NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
6
Provided that houses shall be allowed to be entered only
by persons of the same caste or religion as the occupants and
that women should be employed in examining women and
searching any room or place exclusively occupied by them.
Notification
system.
12- (a} Every person leaving an infected area within the
Presidency by rail from a notification station shall take out a
notification paper in the form shown in Appendix A before
being allowed to board a train. Passengers coming by rail
from infected areas outside the Presidency shall take out a
similar notification paper a.t the first inspection station they
may come to before • being allowed to proceed on their
journey.
(b) Travellers who enter this Presidency from the
Mysore State by road through Sivasamudram in the Coimba-
tore district, Hosur in the Salem district and Teppakkadu in
the Nilgiri district, shall take out notification papers at those
places in the form shown in Appendix A before proceeding.
(c) Persons from infected areas entering this Presi-
dency by sea shall take out notification papers in the form
shown in Appendix A before disembarking from the vessel
in which they have travelled.
(d) Other travellers by road or water are not required
to take out notification papers.
Exception.—The following persons shall be exempt from
the operation of this rule :—
(i) All Government officers, or officers serving under
any municipality, local board or railway company, and draw-
ing a salary of not less than Ks. 100 per mensem ;
(ii) all pensioners drawing a pension of not less than
Rs. 50 per mensem ;
(iii) all registered medical practitioners, title-holders,
special or honorary magistrates, members of local boards or
municipal councils ;
(iv) any other person to whom an exemption certificate
in the form shown in Appendix O may be given by the
Collector of a district, the President of the Corporation of
Madras, the Collector of the Civil and Military Station,
Bangalore, or by the Government.
Duty of the
notification-
holder and
the house-
holder with
whom he
may reside.
13. Every person required to take out a notification paper
shall declare truly his name, address and such other parti-
culars as may be required by the officer issuing the paper.
The notification-holder shall on reaching his destination
deliver the paper by post or by hand to the local authority of
that place. The notification-holder and the house-holder,
hotel-keeper or person in charge of the building shall also
7
report to such authority any unusual mortality among rats or
any case of fever, or plague, or suspicious sudden illness
occurring within one mouth, of the arrival of the notification-
holder in the house or building in which he resides.
Explanations.—(1) In the case of incapacitated persons
and minors who are under twelve years of age the duty of
complying with this regulation shall devolve on their guar-
dians.
(2) In the case of chattrams which have no regular
keeper the village headman shall be deemed to be the person
in charge.
Duty of
railway
passengers at
inspection
stations and
powers of
the inspect-
ing staff.
14. Every railway passenger arriving at an inspection
station shall be bound to deliver up his ticket on demand by
any railway official or medical officer and shall also submit
himself to such medical examination as the medical officer
may deem necessary. The medical officer shall have power
to detain for such period of time not exceeding three days, as
he may deem fit, any such passenger who is, or is suspected
to be, suffering from plague, or who has been in immediate
contact with a case of pneumonic plague, and such passenger
shall not continue on his journey without a certificate in the
form shown in Appendix D. The medical officer shall have
power to disinfect the baggage and goods of any passenger
which he may consider to be infectious.
Provided that female passengers shall under no circum-
stances be compelled to undergo examination by men.
Fairs and
festivals.
15. When a festival, fair or other public gathering which
is likely to be attended by persons from an infected area is
about to take place in an uninfected area, or when a festival,
fair or other public gathering which is likely to be attended
by persons from healthy areas is about to take place in an
infected area, the Governor in Council may by notification
in the Gazette prohibit attendance thereat, and may, if neces-
sary, stop temporarily the issue of railway tickets to persons
from or to such infected areas.
Observation
and preven-
tive rangée.
18. The Collector may divide an area under observation
or the environs of an infected area into ranges, which may be
called observation or preventive ranges as the case may be,
and may appoint a plague inspector for each of them. Such
plague inspectors shall have the powers of a local authority
over that area and shall also have the powers of a police
officer under rule 34.
