24
the percentage of cured, 41·71, testifies to the devotion of the staff. This was
about the percentage reached by the Karachi and Sukkur Government hospitals.
This private hospital was opened on the 19th March, and on the 2eth idem
the Government High School buildings were opened as a General Plague
Hospital, under Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel Henderson, assisted by nurses
obtained from Calcutta. Both hospitals were closed on June 15th.
Still the disease spread. Persons feeling the dreaded symptoms would hope
to escape by fleeing to another portion of the town, till they got over the dread
of hospitals and sought asylum there. Hats also tried to leave infected houses,
but were in large numbers exterminated by the pestilence. Clothes and
bedding, in spite of all precautions, would be smuggled away. As one woman
said when questioned as to the clothes of a child that had died, " Oh no, they
were not in the house. They had been given to the poor." Or a Banya, whose
little shop, where a death had occurred, was being emptied, watching articles
being listed and then burnt in the street, when it came to the bag of grain
protested. .The Superintendent explained how it had come in close contact
with infection. " Well," said the Banya, " don't burn grain; at least, give it
to the poor." Close supervision had also to be kept over the disinfecting
coolies to prevent the appropriation of infected articles ordered to be burnt by
the Superintendents, These remarks exhibit how little the idea of contagion
has penetrated the Native mind.
With the week ending the 9th April, plague broke through the barriers.
Cases trebled and mortality doubled. The over-strain proved too much
for Mr. "Dodgson's health, and most reluctantly he had to take furlough. Mr.
Gloster was sent up from Karachi, and Mr. Steele, the Deputy Commissioner of
Thar and Párkar, who was to succeed Mr, Dodgson, spent a few days in Karachi,
learning the plan of campaign. Mr. Dodgson's last act was to recommend a
Plague Committee, and this was constituted by Government on the 9th April,
with the Collector as Chairman, and Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel Henderson,
Major Price, Commanding the Station, Surgeon-Captain Cater Jones, A. M. S.,
and Mr. Hiranand Khemsing, President of the Municipality, as Members. The
Committee did admirable work, and, as in Karachi, it minimised correspondence
and promoted united, well considered effort. The camps were brought under
the control of European soldiers and non-commissioned officers. These camps
had been carefully laid out and very systematically worked by Surgeon-Captain
Cater Jones, who devoted himself to the efficiency of their management and
the comfort of the inmates. Tickets showed the occupants of each hut, with
full particulars, so as to avoid constant reference by the inspecting officer to
the registers which were kept in the camp office. The Observation Shed for
any sickness, disinfectants, provision arrangements, were all well ordered.
With the increase in attacks, the population re-commenced flight from Hyder-
abad, but, with the minute precautions taken to watch every outlet, the sick
scarcely attempted to get away, and, as Mr. Steele writes, the exodus of the
healthy here as everywhere contributed to that abatement of the epidemic
which began from the middle of April and rapidly continued till plague disap-
peared. The last case occurred on the 2nd June, the very day that the last
case occureed in Sukkur.
With the abatement, the tactics of the Committee were reversed. This
was ever the case with plague. Scarcely were dispositions made than modi-
fication was called for to meet some new development. A returning instead of
a departing population had to be dealt with. Till the house had been certified
fit for re-occupation by the Superintendent of the quarter, no family could
be allowed to enter, and morning by morning inspections were made to see
that there was no unauthorised dweller and no sickness among the permitted
residents. Nor would the Superintendent allow entry till the family was certi-
fied to be disinfected. Some 23,000 persons passed through the disinfecting
depots, where the arrangements for women and children were very complete.
To all this minute care and to the great heat prevailing must be attributed the
fact that plague did not anywhere re-appear, and the Committee were able
with fair rapidity to reduce the establishments. The personal fatigue to all the
ol/ill/cers in supervising their quarters was very great, but fatigue and heat and
unpleasant surroundings were cheerfully borne.