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98. Owing to the determination to insist on the removal of the sick, the leaders of the
different communities in Karáchi now began to apply for permission to open private hospitals,
and the Commissioner appointed a Committee, consisting of the Principal Medical Officer, the
Deputy Sanitary Commissioner and myself, to approve the sites.
99. Rules for their management were also drawn up and approved by the Commis-
sioner (vide paragraph 34 of General Cooke's report).
100. These private hospitals—but more particularly the excellent one erected for both
Mahomodans and Hindus by the public-spirited gentleman Seth Vishindas Nihalchand—were
of great value to us in carrying to completion the policy of removing the sick, because they
enabled us to give the people the alternative, viz., the Government or the Vishindas Hospital.
From the time, therefore, that the latter was opened (the first patient being admitted on the
17th of March), the removal became practically universal throughout Karáchi, both in the city
and suburbs.
101. A conference was held by the Commissioner in Sind at Government House on the
12th idem, at which a large number of officers, including the Principal Medical Officer, Civil
Surgeon, Municipal President and Secretary, and all Plague Superintendents and Medical Officers
on plague duty were present. The object of the meeting was to consider the necessity for any
change in the measures then being taken. Generally, however, little change was thought neces-
sary, except that the removal of the sick should be insisted on in every case—a measure which,
as has already been seen, had gradually developed itself and became universal only a few days
later.
102. Much consideration had been given by all concerned to the problem of dealing with
the villages across the Lyari, the obviously best plan, so far as the disease was concerned, being
to build new huts for all.
103. This, however, was found to be financially impossible, and eventually it was decided to
build one village of some 300 huts, remove the people to them from the village in which disease
was worst, and then strip their old houses of their roofs and matting, and after laying them
open to the sun, disinfect them thoroughly and permit the people to return after a reasonable time.
For this scheme the money was advanced by Government.
104. A new "village was also built at Keamari at this time, the disease there having
attacked the men employed at the wharves and threatened to stop the entire work of landing and
shipping goods.
105. This brings my narrative up to the 20th of March, when His Excellency the Governor
of Bombay visited Karachi, and after inspecting the operations on both sides of the Lyari,
announced in the evening the appointment of the Plague Committee, under the presidency of
Brigadier-General Cooke, the Officer Commanding the District, with Surgeon-Captain Arnim
and myself as members, to whom Government subsequently added the name of the Municipal
Engineer and Secretary, Mr. Strachan.
106. The announcement—even to those of us who knew well the advantages to be
gained by the appointment of a small and absolute Committee, with the invaluable aid of the
military at our disposal—was not at first entirely welcome, the reason being that we had
worked side by side with the Municipal President and his officers, and knew how excellent
and self-sacrificing that work had been.
107. But the fact remained that the Municipal Commissioners, who stuck to the ship
when in danger, were comparatively few and 'salus populi suprema lex.' The results
undoubtedly showed that Government was right. The work was proceeded with more
rapidly, more thoroughly, and with vastly improved system and supervision."
SECTION 6.
Plague in the Mofussil in February.
February was marked by a rapid spread of plague in the Mofussil. The
Thána District, especially Sálsette Island, which is joined to Bombay Island by
causeways, was the one most severely affected, but in Surat, a coast district
north of Thána, the epidemic became severe in the town of Bulsár, and gave
cause for anxiety in the city of Surat and the adjoining town of Rander ; in the
city of Poona plague was increasing rapidly ; in the Kolába District which lies
on the east of Bombay harbour, the disease had obtained a footing in the towns
of Panvel and Uran ; while imported and occasionally indigenous cases were
discovered from time to time in several other districts. To prevent, as far as
possible, the further spread of plague and to stamp it out in the places where
it had appeared, Government, as already shown, conferred powers of the most
drastic kind on their officers under the Epidemic Diseases Act, in the course
of this month, and made special arrangements for controlling railway and sea
B 1135—21—