158 Measures in the City of Bombay. [CHAP. VII.
Inauguration of
the work.
of the Peace to assist in the operations that were being conducted,
especially in the matter of house-to-house visitation. A large number of
the Justices came forward and offered their services in response to
this appeal. Before the work commenced, a meeting was held in
each district at which the Plague Committee, the District Medical
Officers, and the Justices conferred and the method of procedure was
explained. Each Justice was at the same time given a sheet of ins-
tructions.
Description of
the method of
house-to-house
visitation.
The following account of the manner in which the house-to-house
visitation and the removal of patients was conducted is derived from
General Gatacre's report:-
"Meeting at 7 A.M. each morning at the nearest sub-divisional
office-each Justice was supplied with the following staff:-
I Sub-Inspector belonging to the disinfecting staff.
3 Military sepoys.
2 Police sepoys.
I Locksmith.
I Ambulance and ambulance sepoys.
"The Justice, after signing the book to notify his presence, pro-
ceeded to the locality selected for the morning's visitation.
"If possible, he was accompanied by the subdivisional medical
officer of the district and, when the quarter was Muhammadan, by a
lady doctor.
"The houses in each street were systematically searched down one
side and up the other; no exceptions were made, all alike being sub-
jected to the same rigid inspection.
"On arriving at a house, sepoys were stationed at all the entrances
to prevent persons leaving before the inspection was completed; the
search party then entered the building.
"Each room, landing, passage, loft, every nook and corner was
thoroughly investigated; owing to the exodus that had taken place
from the city, a large number of rooms, dwelling-houses, shops
and warehouses were found locked up, the owners having fled and left
their property behind them. None of these places were overlooked.
All were opened and examined in the presence of a police sepoy, who
saw that no unnecessary damage was done to property and that the
premises were securely fastened after the search had been completed.
Concealment of
cases.
"A considerable amount of ingenuity was exercised in the conceal-
ment of cases. Patients have been found hidden under bedding and
under bundles of clothing, and friends have even gone so far as to
lock their sick up in large wooden chests when the search-parties
were expected, in the hope that they might thus elude their vigilance.
A favourite device was for the patient to assume an air of great
activity; he would be found so busily engaged in his work that he