CHAP. VIII.] Measures in the Bombay Presidency and Sind. 211
Small percentage
of plague cases
among the
segregated.
The percentage of plague cases amongst the inhabitants of the
camps was thus only 13. Remembering that all the inmates had been
subject to the immediate risk of infection, the smallness of this percen-
tage shows the great direct saving of life which results from the re-
moval of the persons endangered from their insanitary and infected sur-
roundings.
CLEANSING AND DISINFECTION OF INFECTED HOUSES.
This important portion of the work was performed by military
parties and by the municipal authorities co-ordinately.
Disinfecting and
limewashing
parties.
Under the military organization there were two separate sets of
operations, performed by the "fumigation parties" and the "lime-
washing parties." The "fumigation parties" would be more correctly
described as "disinfecting parties." When the operations were at
their height there were three disinfecting divisions, each consisting
of a number of military parties.
Preliminary
arrangements.
"Before the operations of the military commenced, a list was pre-
pared of all the houses in the city in which plague cases or deaths
from any cause had occurred since March 1st and which had not
already been disinfected. All houses on this list had to be dealt with
by the fumigators, thereafter they were supplied daily with a list of
houses from which fresh plague cases or deaths from any cause had
been reported to the Municipal authorities. In addition to the
houses entered in these lists all houses in which cases or plague
corpses were found during the morning's search had to be disinfected.
List of houses to
be disinfected.
"The preparation of correct lists of houses for fumigation was
found to be a matter of considerable practical difficulty. Persons who
reported deaths at the Municipal office constantly gave the address of
the deceased incorrectly, thereby exposing an uninfected house to
disinfection and its inmates to the inconveniences of segregation.
To get over this difficulty, the Municipal Conservancy Inspectors
were entrusted with the duty of verifying the addresses at which
plague attacks and deaths had occurred. The work was indifferently
performed by them and was accordingly made over to the assistant
masters from the Poona High School, whose services were lent by
the Director of Public Instruction. It was finally transferred to non-
commissioned officers of the native infantry.
Method of
procedure.
"During the greater portion of the operations the fumigation divisions
worked daily over the same local area as the search divisions. One
or more fumigation parties accompanied each search division for the
purpose of disinfecting any houses where cases might be found in the
morning's search. The remaining parties of the fumigation divisions
were employed on the disinfection of houses entered on the fumigation
lists, and situated within the section of the city to be searched on the