11
assistance. The 20 subordinates were duly obtained by the hearty co operation
of the Collectors and Deputy Commissioners, and were invested with Magiste-
rial powers by Government Resolutions dated 1st and 15th February.
Mr. Cadell had been summoned in order that the work in Karáchi might
be sub-divided under responsible officers, and on the 30th January it was
arranged with the Collector that the infected portions of the town should
be divided between Messrs. Lawrence and Cadell and Inspector Brown, with
separate Sanitary establishments and Revenue subordinates allotted to each.
Thus began that sub-division of the town under Superintendents which
proved the backbone of plague management. Mr. Gloster, I. C. S., Joint
Judge, joined a few days later of his own accord, and allowed of still further
sub-division of the worst part.
On the 6th February, in a letter already quoted, the Acting Commissioner
had informed Government that a further object in placing officers of the rank
of Assistant Collector in superior charge was that it was desirable by the free
movement of officers of tact and position among the people to endeavour
to allay the panic.
At the end of January the situation was this. Though the disinfection of
individual rooms was being carefully done with per-chloride of mercury (1 in
1,000), the best possible disinfectant, the work had fallen into arrears. One
advantage of quick disinfection was that it usually hastened evacuation.
When work was in arrears people were not leaving their houses quick enough,
and one after another of a family fell victims. And there was no medical
treatment. It was considered of paramount importance to cleanse and disinfect
the shut-up houses, because at this stage the strain had so far broken down the
Municipal organisation that , it had become impossible to ascertain with cer-
tainty all the houses in which sickness or death had occurred. It was therefore
decided to take up the work street by street, and do each house from base-
ment to roof systematically. Eut no sooner had the first Superintendents
been appointed and their gangs of masons and coolies—each.gang under a
Revenue subordinate as Supervisor, with disinfectants, ladders and limewash—
been supplied than it was found that a hard day's work from sunrise would
barely enable them to overtake the preceding night's sickness and mortality.
And this was essential so as to use the cleansing as a means of turning out the
surviving members of the family. Dr. Cleghorn's assurance that turning out
the healthy was the right policy, and should be continued, came at the right
moment. Only, instead of attempting to empty the first infected portion of the
town in the hope that the disease might be thereby localised, the prime object
was now to empty each house immediately it became infected ; that is, the sick
person was left in the house with one or two relatives in attendance, and the
rest must be moved. The disease, though no longer confined to the Old Town
and rapidly developing in the adjacent Market and Napier Quarters, was still
central, and every exertion was to be made to secure immediate disinfection,
rapid removal of the healthy, and at least some treatment for the sick. But, to
do anything at all, it was primarily necessary to win the public confidence.
On the 1st February the town was visited with Mr. Tahilram, the Presi-
dent, and Mr. Framroz, the Mukhtyarkar. There had been during the preced-
ing 2-1 hours the unprecedented number of 59 -cases and 51 deaths.. Messrs.
Lawrence, Cadell, and Brown were found full of work. Next day, the Judge,
Mr. Hart-Davies, though on the eve of retirement, nobly volunteered, and
thereafter till he left moved among the people, side by side with the Acting
Commissioner, with excellent effect. The people recognised that, when the
Judges., Messrs. Hart-Davies and Gloster, worked with the Executive and Muni-
cipal officers in their streets, a great effort was being made for their relief. The
2nd of February had dawned on 50 deaths, and the 3rd broke with 51. It
was the climax, as already said. Messrs. Gloster and Barker, Abkári Inspec-
tor, were allotted sub-divisions, and Surgeon-Captain Arnim was asked to take
charge of the Sadar Bazar. The Sadar Bazer was at that time quite free, but
it was the commencement of appointing Superintendents in advance of the plague,
so that the disease might find no filth wherein to lodge and germinate. Soon
the streets all over Karáchi were almost impassable for heaps of burning rubbish