3
The road passes are given in the same way, and must be shown when asked
for. If there is plague along the road, passes are not given at all, and if any one
succeeds in running the blockade and arrives at the outskirts of the town, he can
get no further, and he is taken, to the nearest observation camp.
(7) " Notice in the newspapers " declaring quarantine.
To guard ourselves against complaints of springing the restrictions upon
the public notices were originally sent to the Bombay daily newspapers stating
that all persons booked to the various stations in the Southern Marátha Country
would be detained in the observation camps, and this had a remarkable effect in the
way of keeping the public at home, or at any rate in keeping them from coming
in this direction.
5. For the prevention of spread of plague from an infected town or village.
(1) " Warning to neighbouring villages to make their own quarantine
arrangements, &e. "
It is useful in devising operations for the prevention of spread of plague
by the unrestrained movements of the people to recollect that villagers, in the
Konkan especially, are accustomed to make their own quarantine arrangements
as against cholera, and therefore there is little difficulty, as I have found, in
obtaining their co-operation in respect to plague, if their villages are in the
neighbourhood of an infected town.
Thus one of the first things to be done is to send round an intimation to
all villages in the infected neighbourhood, warning them that they will be
incurring serious risk if they allow any guest or stranger to enter their village,
and that for the sake of themselves and their families they should arrange to
accommodate all guests or strangers outside their villages for the time being, and
at the same time make an immediate report of any arrival to their táluka head-
quarter authorities. This will often be willingly agreed to by villagers and
carefully carried out, and it meets the preventive measures almost half way.
For instance, even in a big town like Kolhápur, this system has gained such
favour that if any stranger happens to have run the blockade, he is at once
informed against by the town people, or taken to the doctor by them, and
thence he is despatched by the next train to the observation camp with his
whole family. The same is the case in the villages. Had not the villagers in
one instance excluded some strangers who had come from Karád, their village
would have been infected, for one of the visitors was attacked with plague while
being kept outside the village, and he died. Another instance Was reported to
me yesterday of two men from the Karád direction swimming the river to escape
the Police. They were detected by some villagers who caught them and detained
them and they are there now in a field, pending orders.
(2) " Police Cordon A."
This is the cordon to be placed round the infected town itself with the
least possible delay after plague is reported to have broken out there. It may
consist of a chain of double sentries (one of them a Police sepoy and the other as
Sanadi) which encircles the town with an interval of about 150 or 200 yard
(or shouting distance) between each double sentry, so that not only is it. impos-
sible for any one to leave the town without being seen, but there can be com-
munication between the sentries for mutual assistance, if required.
By night this cordon can be drawn in closer, if necessary, in which case it
would occupy only the roads and bye-ways, for people seldom trust to the fields
with their families and baggage in the dark.
Por a town of 10,000 people like Karád or Tásgaon, 50 sepoys and
50 Sanadis for the two cordons on each relief would be ample.
They of course require temporary huts of matting, such as they know how to
make for themselves, and which cost only a few annas each.