62
people, and in a widespread epidemic the resources of Government in
the matter of funds and establishment being limited, much must neces-
sarily be left to the people themselves. Steps should therefore be taken
to inform them beforehand of the measures they will be required to
submit to, and to convince them of the utility of the particular methods
selected, so that they may be induced to carry them out not by force
but by the exercise of their own free-will and as a consequence of their
appreciating and understanding the benefits to be anticipated therefrom.
The measures are new to the people, particularly in fresh areas of
infection, and if injudiciously or over-zealously pressed, must defeat
themselves by exciting opposition instead of securing the co-operation
of the people. On the other hand, if the leading inhabitants are
induced to assist the Government officials in carrying out measures which
are clearly beneficial, it may often be possible, with their help, to carry
out with good results measures which would be ineffectual or injurious
if enforced by definite orders upon a population ignorant of their
advantages and suspicious of the objects with which they are adopted.
(2) Advantages of Early Discovery of Plague.
4. The most important and the most difficult matter in all operations
against plague is to obtain early information regarding the cases that
occur. The prompt discovery of an imported case of plague may enable
the local authorities to prevent a local outbreak, and even where a few
indigenous cases have occurred, early information regarding each new
case may make it possible to prevent the outbreak from spreading
beyond a confined area. Every endeavour should therefore be made to
obtain information of each case of plague that occurs, as soon as possible
after the patient has been attacked, or where this is not possible, soon
after death.
5. For this purpose, the passport system as described in the Bules
1-36, should be mainly relied upon, arid the co-operation of the people
in working it should bo secured by pointing out to them the advantage
of protecting themselves by not mixing with persons coining from
infected areas and by giving the authorities prompt notice of their
arrival and of any cases of plague or suspicious fever amorig them. In
towns, one or moro volunteers of each caste should be invited to assist
the circle officers in prosecuting enquiries and discovering plague oases.
The risk of concealment of cases is lessened where people see that their
leaders have ranged themselves on the side of the authorities.
6. Besides carrying out the other measures prescribed in the regu-
lations, attention should be paid to the improvement of the existing
system of registering deaths. In municipal towns special daily returns
of mortality may be called for and checked with the aid of trustworthy
subordinates posted at burning and burial grounds. In villages when-
ever the deaths reported arc found to be more frequent than usual,
or when any case of fever with glandular swellings is reported, the
tahsildar with the nearest medical officer should at once proceed to the
village and make inquiries with a view to ascertain whether plague
exists in the village ; and the medical officer and the tahsildar should
report to the district medical and sanitary officer the facts and the
reasons for the decision arrived at by them as to the cause of the
mortality.