68
9. In his reply, dated 18th, he pointed out that measures advocated by the
Government of India had all along heen vigorously carried out as far as it had
been possible :
"On the occurrence of plague, and in many localities before its occurrence, our gangs
have gone in, limewashed the whole place, cut off the water to reduce the damp, taken, off
the roof, and so on. The result has been that hundreds of houses have been vacated as any
one might see in Náigaum, Narelwády, Worlee, &c. All those houses have been regularly
treated and kept vacant for a long space of time with the sunlight pouring in through the
roof. Simultaneously with all this huts have been put up in many places (and are being
put up) such as Tank Bandar, Bhoiwáda, Worlee, Chaupatty, Victoria Gardens, Tardeo,
Foras Road, Northbrook Gardens, Chinchpoogly, Matunga, and other spots, and every effort
has been made to get people into them, in a good many cases with marked success. More
huts will be put up continuously, and the same efforts continued. It will thus be clear to the
Government of India that the object of getting people out of their houses and cleansing and
disinfecting them has been studiously prosecuted ".
The Municipal Commissioner proceeded to point out that instances had
already occurred of persons being attacked more than once by the plague, and
there were facts which seemed to show that the period of incubation was longer
than that laid down by the most experienced medical authorities. This would
greatly diminish the value of any scheme of segregation of persons who had been
living in an infected area as plague was certain to break out in any large camp
composed of such persons, were such a measure practicable, which, for the reasons
given in his previous letter, he believed not to be the case. As for the other
point raised by the Government of India, he remarked that the notification
published under the Epidemic Diseases Act went far beyond the Bengal notifica-
tion communicated by that Government. "Vigorous steps," he added, "are
being taken to give practical effect to the notification, and when the scheme is
once in working order it will be difficult to imagine anything more, short of
total conflagration, which could be done to check the progress of the plague."
His concluding remarks are not without significance.
"In conclusion, I can only express my firm conviction that after five months' full
experience of this deadly epidemic and with scientists, doctors and executive officers closely
watching and dealing with it, nothing definite is as yet known, while its ever-changing
phases and characteristics upset every theory advanced in the course of a week or two,
and virtually render valueless all opinions, however eminent."
10. On the 10th February, at the request of the Municipal Commissioner,
the following notification winch has been briefly referred to in para 6 above,
was published in the Government Gazette under Act III of 1897 :
"No. 228-P.—Whereas the City of Bombay is visited by an attack of a dangerous epidemic
disease, namely bubonic plague, and whereas the Governor of Bombay in Council is of opinion
that the ordinary provisions of the law for the time being in force are insufficient for the purpose
of preventing the spread thereof : pursuant to the provisions of Section 2, sub-section 1, of che
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and in exercise of the powers in this behalf conferred by the Gov-
ernor General in Council under Section 2, sub-section 3, of the same Act, the Governor of
Bombay in Council is pleased to empower the Municipal Commissioner for the City of Bombay
to take the measures hereinafter specified to pi-event the spread of bubonic plague, and is further
pleased to prescribe the temporary regulations hereinafter set forth to be observed by the public
and all persons concerned :
I.—If for any reason it shall appear to the Commissioner that any building- intended
for or used as a dwelling is unfit for human habitation, he may, of his own motion, prohibit
by a written order the further use of such building as a dwelling·, and cause notice of such
prohibition to be affixed to the door of, or on some conspicuous part of, such building.
As a temporary regulation, it is hereby prescribed that when any such prohibition has
been made, no owner or occupier of such building shall use or suffer the same to be used
for human habitation until the Commissioner certifies in writing that the causes rendering-
it unfit for human habitation have been removed to his satisfaction.
For the purpose of enforcing and carrying into effect the said regulation the Commis-
sioner or any Police or other officer acting in co-operation with or under the orders of the
Commissioner may, if necessary, forcibly remove any person from such building· and may
prevent the re-occupation thereof until such time as the Commissioner shall have certified
as aforesaid.
II.—If it shall appear to the Commissioner that any building used as a dwelling is so
overcrowded as to endanger the health of the inmates thereof, he may, of his own motion,
by written order require the owner of the building, within a time not exceeding seven days