4
daughter of this man had died of fever shortly before these cases came to notice,
and it was suspected her disease was also bubonic. Besides the above, an old
woman who was living in an adjoining room was also attacked and died soon
after. These persons were permanent residents of Wadhwán Civil Station and
had not gone to Bombay, though it appears that they had constant contact with
people coming from Bombay. The sanitary condition of the house was reported
to be unsatisfactory. These cases came to the notice of the medical officer of
the Station, Assistant Surgeon Bao Bahadur Thakordas Kikabhai on the 11th,
who at once took the necessary steps for segregation and disinfection. The
Agency Surgeon was also sent immediately to Wadhwán. Huts were erected
beyond the station limits for the temporary residence of affected persons and
separate sheds provided for healthy inmates of affected houses, who were pre-
vented from having communication with the rest of the population arrangements
being made for the supply of food, &c. The floors of the infected rooms were
dug up, the walls scraped and disinfectants copiously applied. The tiles of the
whole building were removed and openings made in the walls to allow free venti-
lation. A thorough inspection of all houses in the station was made by the
Agency Surgeon and Pránt officer, and strict injunctions were issued for general
cleanliness. These measures proved so successful that after two more cases, one
on the 13th February and the other on the 10th March, the disease totally
disappeared.
Darbárs warned to be alert
against the appearance of
plague in their respective
States.
11. The measures adopted at Wadhwán Civil Station were at once com-
municated to Darbárs in order that similar precautions
might be taken, should any indigenous cases occur in
their respective territories, and later on I took the
opportunity of a meeting of Kárbháris, held at Rájkot
in February, to impress upon them the great impor-
tance of taking prompt and effectual measures tor segregating affected persons, &c.
Cases in the Wadhwán
town,
12. The disease next appeared in the town of
Wadhwán which is only 3 miles from the station, and
the inhabitants of which have daily communication
with the latter.
A Nágar woman came from the Wadhwán Civil Station on the 13th Feb-
ruary with fever on her. The fever continued for 4 clays, In the morning of
the 17th she had pain in the armpit, developed a bubo and died the same night.
Another local case occurred on the 3rd March and the patient died on the 7th
March. On the next day a Brahmin boy residing in the same street was taken
ill, developed a bubo on the 9th, and died soon after. The Darbár officials were
somewhat lax in taking the necessary measures, but eventually at my earnest
request they were duly carried out which resulted in the complete disappearance
of the disease.
Subsequent progress of the
plague.
13. The following statement and chart show the
subsequent progress of the plague in the States under
this Agency :—
Month,
March 1897
IMPORTED CASES.
Place.
Bhávnagar
Jodiya...
Talaja...
Jámnagar
...
..
• ••
Number.
1
1
1
1
4
Place
from
which
import-
ed.
INDIGENOUS CaSES.
Place.
Bhávnagar
Kutiyána
Wadhwán C. S.
Wadhwán City
Number.
27
23
1
2
53
Population.
57,653
9,580
Already
7,164
refermed
to above
17,440