NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
32
to any person suffering or suspected to be suffering from
plague, or to persons who have so lately suffered from plague
as to be in an infectious state or who are likely from recent
contact with cases of pneumonic plague to be infected or to be
in an infectious state ; and the said officer may always require
and in case of contacts shall require, before granting a pass-
port, that all clothes and other articles which are proposed to
be taken away shall be disinfected in such manner as he or
superior authority may direct.
Explanation.—A convalescent cannot be considered to be
free from plague infection until the expiry of one month from
subsidence of acute symptoms of the disease, or one week from
the complete healing of a bubo.
Other kinds
of passports.
83. In lieu of the passport prescribed under the last
preceding rule or to meet the case of frequent journeys to an
infected or notified town, village or area, the Collector may
issue or permit to be issued other kinds of passports, namely —
(1) A general pass in the form shown in Appendix II-B
covering frequent or daily journeys by road or boat from a
specified village, but not journeys by rail nor residence outside
the affected area or specified village.
(2) A general pass in the form shown in Appendix
II-C covering frequent or daily journeys by rail from a speci-
fied village, but not residence outside the affected area or
specified village.
(3) A general pass in the form shown in Appendix 1I-D
covering visits to a periodical market.
General
passes.
84. General passes in Forms B and C may be given to
agriculturists and others having occasion to make daily or
frequent journeys to or from an infected area, and may be
given for a specified period, but they will not cover residence
outside of the infected area, otherwise than in the village
specified in the pass. In the case of agriculturists, if the
officer granting the pass is satisfied that it is necessary for the
whole family to go and work in the fields, a single pass may
be given for the family, but in the case of railway journeys a
separate pass in Form C shall be issued to each individual.
General passes should be given freely, and in the case of agri-
culturists working in the fields need not be revoked even should
a case of plague occur in the family of the pass-holder. In the
case of persons who regularly visit weekly markets in adjoin-
ing non-infected areas and return to the infected or notified
place within a period not exceeding 24 hours, a permanent
33
pass in the forin given in Appendix II-D should be issued.
Intimation of the grant of such passes shall be duly communi-
cated to the officers concerned in the non-infected area, and
a register shall be maintained in the form shown in Appendix
1I-G of all permanent passes issued.
Special
passes.
85. Instead of the passport or passes referred to in the
last three rules a special pass in the form shown in Appendix
II-E may be issued permitting persons to leave inhabited areas
of an infected or notified town or village and reside on fresh
sites approved by an officer authorized in this behalf. Such
passes may be granted for households, provided that the name
and description of each person covered by the pass is entered
therein.
The officer issuing the pass may always require,
before the pass is given, that all clothes and other articles to
be taken away shall be disinfected in such manner as he or
superior authority may direct. Persons holding these passes
shall not be allowed to return to the inhabited area except
under such restrictions as the said officer may from time to
time require or until the pass shall have been cancelled by
him and until all clothing and articles to be taken back with
them shall have been disinfected.
85-A. Persons who have been in immediate contact with
plague patients and to whom a passport under Rule 82 has not
been granted, shall be placed under surveillance under a pass
in the form in Appendix II-E1.
Establish-
ment of pass-
port-issuing
offices.
86, At convenient spots within, or in the proximity of,
the inhabited area of an infected or notified town or village,
the Collector shall establish one or more offices for the issue of
passports and passes and shall notify by tom-tom the locality
of such office or offices at such intervals as he shall consider
sufficient to inform the inhabitants of their purpose and position.
86-A. As long as plague is confined within narrow limits,
an infected place must be regarded as requiring as much
protection as any other place against fresh importations of
infection, and all persons who may come from a second centre
of contamination or from, a railway station which in conse-
quence of its proximity to such a second centre has been
notified by the Local Government, should be furnished with
passports if not already provided with them under Rule 82
and be kept under surveillance. But a person who comes to
an infected place from a railway station which has been
notified in consequence of its proximity to that place does not
require a passport and if any passport had been issued at such
3
34
station, it shall be recovered by the local authority of the
place of arrival and forwarded to the officer who issued the
passport. On the other hand, a person who proceeds to such
a railway station from the place which is infected shall take
out a passport though if he returns to the infected place
within seven days the passport may he given up on his return
and further inspection is unnecessary.
