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CHAPTER II.
SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF PLAGUE ADMINISTRATION IN
DECEMBER 1896 AND JANUARY 1S97.
SECTION 1.
Measures taken "by Government with reference to the Plague Administration
of the Municipal Commissioner, Bombay.
1. The Committee appointed by Government in October (vide Chapter I,
section 2, para. 14) to inquire into the nature and history of plague were
called upon by the Surgeon-General in December to favour him with their
views as to the best means to stamp out the disease.
2. In response to this the Committee on December 9th forwarded a
majority report in which they urged the adoption of certain practical measures,
the most important of which was the rigid segregation of the sick in the houses
in which the attack commenced, or, if no suitable accommodation were available,
the removal of the sick to other suitable places such as special hospitals.
3. This report, which is printed as Appendix A to this chapter, was signed
by Drs. Manser, Childe, and Surveyor, and Mr. Hankin. Professor tiaifkine,
the delegate of the Government of India, expressed his inability to sign the
document, and wrote the following minute of dissent :
ff The sanitary precautions now being taken against the plague are -in conformity "with
the general sanitary principles adopted at present. Any new suggestions can be made
only after a patient study, for which we bave not yet had sufficient time, and which ought
to be uninterruptedly pursued. No immaterial alteiations or additions in the present
measures are in the least likely to affect the course of the epidemic, and it is not advisable to
interfere with the system at work in the city, for which there is no reason to substitute any
other. The preparation of an antitoxic serum similar to that which is being experimented
upon by Dr. Yersin is a correct attempt, and in my programme of work submitted to
the Government of India previous to my corning to Bombay, this was the first problem to
be taken up, after having ascertained the identity of the disease. Since several weeks, horses,
cows, goats and sheep are being immunised, at the Government lazaretto at Sewri. Dr.
Yersin has also been asked for a supply of serum, just at the commencement of the outbreak,
through the Consul General in Calcutta, and he answered that he had only a small amount
of serum, of which he could send only two doses, since then received in Calcutta. At my
request to have the sample here for a trial, I had at first a telegram from the Health Officer
of Calcutta saying that it was being despatched to me, but later on. he informed me that
he could not spare the specimen. I am repeating the request to-day. As there is the
possibility of Dr. Yersin having since prepared another supply of serum, or of his being
ready now to submit it/ to trial, it is advisable to repeat the inquiry, and I concur with the
rest of the Committee in the clause which has been inserted in your paper to that effect,"
4. In forwarding these documents to Government on December 12th the
.Surgeon-General recommended the proposals contained in the majority report,
arid expressed his hope that Government would endeavour to make the Muni-
cipality carry out the recommendations as far as tbey could. He added that
strict segregation was the best way to meet the outbreak, and the plan of re-
moving the healthy from the infected localities had also been found successful
in the Gurhwal bills. He feared that the recommendation of the Committee for
the employment of a large number of Commissioned Medical Officers for plague
work in Bombay must be disregarded, as several Commissioned Officers would
be required for-famine work* in the districts, and .a sufficient number could not
be made available. He suggested that Government should get a supply of
M. Yersin's .antitoxin, and informed Governm-ent of the way in which it might be
procured. He concluded by saying that he took a very serious view of the
situation, and urged that the caste prejudices of the natives, while they should
be respected as far as possible, should not be allowed to stand in the way of
the necessary sanitary measures.
5. As all the executive and sanitary measures being taken in the city were
in charge of the Municipal Commissioner and, under him, of the Health Depart-
ment of the Municipality, the papers were promptly sent to the Municipal Com-
missioner for consideration and report. He replied on January 8th, enclosing
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