302 [CHAP. IX.
But all efforts to confine the disease to the few places on which it already had a hold,
and to eradicate it from them, proved unavailing; nor were the attempts made to prevent
the importation of fresh infection more successful. In the first week of January 1898, three
places returned 9 indigenous and 2 imported cases; next week, the indigenous cases
increased to 17. Yet a further rise was noticed in the third week; and in the last week of the
month there were 36 cases-two of them imported-and no less than 8 places infected.
The places chiefly infected in January and February 1898 were Revdanda, Cheul,
Nagaon, Kondri and Khlpur; while Panvel was still struggling with a prolonged epidemic
the force of which, however, had by this time been broken. In March, Akshi and Alibg
were added to the list, besides a number of other places, which, though not badily infected at
any time, yet helped materially to swell the number of cases.
Revdanda.
Population-5,900.
Revdanda (including the Theronda hamlets) had been free for about six weeks, when
plague broke out afresh with six fatal cases in the week ending
17th December 1897. The orgin of the outbreak here, as in
most other places in the District, lies buried in obscurity. For
the next two weeks there was a lull, but thereafter a revival took place, and the disease
continued with unabated force until the end of March 1898, having been at its worst in
February. From April 1898 it gradually declined, and after five cases more had been
recorded in May, subsided with a final case in the first week of June. The following is the
monthly number of cases and deaths:-
Month.
Cases.
Deaths.
December 1897 - 3 weeks
9
9
January 1898 -4 ,,...
29
20
February ,, - 4 ,,
37
31
March ,, - 4 ,, ... ...
42
40
April ,, - 5 ,, ... ....
13
12
May ,, - 4 ,, ... ...
5
5
June ,, - 1 week
1
1
Total ...
136
88
Cheul and Agrao.
Population-5,745.
After having enjoyed a three months' respite, the Cheul and Agrao group of hamlets
contiguous to Revdanda, came in for a bad epidemic in
February 1898, beginning with one fatal case in the week
ending 21st January 1898. This was succeeded by seven
cases in the following week: and fifteen in the week subsequent to that. There is little to
record of the outbreak here; which continued in a more or less intense degree up to the end
of March 1898-as in the case of Revdanda-and then slowly declined until it disappeared
at the end of May 1898. The monthly number of cases and deaths is as follows:-
Month.
Cases,
Deaths.
January 1898-2 weeks
8
4
February ,, - 4 ,, ... ......
41
34
March ,, - 4 .........
34
28
April ,, -5 ........
17
17
May ,, - 1 week
6
5
Total ...
106
118