Duty of
house-holders
and medical
practitioners
to report
plague cases,
17. Every house-holder and every medical practitioner
shall at once report to the nearest local authority any case of
plague, or any case of death with symptoms of plague, or
8
any unusual mortality amongst rats, which, comes to
knowledge.
Use of public
conveyance
by plague
patients.
18. No owner, driver or person in charge of a public
conveyance shall carry any person suffering from plague; nc
shall any person suffering from the disease enter or be take
in a public conveyance.
Restrictions
on the letting
of infected
houses.
19. No person shall let, or show for the purpose of letting,
a building or part of a building in which he knows, or has
reason to know, that a person has suffered or is suffering
from plague, without having such building or part thereof,
and every article therein likely to retain infection, disinfected
to the satisfaction of the medical officer appointed by the
Collector in this behalf.
Power to
enter in-
fected build-
ings.
20. The Collector, plague officer or assistant plague officer
may at any time enter, or authorize any one in writing to
enter, any building or place in which plague is reputed or
suspected to exist and may isolate any person suffering from
or suspected to be suffering from plague and may also direct
such building or place to be completely evacuated.
Destruction
of sheds.
21. If the Collector or plague officer is of opinion that
the destruction of any hut or shed is necessary to prevent the
spread of plague, he may summarily take measures for the
destruction of such hut or shed and the materials of which it
is constructed.
Destruction
of clothing
and other
articles.
22. The Collector of the district, a plague officer, or
assistant plague officer, the medical officer attending a plague
case or a plague inspector (or a revenue inspector, if no other
revenue officer of higher rank is available) may destroy the
clothing, bedding, rags and other articles found in possession
of, or in the residence of, a person suffering from plague or
suspected plague, as well as clothes worn on his person. The
destruction of such clothing, etc., should, however, be resorted
to only when effective means of disinfection are not available.
Disinfection
of buildings
containing
sick or dead
rats.
23. The Collector or plague officer may order disinfec-
tion of any building in which sick or dead rats have been
found.
Power to
open closed
houses for
disinfection.
24. For the purpose of effecting the disinfection prescribed
by these rules, the Collector or plague officer may, at any
time during daylight, force open any closed house which, in
his opinion, requires disinfection : provided that a notice
calling upon the owner or tenant of such house to open the
house before a specified time shall have been served on him,
or posted on some conspicuous part of the building, and the
9
house has not been opened accordingly; and provided also
that as little damage as possible shall be caused to the house
in the act of opening. Locked receptacles inside the house
may be forced open by the same officers or officers similarly
authorized.
Privileges
granted to
inoculated
persons.
25. Collectors shall provide all facilities for the inocula-
tion of persons who may desire to be inoculated against plague
and every person successfully inoculated shall be given a
certificate by the inoculating officer in the form shown in
Appendix B.
Persons who hold inoculation certificates shall be entitled
to the following privileges, provided that such certificates
bear a date not earlier than nine months and not later than
seven days previously :—•
(a) Unless suffering or suspected to be suffering from
plague, they shall not be liable to detention at any inspection
station when travelling, except for such period as may be
required to disinfect their baggage and clothes, if those are
considered suspicious.
(b) Inoculated persons who have been living in an
infected house or have otherwise been exposed to plague
infection shall not be liable to be segregated, but may be
required to evacuate the infected house and to have their
clothes and personal effects disinfected. When, however, all
the occupants of a house have been inoculated, neither the
patients nor the other inmates of the house shall be required to
be segregated, provided arrangements are made to the satis-
faction of a plague officer for the disinfection of the house
and its contents, and for the prevention of the spread of
plague to the neighbouring dwellings.
Duty of
holders of
inoculation
certificates.
26. Every inoculated person who is exempted from segre-
gation and detention under the preceding rule shall be bound,
when called upon to do so by any public servant to produce
his inoculation certificate and also to make an impression of
his thumb-mark for the purpose of identification.
