,083 7 10
800 0 0
640 0 0
4,850 0 0
300 0 0
200 0 0
750 0 0
130 0 0
200 0 0
1,400 0 0
200 0 (
800 0 0
150 0 0
300 0 0
240 0 0
75,593 7 10
Total amount
expended.
3
Us. a. p.
50,498 15 4
4,083 7 10
261 a 0
148 12 0
3,810 4 4
123 3 6
87 11 5
469 8 0
39 14 0
200 o o
1.088 13 0
81 0 0
715 6 0
35 0 0
25 8 0
53 4 0
1,731 15 8
Balance ou
2nd June
1899.
4
Us. a. p.
0,501 0 8
1,003 0 0
38 12 3
* 491 4 0
1.039 11 0
166 12 0
112 4 7
280 8 0
140 2 0
···
311 2 G
119 0 0
84 10 0
115 0 0
274 8 0
18o 12 0
13,861 8 2
Deta
Relief in
Hospital.
5
Rs. a. p.
12,553 3 3
316 14 9
2 3 10
31 0 0
11 7 10
37 12 1
21 3 4
205 14 9
13 0 0
......
289 9 0
112 4 0
4 0 0
28 4 0
13,606 13 4
ils of Expend:
Compen-
sation.
6
Rs. a. p.
21,788 4 0
841 3 9
93 13 0
39 4 0
867 0 0
51 0 0
108 14 0
16 2 0
577 6 0
30 0 0
57 2 0
10 8 0
13 3 0
24.496 11 9
ture.
Relief in
Camp.
7
Rs. a. p.
16,157 3 1
3.022 5 4
165 2 11
78 8 0
2.831 12 5
64 7 6
60 8 1
154 11 3
10 12 0
200 0 0
221 14 0
51 0 0
546 0 0
31 0 0
15 0 0
11 13 0
23,628 6 7
* Refunded Rs. 421-8-0.
†
Refunded Rs. 100-0-0.
59
CHAPTER I.
Part VI.-The Mortality of Plague.
Whether looked at from the standpoint of the number of people it destroys when it
appears, or from the standpoint of the number of those attacked by it who ultimately suc-
cumb, plague is acknowledged to be the most deadly of all known diseases. Mild in some
of its forms, it is in others exceedingly fatal.
" The prognosis of plague," says Dr. Lyons, " is always exceedingly grave ; as it is
the most fatal of all known epidemic diseases."
The following instances of ease-mortality in hospitals are taken from various sources :—
Place.
Various Hospi-
Bombay City...
tals.
Various Hospi-
Poona
...{
tals.
Civil Plague Hos-
pital.
Sheth Vishindan
Hospital.
Sind ...
...{
Transhyari Hos-
pital.
Other Sind Hos-
pital.
Mandvi Plague
Hospital.
Cutch
Plague
Hospital.
Bulsar Plague Hospital ..
Nasik Town Plague Hospital
Panchwati and Trimbak Plague
Hospital.
Ankleshwar Plague Hospital
Bhor Plague Hospital
Kolaba Plague Hospital ...
TOTAL ...
Time.
Sept. and Oct. 1896
November 1896 ...
1896-97
Before June 1897 ...
1897-98
1898-99
Before June 1897 ...
1897-98
...
1898-99
...
1898-99
1898-99
1898-99
1898-99
1898-99
1898-99
1897-93
1897-98
1898-99
1898-99
1898-99
Cases.
...
1,579
2,646
8,114
10,210
1,130
4,138
614
448
394
178
1,981
417
360
486
296
235
204
166
33,596
Deaths.
...
1,098
1,561
5,336
7,519
757
2,836*
419
302
249‡
105§
1,376
303
220
397
208
141
123
122
23,072
Percentage Mortality
of Cases
Between 95 and 99 %||
Between 85 and 90 %||
69.54
58.9
65.7
73.6
67.0
64.1*
69.95†
67.40
63.35‡
65.62§
69.4
72.6
61.1
81.68
70.27
60.0
60 2
73.49
68.67
* 33 cases remained over, the results of which arc not known.
† 15 cases unaccounted for. ‡ 1 case unaccounted for.
§ 18 cases unaccunted for.
|| Dr. Viegas' estimate quoted in Major Lyons' Report.
As regards the mortality in Bombay Hospitals, the following remarks by Lieut.-Col.
J. S. Wilkins are quoted from the Municipal Commissioner's Plague Report, 1898-99 :—
" It will be inferred from a comparison of the above figures that each recurring epide-
mic of plague is more virulent than the last. This is an opinion very largely held by medi-
cal men in Bombay. It is doubtful, however, if the true increase in percentage mortality