86-B. Whenever under the provisions of Rule 82 or Eule
86-A, a fresh passport is issued to a person already holding
a passport the officer issuing such fresh passport shall recover
the old passport and transmit the same to the officer by whom
it was issued, the issue of the new passport being noted on
the old passport.
Duties of
paasport-
issuing
officers.
87. It is the duty of passport-issuing officers not merely to
issue passports to those who apply for them, but also to trace
persons who have evaded or infringed the passport rules.
Evasion of
rules.
88, Any person evading or infringing these rules shall he
prosecuted, unless the Collector sees reason to the contrary, and
any such person, whether prosecuted or not, shall be placed
under the passport system as soon as the evasion is discovered.
Persons
who are
entitled on
application to
obtain certi-
ficates of
exemption
from the
passport
rules.
88. All Government or railway officers or pensioners on
salaries or pensions of Es. 100 or upwards per mensem, all
deputy tahsildars, all medical officers, all titleholders, all
special or honorary magistrates, all members of district boards,
taluk boards or municipal councils shall be exempted ex-officio
from the necessity of taking out passports or passes. A
certificate of exemption should be issued on application to
every such person in the form given in Appendix II-H1. The
certificate should ordinarily be issued by the Collector of the
district in which the applicant permanently resides or under
his orders. In the case of residents of Madras City it
should ordinarily be issued by the President of the Corpora-
tion of Madras or the Health Officer or under their orders.
The Collector or the President, as the case may be, may
however for sufficient reason issue the certificate to any
person who, though not permanently resident in the district
or city, temporarily resides, or stays for a temporary purpose
within such limits. In the case of persons belonging to the
classes enumerated above who reside either permanently or
temporarily at Bangalore, the certificate will be granted by
the Collector of the Civil and Military station, Bangalore.
The certificate will be in force throughout the Presidency,
35
but will be liable to be revoked as soon as the holder ceases
to possess the qualification entitling him to exemption.
The special exemption shall not cover the clerks and
servants of the persons exempted nor the members of their
families, who shall be liable to observation under the ordinary
rules, nor shall the exemption confer any immunity from
disinfection of the person and effects of the * exempted party
when he has been in immediate contact with a plague
patient.
Exemption
of other per-
sons in the
interesta of
the public
service or on
personal
grounds.
The Collector, or the President of the Corporation of
Madras (for the city of Madras), or the Collector of the Civil
and Military station, Bangalore, as the case may be, shall
have power also to exempt from the necessity of taking out
passports or passes, the following classes of persons : —
(1) Railway, Postal or other Public servants of such
grades as may, from time to time, be determined by Govern-
ment. Reference on this subject may be made to Appendix
II-H,
(2) Any person with regard to whom there are no
reasonable grounds for suspicion of infection.
Any misuse of the exemption certificate will entail its
summary withdrawal. The certificate will remain in force till
the end of the financial year in which it is granted, but the
Collector, the President of the Corporation of Madras or the
Collector of the Civil and Military station, Bangalore, as the
case may be, may cancel it at any time without assigning
reasons. Certificates granted under this rule shall be in force
throughout the Presidency.
Observation
camp to
protect a
town or
large village
threatened
with plague.
90. When there is a town or large village in the vicinity
of an infected area, the Collector may establish a camp of
observation at such town or village and may order detention
and disinfection in such camp of any person, not possessing a
passport or pass, who is suspected of having left the infected
area within a period of one week prior to the date of his
arrival. He may appoint special places where markets may be
held and may prescribe limits beyond which it shall not be
lawful for persons bringing articles for sale from or to an
infected area to pass.
Use of public
conveyances
by plague
patients
prohibited.
91. No owner, driver or person in charge of a public
conveyance shall carry any person suffering from the plague ;
nor shall any person suffering from the disease enter or be
taken in a public conveyance.
3*
36
Infected
houses not
to be let until
disinfected.
92. 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 the 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.
Destruction
of infected
huts or sheds-.
93. If the Collector of the district or an officer generally
or specially authorized by him in writing in this behalf is of
opinion that the destruction of any hut or shed is necessary
to prevent the spread of the plague, the Collector or such
officer as aforesaid may summarily take measures for the
destruction of such hut or shed and the materials of which it is
constructed.
94.
*
*
*
95.
*
*
*
Abatement of
nuisances.