Supersession
of district
board or
municipality.
27 The Collector of a district may, in case of emergency
or to save delay, provide for the execution of any work or the
doing of any act which a district board or municipality is
empowered or required to execute or to do in accordance
with these regulations, and the immediate execution or the
doing of which is in the said Collector's opinion necessary
for the safety of the public and may charge the expense of
executing the work or doing the act to the local board or
municipality concerned.
10
Acquisition
of lands or
buildings re-
quired for
plague pur-
poses».
28. The Collector, plague officer or assistant plague
officer may without notice enter upon, occupy and use, or
may depute any person to enter upon, occupy and use, without
having recourse to the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act,
1894, any building or place which is required for and is,
in the opinion of the district medical and sanitary officer or
other medical officer deputed in this behalf, suitable for any
purposes connected with plague measures, provided that if
the building or place is occupied, twenty-four hours' notice
in writing shall be given to the occupier or shall be conspicu-
ously affixed on such building or place. The owner or the
lessee of such building or place shall be entitled to a reason-
able rent to be fixed by the Collector or plague officer for
the period during which the ground or building may be so
occupied : and the Collector, plague officer or assistant plague
officer, as the case may be, shall, when the building or place
ceases to be so occupied, thoroughly cleanse and disinfect it,
and, if the owner so desires, shall whitewash internally and
externally any building so occupied. Nothing in this rule
shall authorize the chairman of a municipal council to enter
upon, occupy or use any building or place which is the
property of Government without the previous permission of
the Collector.
Regulations
applicable to
canal boats.
29. A canal boat shall be subject to all the regulations
applicable to buildings and, in order to prevent the spread of
the infection of plague either by or to a canal boat, the
Collector of the district or any plague officer or any officer
appointed by the Collector in this behalf may require such
boat to alter its moorings or to stop during its passage and
moor in such position as such officer may indicate, or may
direct that it desist from plying until such time as may be
stated in a notice placed on a conspicuous position of the
boat.
Plague staff
entitled to,
and bound to
give, one
month's
notice.
30. (i) In the absence of a written contract to the
contrary, every inspector, rnaistri, peon, watchman, cooly,
scavenger or other menial servant employed to do duty in
connection with plague shall be entitled to one month's
notice before discharge or to one month's wages in lieu
thereof, unless he is discharged for misconduct or was
engaged for a specified term and is discharged at the end of
it. Similarly every supplier of coolies or other menial
servants shall be entitled to one month's notice before his
coolies are discharged.
(2) No such person shall, in the absence of a written
contract authorizing him so to do and without reasonable
11
cause, resign his employment or absent himself from Ms
duties without giving one month's notice or shall neglect or
refuse to perform his duties or any of them. In like manner
no supplier of coolies or other menial servants shall withdraw
his coolies without giving one month's notice.
Distribution
of plague
charges.
31. All expenses incurred in carrying out these regu-
lations shall, subject to such orders as the Governor in
Council may from time to time pass, be in the first instance
paid—
(a) within municipal limits—from municipal funds ;
(b) within, cantonments—from cantonment funds ; and
(c) in other areas—from local funds.
Provided that any expense incurred outside the limits of
a municipality or a cantonment but for the benefit of such
municipality or cantonment shall be met from such municipal
or cantonment fund.
Award of
compensation
for damage
or loss.
32. When in the exercise of the powers conferred by or
under these regulations any damage or loss is caused, no
person shall be entitled as a matter of right to claim any
compensation, but the Collector of the district or a plague
officer may award compensation at the cost of local, municipal
or Provincial funds as the case may be, and shall do so when
the loss would fall upon people in very poor circumstances,
or may, in such cases, provide other necessary articles in the
place of those destroyed or damaged and debit the charge to
the proper funds.
Duty o£
segregated or
detained per-
son.
33. Every person segregated or detained under any of
these regulations shall obey the directions issued to him by
the officer in charge of the place of segregation or detention
and shall not leave such place except with the written per-
mission, of the said officer, who may take such steps as may
be necessary to enforce this prohibition.
