7
have occurred since they have been back, and considering how well the houses
were disinfected this is not to be wondered at.
57. His Excellency the Governor visited Dánda on the 30th April, and I
told the people at the request of His Excellency that they could go in on that
day, but none availed themselves of the permission. Some wert back on the 2nd
May, and by the 8th May nearly all had gone back, and the people went in for
fishing most industriously. Before this they would not fish, as they said it was too
far to carry their fish and nets, &c., from their camps to the bandar, a distance
say of half a mile.
58. I destroyed very few houses in Bándra. With the rains so near it is
impossible for people to get new huts built in time, and the absence of huts only
means overcrowding and disease resulting therefrom. I destroyed one hut at
Chimbai in which there had been 12 deaths.
59. We were very fortunate in none of our hospital staff being attacked
with plague. The Sister Elizabeth, who was with us for a short time after Sister
Magdalene got ill, died of plague contracted at the Plague Hospital, Máhim.
60. On the 20th of May the Khar Hospital sheds were pulled down and
the hospital was moved to the bungalow kindly placed at our disposal by Dr.
DeMonte, so that in case plague should break out again in the rains we shall be
prepared for it.
61. My accounts have not been finally made up yet, and some accounts
remain to be paid ; but I calculate I shall have spent about Rs. 8,600 out of the
Rs. 10,000 placed at my disposal by Government. The hospital took a consider-
able portion of this. There is about Rs. 580 owing for hospital stores and
medicines. Of these, a considerable part have not been used and have been
taken to the new hospital bungalow for use there if required. A large sum was
spent on firewood for cremation purposes. In every case when the relatives or
castefellows asked for firewood for this purpose they were supplied free. The cost
of firewood was about Rs. δ per corpse ; for each body moved by Mhárs Rs. 2
was allowed. I had also to pay burial charges. Disinfecting houses also ran
away with a considerable sum of money.
62. In my rounds on horseback I always carried money with me. By
paying ready money on the nail 1 was often able to economise and to carry out
measures much quicker and better.
63. In February and March, jowlies, bamboos and labour ran up in price.
This brought up the expense of the erection of a hospital rather more than it
should have been. I spent about Rs. 200 in cleaning out a filthy tank at
Naopara. The milk supply of Bándra comes from Naopál a, and the buffaloes
were drinking the filthy water out of this tank. The villagers contributed a
portion of the expenses.
64. Plague in Bándra attacked the Koli fishermen in greater proportion
than other castes. The Native Christians suffered heavily, even those who lived
in large houses and were not overcrowded. About half the population of Bándra
are Native Christians.
65. In Pali village 11 out of 12 in one family died. The survivor was a
baby, they were well-to-do people, a Christian family, and not overcrowded.
The Mhárs and sweepers did not suffer much from plague.
66. Several Pársis had the disease, but only two Europeans. The Maho-
niedans at Naopara escaped it, except I think in about ten cases before the
hospital sheds were erected for them. In this village there are about 200 milch
buffaloes kept : these buffalo stables are very dirty. 1 leave it to scientific
men to find out whether the presence of buffaloes has any restraining influence
in a plague epidemic.
67. In Dánda there were a number of dead cats, and I often found them
dead in houses where there was or had been plague. Dr. Lowson sent the corpses
of two sick cats killed in Dánda to the German Doctors for examination, hut they
pronounced these free from plague. I do not believe the pigs were attacked by
plague.
68. Persons who had been in segregation camps for a considerable time
caught the plague.