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[CHAP. XL
"By these means regular communication between villages can be almost entirely sus-
pended, but in the agricultural districts, where the lands of an infected village adjoin those of
a non-infected one, as has been frequently the case in the Krishna valley and the Belgaum
circle, it is quite impossible to prevent occasional contact between people working in the fields,
and it is principally in this way that the Native State villages in my jurisdiction have become
infected from adjoining British villages and from each other."
During the following year these measures do not seem to have been much relaxed. As
regards the measures taken to combat an incipient outbreak, Colonel Wray reports :—
"The most important consideration is the prevention of concealment of cases. For on
this, more than anything else, in my opinion, depends the success or failure of the subsequent
measures.
" There are two evils inseparable from a plague epidemic which in their turn prejudice all
suppressive measures to a serious extent—namely, panic and apathy.
"The only way to deal with these is to anticipate them by giving the people themselves
as much occupation and responsibility as possible in plague matters."
Accordingly authorities were nominated by the representative inhabitants, who were
responsible for—
(i.) reporting all cases of sickness;
(ii.) encouraging evacuation on the occurrence of the first case of plague ;
(iii.) enforcing the untiling and disinfection of houses ;
(iv.) reporting all deaths.
This voluntary organization appears to have been both satisfactory and successful, for it
was continued throughout the subsequent years (1898-99) also.
Kolliápur State.
Population—913,131.
Plague first broke out in this Agency on the 23rd October 1896, when one case, imported
from Bombay, occurred in Kolhápur Town. After this there
were 3 more cases imported into Kolhápur Town, one from
Bombay on 17th November 1896, the second from Poona on
30th January 1897, and the third from Bombay on 9th February 1897 : but the infection did
not establish itself; and, with the exception of the above cases, Kolhápur Town remained
free from plague throughout the period covered by this review. It has since been attacked.
Between the date of the first case and November 1897 there were only 129 cases—100
deaths throughout the whole Agency, Kolhápur State alone returning 121—94, respectively.
The following measures were instituted to check the progress of the disease:—
(i.) The inmates of the houses where plague cases occurred were removed instantly,
and the houses burnt or dismantled ; and
(ii.) Observation and segregation camps, the former for arrivals, and the latter for
contacts, were established.
Kolhápur remained practically free from plague from November 1897- to May 1898,
when, however, the figures rose steadily ; the highest number of cases and deaths registered
during any one week being 47—31, respectively, on the 25th November 1898, and the totals,
from October 1896 to 2nd June 1899, 970 cases—764 deaths.
Sángli State.
Population—238,945.
Sángli State became infected in November 1897, and up to 2nd June 1899 has never
since been free for a single week. The average weekly num-
bers of cases and deaths for the whole period were 79—59,
respectively. Sángli passed through a moderate epidemic,
lasting from August 1898 to April 1899.
The following statement compares the number of monthly cases and deaths in Sángli
with the totals for the whole Agency :—