5
them for concealing cases. I had not time fco do it. Their encampment "became
very foul, they were very dirty in their habits, they generally eased themselves
close to their huts, and the whole place became in a very insanitary state. I
constantly had to make them move their huts. Any place I selected as a new
site was as a matter of course objected to and all sorts of reasons given why they
did not wish to go there. I short the Dánda people gave me as much trouble
as possible and resisted as much as they dared all steps I took for their protec-
tion. In order to conceal cases of plague amongst their women, these women
were made to sit up and make " chaupattis " when I was seen coming. So often
was this trick practised on me that I always specially examined those who
were engaged in cooking.
39. About 400 Danda people suddenly left in March and went into
Bombay, where they remained for about three weeks. They came back to
assist in disinfecting their houses.
40. Soon after the hospital was opened an old Mahomedan brought his
grandson voluntarily to the hospital. He remained with him there till the patient
was discharged cured. Three other Mahomed ans brought their children with
plague to the hospital, but these I allowed at their request to build their own hut
close to the hospital instead of going into the hospital itself.
41. A large number of patients brought to the hospital would not take
any food, drink or medicine in the belief they would be poisoned. Some
patients would only take food and medicine when given by the Sisters. I was
sad sometimes to see patients dying with their relatives standing by refusing to
allow them to receive any medicine or hospital food, or allowing ice to be placed
on the heads of those in high fever.
42. A little Hindu boy with plague was brought to the hospital : his
mother and father came with him. It was distressing to see how she felt for
her sick child. She would allow the child to have nothing but tea, no medicine
or milk. She even refused to allow the child to be wet-packed when his tempera-
ture was high. Everything was done to persuade her how foolish it was not to
allow the child to be treated, but nothing could induce her to permit it. She
fully believed we intended to poison the child, and night and day she and her
husband watched over the child till he died on the sixth day. It was very dis-
tressing to the Nurses and others to see cases of this kind.
O
43. As an instance of what people did do to avoid hospital, I may mention
the case of a Hindu boy who lived at Santa Cruz. This boy directly he felt,
the first symptoms of plague walked with his mother by road to Bombay, eight
miles or so, in order to avoid being sent by the plague authority, Mr. Merwanji,
to our hospital. When he got to Bombay he found he was likely to be sent to
a hospital there, so he and his mother walked back. They had to pass within 100
yards of the Khar Hospital, and going back the boy got just past our hospital
and within half a mile of Santa Cruz, when he dropped from exhaustion. Then
Mr. Merwanji heard of it and brought him to our hospital. He died of
exhaustion in a few hours.
44. Many suffering from plague died very suddenly. They were well in the
morning and dead at night. Sometimes corpses of those who had been attacked
very suddenly were found in the fields : I saw one myself.
45. "With so many fields round the place we had excellent places for
segregation camps. I was able to induce Mr. Snow, the Municipal Com-
missioner, Bombay, to give us free water for our segregation camps. Plague
constantly broke out in the segregation huts.
4G. The plague began to improve soon after our hospital was opened.
This I think was our greatest benefit, and means of stamping out the plague.
I could then enforce segregation most rigorously, and I did so in a thorough
manner. I had personally to do a great deal of this work myself.
47. Plague did not commence in Dánda till the middle of February and
in the end of February. This brought up our death-rate considerably, as the
plague was very virulent then.
B 1113-2