The sun., 1899-04-16

otherwise. that required. and to the Police
Superintendent for u police guard to the camp.
l was further informed that ono assistant
surgeon aud eight hospital assistants OF vari-
Gus religions had been ordered 10 report them
selves TO mo for duty IA soon as possible.
proceeded TO my station. found 1t to con-
sst OF about half Il dozen native huts and
railway station. Sending for the head man OF
the village. | at once got to work. The first
thing was to determine upon the site OF tho
plague camp. A suitable spot was soon found
in n large paddy" or rice field about quar-
ter OF q milo from the station. This field was
about 100 acres in extent. and almost entirely
encircled by an impossible hedge Of prickly
cactus. 50 that the entrance to and exit from
the camp could be easily and effectively guarded
by very few sentries. In the centre OF this
field the plague huts were erected They were
roughly built structures OF bamboo poles. COW
cred with bamboo mating and matched with
double layer OF palm leaves Each hut
was fifty feet in length. ten feet
In breadth and eight feet in height.
and was capable OF accommodating four
patients. They faced north, and were
built in rows running east and west. the dis
tance between the rows being thirty yards.
and between huts OF the same row twenty
yards Close to the entrance OF the field
small hut was built for the police sentry on
duty. and little further in large hut 90 by 30
foet was erected in which to detan suspected
patients. A cook house and dispensary were
finally constructed. orders given for the i'm
mediate delivery OF u goody number OF char
poys" or native beds and quantity OF native
blankets and the camp was complete.
BY the time that the arrangement OF the
cump had been satisfactorily settled the ma
jority Of my hospital assistants had arrived
and reported themselves to me for duty. so
that my next step was to evolve satisfactory
method Of train inspection. and this was the
plan adopted:
All the carriage doors were locked at the
station Immediately preceding ours by the
guard in charge OF the train. Directly the
train had been brought to a standstill in our
station the examination was commenced.
Each hospital assistant was accompanied by
n police scpoy. who was furnished with a rail-
way key. Unlocking tho door OF a compart-
mcnt the sepoy summoned the Messenger near
est the door to alight. Tho hospital assistant.
taking note OF the passengers general facial
appearance. Graspcd his wrist and felt the rate
and character OF his pulse next he slipped his
hand underline passengers vest so rs roughly to
determine his bodily temperature. then he
ordered him to crouch rapidly down en his
launches and extend his arms to their full
length over his head. While the passenger was
armpts for enlarged glands and then COM
manding him to stand erect examined his
Grons in the same manner. II during this ex-
animation any suspicious sign. such as injec-
tion Of the eyes. lvdity Of the face EN- barrassed
breathing. rnpd pulse. fover. stiffness Of move-
mcntS or swollen glands In groin, armpits Or
neck were noted. the suspect was handed to
second hospital assistant. specially detailed for
this duty. who ascertained his temperature
with clinical thermometer and examined him
more minutely. making him strip II necessary.
He was then brought to me for final examina-
ton and decision.
As each passenger was examined he was
passed to tho rear OF the police sepoy and kept
there BY him until all the passengers in his
compartment had been examined and it was
empty. The hospital assistant then entered
the compartment and satisfied himself that
there were no passengers hiding under the
seats or in the lavatory. The passengers were
then sent back into the compartment and the
door locked. the hospital assistant passing on
to the next compartment and examining its in
mates in the same manner.
II was astonishing how rapidly and yet eff
cienty the hospital assistants were after very
short experience. ablo to perform these nspec-
tion duties. Their fingers could detect en-
largements OF glands which to the ordinary
observer would have been quite nappre-
ciable. while rise OF so little as l.
Fahrenheit above the normal tempera-
ture OF tho body was discovered by the
sense OF touch alone with a certainty that was
but little short OF marvellous. And although
this examination was as searching and riGor-
Gus as could possibly be made under the cir
cumstances. 1t was none the less a very speedy
one the men performing it with drill-liEe
precision and rapidity. My personal share in
| the examination was confined to the inspection
| OF the first and second class passengers-a
| duty which took but very little time, as most
| OF them were Europeans. and they were few In
| numbcr-and general supervision OF the hos
| pital assistants: while as before mentioned.
the final decision as to whether a passenger
| should be detained or allowed to proceed on
his journey always lay in my hands.
1t will readily be understood that attempts at
evasion were OF daily occurrence. and neces-
| STATED the strictest watch to Illustrate them.
| On one occasion noticed that a compartment
| had not been emptied. but that nm old man re-
mained sitting in the far corner On asking
| why he had not come out OF the carriage. one
OF his fellow passengers-his son I afterward
| found him to be-remarked: HE is an old
man. Sahb, and he Is sleeping" On going
| into the compartment and touching him. l
found that he W; 0 dead OF the plague. though
died shortly before reaching our station. and
his son had propped him up in the corner.
| hoping that he would be able to take him
| further on to his native village, where the fune-
| raj rites might be performed. At another time
a plague-strcken patient had been removed
from the train and was sitting on a bench
| under guard of police sepoy. waiting unit
| the train had departed when he would be tax en-
| to tho plague camp. Just as the train was
| leaving the platform and beginning to move
rapidly he suddenly spranG TO his feet. dodget
the police Sepoy, and, running at full speed NJ
the length OF the platform. sprang into the
window OF the last carriage. and his friend:
hauled him in. The poor fellow was probably
rejoicing in the idea that he had escaped from
the plague camp but the stationmaster quickly
sgnalled to the guard, the train was stopped
and the patient once more removed. lam glaC
| to say that this man recovered from the plague
! and was discharged about a month later cured
When he was convaescent l asked him on,
day why he was SO anxious to escape from III
at first. and told me that he had heard In tn,