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fco inform them beforehand of the measures they will be required to
submit to, arid to convince them of the utility of the particular methods
selected, so that they may be induced to carry them out not by force
but by the exercise of their own free-will and as a consequence of their
appreciating and understanding the benefits to be anticipated there-
from. The measures are new to the people, particularly in fresh areas
of infection, and if injudiciously or over-zealously pressed, must defeat
themselves by exciting opposition instead of securing the co-operation
of the people. On the other hand, if the leading inhabitants are
induced to assist the Government officials in carrying out measures
which are clearly beneficial, it may oiten be possible, with their help,
to carry out with good results measures which would be ineffectual or
injurious if enforced by definite orders upon a population ignorant of
their advantages and suspicious of the objects with which they are
adopted.
(2) ADVANTAGES OF EAELY DISCOVERY OF PLAGUE.
4. The most important and the most difficult matter in all operations
against plague is to obtain early information regarding the cases that
occur. The prompt discovery of an imported case of plague may
enable the local authorities to prevent a local outbreak, and even
where a few indigenous cases have occurred, early information
regarding each new case may make it possible to prevent the outbreak
from spreading beyond a confined area. Every endeavour should
therefore be made to obtain information of each case of plague that
occurs, as soon as possible after the patient has been attacked, or
where this is not possible, soon after death.
5. For this purpose, the notification system as described in the
Hegulations should be mainly relied upon, and the co-operation of the
people in working it should be secured by pointing out to them the
advantage of protecting themselves by not mixing with persons com-
ing from infected areas and by giving the authorities prompt notice
of their arrival and of any cases of fever or plague or suspicious
sudden illness among them. In towns, one or more volunteers of
each caste should be invited to assist the circle officers in prosecuting
enquiries and discovering plague cases. The risk of concealment of
cases is lessened where people see that their leaders have ranged
themselves on the side of the authorities.
6. Besides carrying out the other measures prescribed in the Regu-
lations, attention should be paid to the improvement of the existing
system of registering deaths. In municipal towns special daily
returns o£ mortality may be called for and checked with the aid of
trustworthy subordinates posted at burning- and burial grounds. In
villages whenever the deaths reported are found to be more frequent
than usual, or when any case of fever with glandular swellings is
reported, the tahsildar with the nearest medical officer should at once
proceed to the village and make inquiries with a A T iew to ascertain
whether plague exists in the village ; and the medical officer and the
tahsildar should report to the district medical and sanitary officer the
facts and the reasons for the decision arrived at by them as to the
cause of the mortality.