125
were found amongst them ; but, marvellous to relate, with the sole exception of one case which
occurred the very evening removed (and which needless to add was evidently infected before
removal) not another person was attacked, though they were carefully watched and inspected
daily during the whole of their stay in camp exactly a month, and even up to the date of this
report they have been entirely free from infection.'
To this account it need only be added that the proposed date of the removal was kept a
secret from the people of Gharibabad, and that on the morning when it was carried out a police
cordon was placed round the quarter before daybreak, and the men of the detachment of the
Wiltshire Regiment were employed in 5 parties simultaneously to hasten the vacation of
the houses and the removal of all property in carts to the camp. By 11 o'clock there was not
a soul left in Gharibabad. Altogether 582 people were removed, 367 of whom were sent to
Gharibabad Health Camp ; the remaining 215, who were Railway employés, with their families,
were sent to the Railway Health Camp on the Shikárpur Road, whereas already stated, 60
blocks of 10 sleeper huts each and capable of accommodating upwards of 1,000 people had
been constructed by the Railway Department.
The day after the removal of the Gharibabad people the health camp was surrounded by a
police cordon before dawn, and all old bedding, &c., was burnt and compensation to the extent of
Rs. 476-11 -6 paid on the spot. The remainder of their effects, clothes, clean bedding, &c., were
disinfected by boiling under the supervision of soldiers. Cots and furniture were disinfected
with perchloride of mercury solution. After this no restrictions whatever were placed on the
inmates of this camp. They were principally carriage proprietors, cartmen, labourers and
weavers and they were allowed to go about their business as usual. Several private shops were
opened in the camp, and a large grain and provision store was started by two enterprising Seths,
Tahilram and Soliemon.
The cleansing and disinfection of the entire Gharibabad quarter was completed on 16th
May, and the people were allowed to leave the camp and re-occupy their houses on 17th May.
Only one case of plague had occurred in the camp and that on the very first day. It was a case
of a man who had sickened from the disease in his own house, before leaving for the camp.
The numbers of cases which had occurred in Gharibabad during the 18 days previous to the
removal into camp are as follows : —
30th March
31st
1st April
2nd ,
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th „
13th „
14th „
15th ,,
16th „
• •
. . .
. . .
• .
. . .
.. •
. . •
. . .
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
...
...
.. .
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
•••
...
...
...
...
.. .
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total
Cases.
9
...
4
8
8
5
5
6
7
3
6
1
3
6
2
...
6
6
... 85
No cases occurred among the 215 persons who were removed from Gharibabad to the
Railway Health Camp.
The removal of the people from the Limji's Charhi quarter is thus described by Surgeon-
Major Corkery :—
' A second instance worth recording is that of the Limji Charhi people.
'This neighbourhood was also badly infected for at least a fortnight prior to the 26th
April, 4 and 5 cases occurring daily amongst a somewhat limited population, and as the
experiment with regard to the Gharibabad people proved so efficacious, the residents of this
quarter were removed en masse on the 26th April to a camp specially set apart for them and
described previously, and it is more than satisfactory to have to record that not a single case
occurred amongst them for the month they were in camp and that since their return to their
quarter they have been absolutely free from infection.'
The number of persons removed was 232. On the day of their arrival in camp their clothes
and bedding were disinfected by boiling ; rags and dirty bedding were destroyed and Rs. 81
paid as compensation on the spot, and their beds and furniture disinfected with perchloride
solution. They Avère medically examined every day during their stay in camp and were allowed
to return to the town on 26th May.
B 1135—32