7
Meran, five miles from Mándvi, population 1,800, became infected from
Mándvi, like most of the surrounding villages, by persons belonging to the
village going there for provisions or to see friends. The first case occurred some
time in May, the exact date apparently being unknown, and up to the 10th June
there were 14 indigenous cases and 14 deaths. There was then a break till the
16th July, from which date there have been 19 indigenous cases and 11 deaths.
Nana Bhádía.—Eight miles east of Mándvi, four miles from coast. On the
26th June 1897, 4 indigenous cases and 4 deaths were reported. Probably
these cases were due to the persons having visited Mándvi and become infected.
There were then no cases till the 24th July, when it broke out again, the place
probably being re-infected from one of the surrounding villages, as at that date
Mándvi was practically free from plague. Since the 24th July up to date there
have been 13 indigenous cases and 4 deaths, which points to a mild type of the
disease.
It will be seen by a reference to the map that out of 48 places which have
had cases of plague either imported or indigenous, 35 places are comparatively
close to the sea coast.
Nakhtrána, Angia, Lakhput, Náransar are the only really inland places
which have had any cases, and these imported and few.
Type
of
plague
There have been distinctly three types of plague, the bubonic and pneu-
monic fornis and a third without either, in which
those attacked died sometimes within six hours of first
feeling ill. This latter type was at the beginning of the plague at Mándvi very
prevalent and accounted for the high mortality and also again towards the
close of the epidemic. The other forms were also present. Latterly, as at
Gundiáli, the disease has taken the bubonic or milder form, if anything can be
called mild which kills off over 60 per cent. The villages of Kodaya and Nana
Bhádia appear to have had the disease in the mildest form.
Mándvi, 500 miles north-west of Bombay and 36 miles south-east of Bhúj, is
the principal port of the State and the largest, most important and filthiest
town in Cutch, or perhaps anywhere. The population is 35,000, and the area in
which they are accommodated is much too small for the number, more espe-
cially when some 7,000 cattle in addition to the inhabitants are located within it.
There was another indigenous case on the 18th March, and up to the 31st
March a total of 11 cases and 6 deaths. From April 4th to 9th, 13 indigenous
cases, but on the 10th 1 was informed privately that matters were worse at
Mándvi than reported, and I was told that there had been 12 deaths in a parti-
cular quarter of the town when I saw the Diván the next day and then went
to Mándvi 011 the 12th to judge for myself. There were at least 25 cases on that
date. I then at once telegraphed to Government and warned the Plague Com-
mittee at Bombay and Karachi that numbers were leaving for those places by
steamers, and on my return to Bhúj I wrote out and forwarded to the Darbár a
memorandum of my visit, copy attached (marked C.)
On the 24th April Dr. Lowson arrived at Mándvi, where I met him, and,
after seeing His Highness the Ráo the following day, Dr. Lowson telegraphed
to Government, with the result that on the 29th April, Surgeon-Lieut.-Colonel
Wilkins and a staff of assistants and trained nurses arrived at Mándvi. Previous
to his arrival, however, Dr. Lowson had organised and got ready a large hospital
for Hindus and another for Mahoniedans, and the former contained nearly
100 patients when Dr. Wilkins arrived. Sepoys had also been, put on the gates
of the town and even at the several burning and burying grounds to take a
note of the bodies and the addresses of the houses from which they came. In
addition to the sopoye, men had also been placed at the gates to take a, note of
the bodies passing out, so as to ensure a check. A segregation camp and a
hospital at Salaya, the suburb of Mándvi, had also been started, disinfectants
ordered, &c., so that on Dr. Wilkins' arrival, matters were well forward.
As a report on the subsequent operations has been written by Dr. Wilkins
and sent to the Plague Committee it seems superfluous for me to do so. There