Contents.
V
CHAPTER VII.
MEASURES IN THE CITY OF BOMBAY.
Measures during the early period of the epidemic—Beginning of the
epidemic—General course of the epidemic—Conduct of operations
by the municipal authorities—The constitution of the municipal
government—Regulations of the Municipal Act against danger-
ous disease—Section 434 of the Municipal Act—First measures-
Activity of the Municipal Health Department—Committee ap-
pointed by the Local Government—Powers conferred on the Muni-
cipal Commissioner—Proclamation of the Municipal Commis-
sioner—Alarm and excitement of the population—Modification
of the orders—Explanatory proclamation—Extent to which isola-
tion of the sick was enforced—Private and caste hospitals—
Increase of hospital accommodation—The Plague Research
Committee—Sanitary precautions in November and December-
Visit of Surgeon-Major-General Cleghorn to Bombay—
Memorandum of Bombay medical gentlemen recommending the
removal of the inmates of infected houses—Dr. Cleghorn's concur-
rence—The Government of India recommend the proposal to
evacuate infected houses to the Government of Bombay—Sum-
mary of the measures adopted presented to the House of Com-
mons—Evacuation of infected houses again suggested by the
Government of India—Difficulties of carrying out the measure
represented by the Government of Bombay—The Government of
India urge that the experiment should be made—Measures adopt-
ed by the Government of Bombay to give effect to the wishes of
the Government of India—Regulations for the City of Bombay
under the Epidemic Diseases Act—Payment of compensation
and incidence of expenditure—Establishment of the Parel Gov-
ernment House Hospital—Appointment of the Bombay Plague
Committee—Powers conferred on the Committee—Objects with
which the Committee was appointed—Enlistment of the services
of influential native gentlemen—Attitude of the native commu-
nity towards the plague regulations—Privacy of the home and
of women, and the caste system—Adaptation of precautionary
measures to the feelings and customs of the people—Opposition
of the Sunni Muhammadans—Petition to the Governor—Depu-
tation to General Gatacre—Mass meeting in the Jama Masjid—
General Gatacre's reply to the resolution of the meeting-
General Gatacre's address to a meeting of the Muhammadan
community—Proclamation issued by the Plague Committee—
Subsidence of the opposition—Help given by influential native
gentlemen—Tact and patience of the Committee—General re-
marks on the operations of the Committee—Organisation—Divi-
sion of the city into ten districts—District Medical Officers—
Sub-divisions—Staff—Aid afforded by the Military—Military
staff—Native soldiers chiefly employed—Clothing, arms, and
sanitary precautions—Cordiality between the military staff and the
civil population—Detailed account of No. X District—Equip-
ment and description of the District—Sub-divisional staff—Detec-
tion of cases and removal of patients to hospital—House-to-
house visitation—Importance of the aid afforded by Justices of the
Peace—Inauguration of the work—Description of the method of
house-to-house visitation—Ambulances—Treatment of the sick
in hospital—General features and aims of the hospital system—
Rapid establishment of fresh . hospitals—Fifteen government
hospitals—Twenty-nine private hospitals—Their distribution
among districts and among communities—Usefulness of private
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