96. The Collector or an officer generally or specially
authorized by him in writing in this behalf may, when he
considers necessary, enter upon any premises, whether situated
in a municipality or not, at any time during daylight and
summarily execute any work required under, or summarily
abate any of the nuisances described or indicated in, sections
186, 220, 221 and 228 of the District Municipalities Act, 1884,
or sections 99 and 101 of the Local Boards Act, 1884.
Closing of
places used
for supply,
pr eparation,
&c., of arti-
cles of food
and drink.
97. The Collector of the district or any officer specially
authorized by him in this behalf may close any shed used for
accommodation of animals whose milk or milk products are
sold by the owner or his agent, and any place used for the
supply, preparation or storage of articles of food and drink in
infected localities or in the immediate neighbourhood of
infected houses, and may direct the removal and, if necessary,
the destruction of all articles of food and drink found in such
places.
Restrictions
on the wash-
ing of
clothes.
98, The Collector of the district may prescribe that no
person undertaking for hire the cleansing of clothing or other
laundry process within an infected area shall store or wash or
otherwise deal with clothing except at such places and at such
times and under such conditions as he may direct.
Closure
of plague
hospitals and
camps,
99. No hospital, suspect camp or observation camp shall be
closed without the special orders of the Collector, and until the
receipt of such orders the municipality or the district board
shall maintain such places in efficient repair.
37
If there have been no actual or suspected cases of plagué
therein, the Collector may allow a health camp to be closed
after seven days, and a village or town or section of a town in.
which no death or fresh case of plague has taken place for ten
days after the recovery or death of the last case to be rein-
habited as soon as he has reason to believe that the infection
has disappeared.
• Part V.—Penal Provisions.
Penalty for
breach of
regulations.
100, Any person disobeying or contravening or refusing
to submit himself to any regulation made under the Epidemic
Diseases Act, 1897, or obstructing any measure which has
been taken by Government, or which any authority, or officer
appointed under competent authority to carry out such regu-
lation, has been required or empowered to take under any such
regulation, shall be deemed to have committed an offence
punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, and
shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment of either descrip-
tion for a terni which may extend to six months or fine which
may extend to one thousand rupees or both.
Note.—The Plague Regulations being orders formally made und issued by Govern-
ment 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).
101.
*
*
*
102. If the Police have reason to believe that a person is
evading the plague regulations by giving a false name or a
wrong address, they can act under section 57 of the Criminal
Procedure Code, and detain the person until satisfied that they
have got bis true name and address. Failing information as
to the person's true, name and address or the execution of a
bond, the Police should without delay forward him to a
Magistrate.
Part VI.—Miscellaneous.
Administra-
tive staff.
103. (1) For the purposes of these regulations the general
control of all measures connected with plague is vested in the
Collector of the district unless Government shall in any case
otherwise direct, and all officers of Government, of local boards
and of municipalities shall obey and carry out the Collector's
orders.
(2) In subordination to the Collector the following classi-
fication of plague authorities will he observed :—
(a) Plague officers including the following: divisional
officers (special or otherwise), Assistant Collectors
(extra or otherwise), the district medical and
38
sanitary officer, additional medical officers, chair-
men of municipalities when specially so appointed
by Government and any personal assistant to the
Collector and any one specially so appointed by
Government ;
(b) Assistant plague officers including tahsildars and
deputy tahsildars (ordinary or special), chairmen
of municipal councils who have not been specially
appointed to be plague officers by Government,
and such other persons of known and approved
character and responsible position as the Collector
may specially appoint.
103-A. The Collector may fine or suspend subordinates
of the Government medical department who are employed on
plague duty within his district, but against such punishment
there shall be a right of appeal to Government through the
Surgeon-General. Before passing any order regarding the
punishment of a medical subordinate, the Collector shall consult
the district medical and sanitary officer. A copy of every such
order shall forthwith be communicated to the Surgeon-General
who shall be entitled, in any case in which he considers that
ascribed to the subordinate is one which touches his
the fault 1 conduct only, to require that the order shall not
carried into effect pending reference to Government. No
appeal to the Government will be entertained unless preferred
within three months from the date of the order appealed
against.
103-B. The Collector may grant casual or privilege leave
to subordinates of the Government medical department whose
services have been lent to local boards or municipalities for
plague duty. Intimation of the application should, however,
be made to the Surgeon-General before privilege leave is
sanctioned. Leave of all other descriptions such as furlough
or sick leave is granted by the Surgeon-General.
