5
In the Nana Taivd, out of 61 deaths 33 occurred among people who died
in their houses after an illness of from 12 to 24 hours, and after every one had
moved out into sheds, living practically in the open air, 15 cases occurred.
In the Mota Taivd, out of 98 deaths 50 occurred after such short periods
of illness that there was no time to remove the sick to hospital, and 31 cases
occurred after the houses had been vacated.
In these two quarters it was deemed advisable to have the houses vacated
during the process of disinfection, so as to reduce the number of subsequent
operations as much as possible.
The Ghanchivd, which adjoins the Mota Taivd, was saved from any seri-
ous infection, by rapid disinfection before the disease had got a hold, and here
the inhabitants were not turned out of their houses.
A similar result was attained in the Khatrivd, and without disturbing the
occupants, and although subsequent cases occurred, necessitating a second or
even third disinfection of one or two houses, the disease never reached epidemic
proportions. In calculating the number of cases which occurred in any quarter,
after disinfection had been completed, it is only right that a proportion should
be deducted as representing those persons already infected at the time.
26. This plan of disinfection only seems to me worthy of a more extended
trial should opportunity occur :-
(1) It is simple, cheap and efficient. It means a saving of time,
labour and material, and further experience will probably show that, where
corrosive sublimate is used, a weaker solution (1 to 2,000) is sufficiently
strong for the purpose.
(2) It ensures almost complete immunity from infection to labourers.
Before this method of disinfection was introduced, 12 cases of plague were
known to have occurred among the labourers; while afterwards no cases
occurred among the men who were solely engaged in disinfection.
(3) It entails a minimum of discomfort and inconvenience on the
occupants of a house.
Corrosive sublimate possesses certain advantages over other disinfectants
which appear to me to specially recommend it. It is cheaper than other disin-
fectants. It is odourless, a great recommendation to natives.
It is non-volatile, and therefore there is a greater chance of a permanently
good effect being produced.
Other suitable disinfectants would probably give equally good results, and it
is not the disinfecting material, but the system I would specially bring to notice,
a system whereby large areas can be rapidly attacked.
27. In any disinfecting operations on account of plague it is well to bear
in mind that people may carry the virus of plague to a house and may also
become infected from a house into which the germs of disease have been con-
veyed by rats.
28. There are thus two factors to deal with-a human population, above
ground, whose movements can be more or less controlled, and an animal popula-
tion, under ground, whose wanderings cannot be checked.
29. Consequently it is not sufficient to follow in the train of the disease,
disinfecting only where the disease shows itself by its human victims. The
attack should be directed from all sides and over wide areas, thereby saving
many houses and families from infection.
Again, bedding and clothing seem to play an important part in the convey-
ance of infection.
This was well illustrated among the Mahomedans, among whom 46 cases
occurred after they had vacated their houses.
In several villages, too, separate communities were attacked after they had
been living in sheds for some days, no doubt the results of infection from bedding
and clothing. Therefore special attention to bedding and clothing is a matter
of great importance.
B 1087-2