106
city. Such camps were the Nusserpuri camps, the three Quarry camps, the camps at Sher-
shah, Mora, and Amh Tallao, also the encampments at Muggir Pir, &c. It may be safely
denied that the abovenamed camps were of the nature (f health camps ; the persons using them
were placed under no kind of restriction, being· allowed to como and go as they peaseil. No
medical examinational persons entering these camps was enforced, no disinfection of persons,
clothing, &c The result was that plague soon appeared in the majority of these places, being
conveyed thither by persons and infected clothing, and the so-called health camps speedily became
plague-infected areas.
There is no doubt that the persons occaupying these camps benefited by the improved sur-
roundings and the consequent minimizing' of the dangers of overcrowding. The sites to which
the designation 'health camp' may be correctly applied are the temporary hut villages erected
by the Plague Committee when dealing systematically with severe outbreaks in badly affected
areas.
Camps of this nature wore erected at Keamari, Rambagh, Kalankote, Muchi-Minni, and
other places.
To shortly describe the system adopted in these health camps, attention may again be
drawn to the action taken at Keamari village, also the measures adopted at the Rambagh and
Kalankote.
When the Plague Committee took Keamari in hand, the disease was prevalent in the old
and new villages in a most v.rulent form.
Scarcely a hut in this area, inhabited by 1,300 persons, could be declared free from in-
lection. The Keamari health camp of 255 huts, with all necessary samtary arrangements,
having been built, and the camp being placed under a military guard, the healthy persons
were, after careful medical examination, moved into it from the Infected village. Before being-
allowed to enter the health camp, all persons and their be ongings were most carefully dis-
infccted by European subordinates under medical supervision.
During the month previous to the removal of the inhabitants of old and new Keamari to
the health camp, cases of pague occurred in these Villages. Thère were 76 cases and 62 deaths
during this per od.
After removal to the health camp, only two cases of plague occurred among these people.
These cases occurred within the incubation period of the disease, with the except ou of two cases
(among workmen permitted to leave the camp by day on passes), who became infected from
outside sources. No Local case occurred in the k camari health camp. A most striking in-
stance :S also that of the Rambagh Tank Health Camp. Plague appeared among a community
of some 200 persons inhabiting an iso ated area, known as Nagirkar's compound. The incidence
of the disease was so severe among these people that ¿t was resolved to remove them t') a health
camp, which was elected 1o their accommodation, a; rapidly as possible. The below-noted
figures will show the sat.sfactory results of the steps taken :
Plague appeared first in Nagirbai's compound on April 14th, 1897.
April 14th
" 18th
" 19th
" 20th
" 21st
" 23rd
" 24th
" 30th
May 1st
" 2nd
"
3rd
" 4th
Cases.
... 1
... 1
... 3
... 4
... 1
... 3
... 4
... 1
... 4
... 1
... 4
... 1
Un May 4th, atter a most careful medical examination of the inhabitants, they were
removed to the health camp, after minute disinfection of themselves and their belongings ; the
result was that after removal the disease entirely disappeared from among these people. Three
days after removal one case only occurred, which must have been in the incubation stage at the
time the people were medically examined, and with this exception the disease was completely
checked.
At the Kalankote Health Camp similar results were obtained.
When the need for segregation accommodation became less urgent, the Lawrence Road
Segregation Camp was converted into a health camp also.
The measures adopted in these health camps are thus described at length, because they
clearly indicate the undoubtedly good results of removal of persons, with due medical precau-
tions, from a badly infected area.
Similar measures adopted in future, on the first appearance of a plague outbreak in any
locality, would, without doubt, at once stamp out the disease and promptly check its progress.