Notes by Surgeon-Major A. V. Anderson, Deputy Sanitary Commissioner,
Western Registration District.
In considering the spread of Bubonic Plague in the Thána District the most
striking fact is the geographical distribution of the disease.
The only tálukas showing indigenous cases are those on the sea-board,
namely, Salsette, Bassein, Máhim, and Dahánu.
In the Bhiwndi Taluka, Bhiwndi. Shelar, and Anjur all lie low on the banks
of the creek, while in Kalyán Táluka, the only place where indigenous cases
occurred, was the town of Kalyán itself on the shore of the Thána creek.
No local cases occurred in any of the inland tálukas of Murbad, Shahápur,
Váida, or Mokháda Petha, although imported cases were reported from all these,
and many other imported cases in the outlying villages must have remained
unreported judging from what had occurred in the towns and villages in which
the disease became indigenous and could no longer be concealed.
In the coast tálukas themselves, except in the immediate neighbourhood of
Bombay, the towns and villages in which indigenous cases occurred lie west of the
line drawn by the B. B. & C. I. Railway, that is, it was the coast towns and
villages that have suffered.
It is a notable fact that although imported cases have occurred all over
the district, no indigenous case has been reported from any town or village lying
more than five miles from the sea, or I should rather say from tidal waters ; in other
words, the disease became indigenous only in low-lying badly drained places with
high subsoil water.
With regard to the towns affected, Bándra and Kurla are practically
suburbs of Bombay, and suffered equally with the adjoining parts of Bombay
City.
Thána, which is 14 miles from Bombay at the extreme north end of Bom-
bay harbour, showed considerable resistance to the disease, the first imported
case having occurred there on 8th October, while it was not till 9th February
that the disease became indigenous, and even then the town escaped compara-
tively lightly, only 191 cases having occurred in a population of 17,959. Thána
is a very insanitary town with a scanty supply of drinking water.
Kalyán, which is eighteen miles from Bombay, all along showed a remarkable
power of resistance to the disease.
Many imported cases occurred there and also 27 indigenous ones, several
being only detected after death. It is possible that imported and indigenous
cases occurred which not proving fatal escaped detection. The usual conditions
required for the introduction of the disease were present, but the town practical-
ly escaped untouched, even after some indigenous cases had occurred. Forty-nine
imported and twenty-seven local cases occurred in a population of 12,608.
The sanitation of Kalyán is defective, while the drinking water-supply is
scanty.
Bhiwndi, on the other hand, which lies about the same distance from
Bombay as Kalyán, was quickly affected and suffered severely.
The first imported case occurred on the llth December and on the 24th
December. The disease became indigenous in the town, only three imported
cases having been previously reported.
485 cases with 430 deaths occurred in a population of 14,387.
Bhiwndi is an insanitary town situated on the Bhiwndi creek and has an
abundant water-supply and no drainage.
All the other towns of the district which were severely affected, namely,
Bassein, Agáshi, Kelwa, Tárápur, and Chinchni are situated on the sea-coast.
The infective power of the plague poison appears to depend on local conditions,
the one essential condition being a water-logged soil.
B 1089