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persons who were exposed to infection in places where  plague  was at its height,
and many persons who were already incubating plague were unavoidably operated
upon.    No information was secured as to the maximum duration of the protection
afforded, but statistics were compiled  with reference to a considerable number of
persons  showing the number of days which intervened between their inoculation
and attack and the results of their attacks, and these statistics indicate that some
protection was afforded immediately after  inoculation,   that the   protective value
of the  operation  increased up to   three   months from   the   date of inoculation,
and that it  lasted even after  three months.     That   the  duration   of  protection
is considerable is evidenced by the facts already mentioned above regarding  the
influence on   plague in 1901   exercised in Jullundur and Hoshiárpur by   inocula-
tions performed during the hot weather of 1900.    It should be   noticed here that
in the course of all the operations mentioned above no accidents due to the use of
bad fluid came to  light.    Had there been any such   accident it is certain that it
would have  been   reported, since rumours of   the   dangers   of  inoculation   were
prevalant and all   minor  accidents   due   to   it   were   brought   to  the   notice  of
the  Medical Officers concerned and   in many   cases   exaggerated.    Such minor
accidents   consisted   mainly   of  the   formation   in   a few   cases of abscesses  at
the   seat of inoculation.    In one or two cases   it   was alleged that death   had
followed the operation, but in all these cases it was clearly proved that the deaths
were due   to   plague   contracted before  inoculation.    Any  harm   caused by the
operation or any reason to belief that it was prejudicial would certainly have been
brought   to  light.    Everywhere,   however,  the impression of all officers who had
experience   of  the results of   inoculation was  very   strongly   in its   favour,   and
the people when not already convinced of its   value  were   open   to   conviction if
a strong effort to   press   inoculation upon  them   should   be   made.    In   Ambala,
Ferozepore and   Gurdáspur   inoculation  appeared to be in demand, as it was in
Jullundur, where it was done only on a written application  for it ; in   Hoshiárpur
and Ludhiána the people were willing to resort to it when plague  was severe ;  in
Siálkot the people were beginning to understand its advantages ; and   in  Lahore
also it was remarked   that   the people  would  accept  it if they were pressed   to
do so.
22.    Sir Charles Rivaz had before him in the hot weather of 1902 reports
and statistics which put him in possession  of  the   main facts   set forth  in the
preceding paragraph.    Therefore when  he   considered how  Government  could
with the greatest   hope of success assist the   people  to   combat the outbreak of
1902-03, which he feared would  be  very   severe   and widespread, he  turned to
inoculation.    Other  plague  measures   had  failed ; Government   was  not  in  a
position  to  enforce  them, and   the people  were not ready to combine for  their
effective adoption ; inoculation was a measure which offered individuals a chance
of   protecting themselves even in the absence of combined action ;   there was no
other measure by which individuals could so protect themselves ;   and there was
good reason to believe that very large numbers would  accept without compulsion
inoculation if Government advised them to resort to it and   provided  them with
adequate  facilities  for doing   so.    It  was anticipated  that  inoculation  would
restrain plague in the Punjab and decrease the risk of its spread to other parts of
India, and it was believed that it would avert plague attacks  from numbers  who
would otherwise fall victims to the disease and would save the lives   of  numbers
even if they were attacked.     It was not expected that inoculation would at once
stamp out   plague,  but  it   was   hoped that  the  success   of  the  operations   in
1902-03 would render it  increasingly easy to deal with outbreaks   in   succeeding
years, and would confine those outbreaks  to  constantly   narrowing limits.    The
Lieutenant-Governor, however, felt that no scheme would be adequate which did
not make it possible to inoculate in advance of plague at least two-thirds oí   the
population of the 13 districts in which the disease had taken its firmest hold.    It
was calculated that for a scheme of this magnitude 70,000 doses of prophylactic
fluid would be required daily during the period of the operations.   The only existing
source of supply was the Plague Research Laboratory at Bombay" and before any
other action was taken the Laboratory authorities were asked if they could supply
the required amount.    On the 17th of June the Laboratory  authorities   gave  an
assurance that the amount could be  supplied and  that  special arrangements