Power of a
police officer.
34. If a Police officer has reason to believe that a person
is evading these regulations by giving a false name or a
wrong address, he may detain him until satisfied as to his
true name and address and may act in accordance with the
provisions of section 57 of the Criminal Procedure Code,
Penalty for
broach of
Regulations.
35. Any person disobeying or contravening or refusing
to submit himself to- any of these regulations or obstructing
any measure taken under the authority of these regulations,
shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable
under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, and shall be
12
liable, on conviction, to imprisonment of either description
for a term which may extend to six months or fine which may
extend to one thousand rupees or both.
Note.—(1) The plague regulations being orders formally made and issued by
Government under the Epidemic Diseases Act, no sanction is required as a condition
precedent to prosecution for disobeying them (Judgment of the High Court in Criminal
Appeal No. 561 of 1899).
(2) By Command Order, No. 687, dated 18th November 1898, all ranks in
the Madras Command have been directed to obey the plague regulations, and any
infringament of them is punishable as a military offence. Military pensioners have
been warned (Superintendent's circular No. II, dated llth December 1898) that any
disobedience or wilful neglect of the regualtions or obstruction offered to any officiai
on plague duty will be treated as a breach of the good conduct required by Government
as a condition of the c ontinuation of their pensions, and that any pensioner being guilty
thereof will be liable to have his pension stopped forthwith and the same reduced or
permanently withdrawn.
18
APPENDIX A.
[See Régulation. 12.]
Plague Notification No.
I
,
son/daughter
of
aged,
years, caste
,
residing in
village,
taluk,
district, proceeding
to
*
do hereby bind myself to deliver this notification to the
local authority of that place on my arrival and to report to him any
case of fever or plague or suspicious sudden illness or any unusual
mortality amongst rats in the house occupied by me within a period
of one month after my arrival.
( Date)
(Station)
(Signature or mark).
(Signature of officer issuing the intimation form.)
INSTRUCTIONS.
This notification form may be sent by post or may be delivered in person or by
messenger to the local authority concerned.
2. The local authority for the town of Madras is the Health Officer of the Corpora-
tion and includes assistment health officers and plague inspectors and nurses appointed
by the President of the Madras Corporation : in other places the local authority is—
(a) the local medical officer, or if there is no medical officer,
(b) the headman of the village, or
(c) in special cases the person appointed by the Collector of the district.
3. If the holder of this notification fails to fulfil his obligations he wil! be liable to
prosecution and punishment, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six
months or fine which may extend to Rs. 1,000 or both.
* Give full address.
14 APPENDIX B.
[See Regulation 12.]
Ex-officio Exemption Certificate.
Signature.
/ Under Mufassal Rule 12 (name and designation*)
is exhibited in the margin is hereby exempted
from the plague notification rules. This exemption
will also cover the undermentioned members of his family, subordinates
and servants accompanying him :—
Members o
Name.
f the family.
Age.
Date of issue.
Number in Collector' s/President' s register.
Subordinates and servants.
Name.
Age.
Signature of the issuing officer.
Collector of
President of the Corporation of Madras.
Note.—(1) This certificate will be in force throughout the Presidency until
revoked by the collector of /president of the corporation of Madras who may cancel it without
assigning reasons. Any misuse of it by any person will entail its summary withdrawal.
(2) This certificate will not exempt its holder and the persons specified in it
from liability to have their effects disinfected if they are considered to be infectious.
(3) The certificate must be exhibited by the bearer on demand to any officer
authorized under the plague regulations to inspect or issue notifications or examine the
health condition of travellers.
(4) The holder of the certificate is bound to report immediately to the nearest
local authority any case of fever or plague or suspicious sudden illness or any unusual
mortality amongst rats occurring in the house or houses in which he or the persone
mentioned in the certificate residen or reside within one month of the last visit to an
infected area.
