2
drawn from tue town and the part affected was isolated as much as possible.
The collection of mourning women at the house of the dead was stopped. The
erection of sheds outside the town was commenced and the people were exhorted
to go and live in the gardens outside, so that the town might be cleaned and
ventilated. An attempt was made, but without success, to obtain extra medical
assistance (native) from the outside. An application was made to Bombay for
ec Yersin " and " Haffkine's " serum, but the supply had been exhausted. The
Hospital Assistant, who had been specially engaged, proved quite useless, and so
the whole work fell upon Dr. "Wadia, including the inspection at the Railway.
The plague at first con-
fined to certain limit. Its
first victims and its gradual
increase.
6. For some time the measures taken confined the plague to one part of
the town and to the Jain Baniya community. The
victims wore at first almost all women. Rats were
found in infected houses. Gradually servants and
others who had to come in contact with the Baniyas
began to be affected, and it became evident that if
stronger measures were not taken the plague would spread over the town.
The necessity of applying
for the services of a Euro-
pean Medical Officer.
7. When the subject oí compulsory segregation was discussed the sub-
ordinate officials of the State expressed their inability
to carry it out in the face of the opposition that would
be made. There were two parties among the Jain
Baniyas and one opposed the other. The Dewán, in
Hindustan, was deceived as to the urgency of the matter. I was of opinion that
though force might be used it was useless to resort to it as long as there was a
total lack of organization for hospitals and segregation, &c. I therefore asked
His Highness to return to Pálanpur and lend his authority to some effectual
measures to suppress the plague. He consented to do so, arriving at Pálanpur on
the 23rd March. He at once agreed that the only thing to do was to apply for
the services of a European Medical Officer to take charge of the whole operations.
Application to Government was made by wire, and on the 2nd April Surgeon-
Oaptain H. F. Cleveland, from Deesa, arrived to take charge of the special work.
Arrival of Dr. Lowson and
the measures decided on for
segregating, treating the pa-
tients and their relations.
8. In the meantime an offer from Government to depute Dr. Lowson, the
Plague Commissioner, had been accepted, and it hap-
pened that ho arrived on the same day as Dr. Cleveland.
A meeting was held, at which the Dewán and all the
principal persons in the place were present. Dr.
Lowson spoke and explained the principles on which
plague had been dealt with elsewhere, and indicated what ought to be done in
Pálanpur. Some of the townspeople also expressed their views of the matter.
It was finally resolved that compulsory segregation should be tried with an ex-
ception in favour of pardáh women. Before he finally left, Dr. Lowson selected
places for hospitals and indicated the method of segregating and the treatment
of patients.
The organization of four
hospitals under Dr. Cleveland.
9. Under Dr. Cleveland's orders four hospitals were organized, viz., one
for the Jain Baniyas in their own spacious Dehla in
the town. Por the Mahomedans, in a dharmsála
outside the town, and for other castes, in the sheds
that had already been affected. The Borahs came forward and offered to
arrange their own hospital in a small bungalow which they used as a club.
Each of these hospitals had a special place for segregating patients as well as
their relations ; also a supply of medicines, disinfectants, and apparatus for
boiling clothes. Dr. Patwardhan, the State Medical Officer, was put in charge
of the ' Dehla ' and all within the town, and Dr. Wadia, of the shed hospital and
of all outside the town. He had also charge of the Railway inspection. At
last two extra Hospital Assistants were procured from the outside and were
placed under these officers.
Reorganization of the sys-
tem, of disinfecting.
10. At the same time the system of disinfecting was reorganized, a
special staff of men being enlisted for the purpose.
This department eventually became, under Dr. Clove-
land's personal superintendence, very efficient. After
the patient and his relations had been removed, the roof of the house was taken
off and the place thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, the fire-engine charged
with a solution of carbolic acid being sometimes used for this purpose.