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arrived from England. His report on the measures in Karachi and the Acting
Commissioner's report on the rest of Sind, which that officer drafted, were
submitted to Government, and throughout Surgeon-Captain Borradaile lent very
cordial assistance and readily volunteered for any duty.
In Sukkur, the stringent removal of the sick had led to the sudden night
of some 10,000 people. In Hyderabad, its most rigorous enforcement, under
the determined action of Mr. Dodgson, was failing to check the outbreak.
In Karachi, it was gradually being introduced, and in some quarters, as Kia-
mari, was insisted upon from the very first by Major Morris. Under Sardar
Muhammad Yakub Khan in the Trans-Lyari quarter, where he had to contend
with much fanaticism among the Muhammadans, isolation of the sick was
only becoming possible, but by the middle of March segregation of infected
families was the rule. Segregation camps under the magic wand of
Mr. Strachan sprang up everywhere. In these days it was necessary to humour
prejudice by having the huts near each community. It was a long time
before the fancied degradation of living in a hut was subdued, and to the last
the better classes disliked it, as was natural.
Early in March, the need for a Convalescent Home, to get the recovering
patients out of the depressing influence of the mortality of a Plague Hospital and
to relieve crowding, became pressing, and Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel Hender-
son, to whose solicitude and organisation the hospital owed much, suggested
that the newly built and unoccupied Lady Dufferin Hospital should be utilised
as the convalescent ward. It was just opposite the Plague Hospital, and in
every way suitable, and upstairs had accommodation for European and other
patients who could not be treated in the Plague Hospital. The Committee
agreed, and the happy faces of the convalescents testified to the wisdom of the
change.
The 19th of March, the crowning day to the Sardar's work across the
Lyari, saw the voluntary removal by the Muhammadan communities of all their
sick, and 80 patients were during the day safely deposited in the isolation sheds,
and all came under medical treatment. Mr. Giles, who had devoted himself
to this quarter, was justly proud of the great achievement. Some 40 mal-
content families withdrew to some distance, and from that date there was no
reluctance but eagerness to isolate every case throughout the villages of the
large Trans-Lyari tract.
The Jail is a striking example of segregation. It is situated in the heart
of the town, and for some time plague circled it. Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel
Henderson had taken very careful precautions. No new-comers were admitted
till stripped and bathed, and re-clad in fresh clothing and kept for some days
apart by themselves. Notwithstanding", one prisoner caught plague. He had
been 5 months in jail. He was removed to the Plague Hospital and recovered.
It is supposed a warder may have introduced the germs. No other case
occurred. Nor did any case occur in the Hyderabad Jail, where, also,
Dr. Jackson was minutely careful over every detail.
With plague broken out at Hyderabad and Sukkur, and threatening at
Shikárpur, and villages in different quarters occasioning anxiety, the dearth of
officers made itself felt. Some of the staff given to Karachi must be withdrawn
and their places supplied, and more Medical officers must be obtained. As the
disease approached Cantonments, it seemed desirable also to re-consider the
position in Karachi itself. Just about this time, the Bombay Plague Committee
was formed. Something of a similar character for Karachi seemed to offer
exactly what was required. On the 10th March, a memorandum was drawn
up, pointing out that, though plague in Karachi had been held in check, it had
not been stopped and was constantly re-appearing in a new quarter. It was
clear that the best results had been obtained by separation between the sick,
the possibly infected and the healthy, and to the perfecting of this separation,
to efficient guarding of the camps, to house-to-house searching, the full strength
of the administration should now be directed, and the memorandum closed by
suggesting the assistance of the Brigadier-General. A large Meeting of Plague
officers assembled on the 12th, at which the Principal Medical Officer was
present. The opinion was strongly in favour of working on existing lines.
B 1440—6