* (Here enter the applicant's qualification for exemption.)
15
APPENDIX 0.
[See Regulation 12]
Exemption Certificate.
Signature.
Under Mufassal Rule 12, (name) whose signature is exhibited in
the margin, and who is employed as a
, is hereby exempted from, the plague notification
rules.
Date of issue
Number in Collector's/President's register.
(Signature.)
Collector of
President of the Corporation of
Madras.
Note.—(1) This certificate is valid up to the 31st March next and will be in force
throughout the Presidency. It must be exhibited by the bearer on demand to any
officer authorized nnder the plague regulations to inspect or issue notifications or
examine the health condition of travellers.
(2) The holder of the certificate is bound to report immediately to the
nearest local authority any case of fever or plague or suspicious euclden illness or any
unusual mortality amongst rats occurring in the house or houses in which he resides
within one month of his last visit to an infected area.
(3) This certificate may be withdrawn by the Collector or the President of
who Corporation of Madras at any time withont assigning any reason.
APPENDIX D.
[See Regulation l4.]
Detention Certificate.
Camp.
1. Name of passenger.
2. Number and description of ticket.
8. Detained from
to
4. Name and designation of issuing officer.
16
APPENDIX E.
[See Regulation 25.]
[COUNTERFOIL]
No.
Name.
Father's name.
Street
Village
Town/Taluk
District
Date
Initials of operator.
Plague Inoculation Certificate.
No.
CERTIFIED that
, son of
, resident of
,Street/Village
Town/Taluk
,
district
, has been inoculated by me, and
that his thumb-mark was at the time impressed before
me.
Space for left thumb-mark.
(Signature and desig-
nation.)
Dated
Note.—Unless suffering or suspected to be suffering
from plague, the holder of the certificate is exempted
from ségrégation and from detention, when travelling.
It does not, however, exempt him from liability to
evacuate an infected house, except in the case where all
the occupants of the house have been inoculated, or to
have his clothes and person disinfected when travelling.
This certificate is valid for a period of nine months.
17
IV
STANDING ORDERS.
THE following are departmental instructions for the guidance
of officers dealing with plague :—
PART I,—GENERAL.
Theory in
regard to
the outbreak
and spread
of plague
aptl the scope
of the
notification
system.
Plague is spread from place to place by movements of
the population. Plague-infected fleas are conveyed by
travellers in their baggage and on their person and in
merchandise. On the arrival of the travellers or the goods at
their destination these fleas desert the baggage or goods
or clothes and attach themselves to the local rats. If these
rats become infected, rat-falls may be expected in the place
within a week. The disease will kill many of the rats. The
flea, thus deprived of its natural host, will in a few days
attack other animals or man. Man will thus become infected,
and cases of plague in human beings will appear about three
weeks from the date of the importation of infection.
The first object of the plague regulations printed on
pages 3 to 16 above is to secure as early information as possible
of the actual introduction of infection in any locality so
that that area may be isolated and the infection stamped out
as effectively as possible. Por this purpose a system of
notification for travellers by rail has been devised. (Regula-
tion 12 on page 6 above.) Travellers by road and river are
watched by means of the observation circles referred to
below.
All railway stations in or in the neighbourhood of an
infected area will be declared " notification stations," and
no traveller will be allowed to board a train at these stations
unless he produces a notification paper in the form prescribed
in Appendix A on page 18 above. Passengers from infected
areas outside the Madras Presidency will be given notification
papers at the frontier inspection stations. These notifica-
tion papers will be prepared in triplicate. The duplicate
will be retained by the traveller till he reaches his destination,
when he should deliver it to the local authority ; the triplicate
will be sent by the issuing officer to the local authority con-
cerned, except in. the rare cases where a traveller is unable to
give sufficient information to enable the local authority to be
traced, when the triplicate copy will be sent to the District
Medical and Sanitary Officer of his district of destination for
transmission to the local authority ; and the original will be
retained in the office of issue, The local authority receiving
2