Jurisdiction
and powers
of plague
officers.
104:. The Collector may, from time to time, assign to
plague officers and assistant plague officers jurisdiction over
such local areas, and confer on the latter officers such powers
as he may deem fit. The plague officers shall have the powers
of assistant plague officers and such additional powers as may
be conferred by Government.
104-A. Subject to the Collector's approval and general
control, the officer in whom the immediate control over the
plague staff employed in a municipality vests may appoint,
fine, suspend, or remove from plague duty any member of
39
that staff except a medical subordinate. The chairman of
the municipal council shall not exercise any of these powers
merely by virtue of his office as chairman or on the ground
that the staff is paid out of municipal funds. He can only
exercise these powers to the extent to which the control of
the staff may have been vested in him by the Collector under
Eule 104.
104-B. The order of any Collector dispensing with the
services of a temporary plague subordinate shall have gen-
eral effect throughout the presidency. The Collector's order
of suspension or dismissal shall be final with regard to
officers lower in rank than that of certificated sanitary in-
spector. Certificated sanitary inspectors shall have a right
of appeal to Government. The appeal shall be forwarded
to Government through the Collector and the Sanitary
Commissioner.
105. The employment on plague duty of Government
officials of the medical and police departments should be
restricted as much as possible and volunteer agency should
be utilized as much as possible to assist in carrying out plague
measures. Whenever practicable, public and private hospitals
and camps may be placed in charge of native practitioners.
Police officers should not hold enquiries into suspicious cases
of plague. Small representative committees of the inhabitants
may be appointed in various parts of a city to co-operate
with the authorities and to bring to their notice matters
requiring attention or inquiry.
106. As far as circumstances permit, Hindus should be
employed in those parts of a city where Hindus predominate
and Muhammadans where Muhammadans are in a majority.
Officers of all grades should show the greatest courtesy and
consideration to the people, and should interfere as little as
possible with their habits, feelings and religious prejudices.
Where subordinate native agency is used, it is absolutely
necessary that Europeans should be appointed as supervisors
over small and convenient units.
Militar'y
officers.
107. The following procedure should be adopted in
obtaining the services of military officers for plague duty :—
I. A Local Government or Administration requiring an
officer or officers for plague duty will apply to the Gov-
ernment of India, in the Home Department, detailing the
number of officers required, and where and when, they
should be ordered to join. Such applications shall always be
40
accompanied by an intimation whether the officer should bring
horses with him.
II. The Government of India will then address the
Adjutant-General in India, who will issue instructions under
the orders of the Commander-in Chief to one or more Com-
mands to supply the officers wanted, the Government of India
being at the same time informed of the instructions issued.
III. On learning from the Adjutant-General's depart-
ment from what Command the officers asked for will be
supplied, the Government of India will inform the Local
Government or Administration concerned, and all further
correspondence in reference to the individual officers detailed
by Commands, or their replacement, should they for any
reason revert to military duty, will be conducted between the
Local Government or Administration and the General Officer
Commanding.
IV. When the officers selected have joined their appoint-
ments, the General Officer Commanding will communicate
their names to the Adjutant-General's department, and their
services will then be placed at the disposal of the Government
of India.
Y. It is not considered desirable that a military officer
should remain absent from his regiment on plague duty for
more than a year at a time. The General Officer Commanding
has therefore instructions to arrange with the Local Govern-
ment for the relief by a substitute of any such officer who has
been employed on plague work for over a year.
VI. When an officer's services are no longer required, he
should be directed bv the Local Government or Administration
*/
to rejoin his regiment, the General Officer Commanding and
the Government of India being at the same time informed,
and the latter will then replace the officer at the Commander-
in-Chief's disposal.
108. No officers of the Indian Medical Service or the
Royal Army Medical Corps lent for plague duty should be
permitted to revert to military duty without the previous
sanction of the Government of India.
Troop».
109, The use of troops for plague purposes should be
avoided as far as possible and their employment should be
confined to disinfection when local labour is not available.
Before being sent on plague duty, the sepoys should be
inoculated and each of them should be supplied with two suits
of white drill, one pair of boots, and two white turbans ; they
should not wear military uniform or carry arms while so
employed. The sanction of Government should be obtained