3
These efforts were again recognised in the memorandum drawn up
by the Medical Practitioners of the City in January and submitted by
the Director-General, Indian Medical Service, to the Government of India
on January 16th. On receipt of this note, the Governor-General in
Council, while recommending "even stronger measures," stated that he
" had learned with the greatest satisfaction of the untiring energy which
has been displayed by the local authorities in the thorough and systematic
cleansing and disinfection of the infected parts of the City."
M. Haffkine also, in his minute attached to the report of the
Manser Committee, expressed his opinion that the measures of disinfection
already being carried out by the Health Officer were in accordance with
the best recognised principles of sanitation and were not in need of
alteration. As to their effect, however, opinions are divided. The
district of Kamatipura, which had been thoroughly cleaned before
the plague attacked it, was afterwards visited by a severe outbreak, and
it can readily be understood that, owing to the concealment of so many
cases, it was impossible to disinfect all the infected houses, for the good
reason that they could not be discovered.
As His Excellency the Governor pointed out in his letter to the
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Municipality, the very
thoroughness of the process was enough to prove that the plague could
not be stamped out by disinfection alone, and the attempt to enforce
other methods broke down as soon as it was made.
On October 6th, the Municipal Commissioner issued a proclamation,
under Section 434 of the Municipal Act, to the effect, that all cases
were to be segregated, their houses disinfected, by force if necessary,
and their sick to be taken to hospital; no provision, however, was
made for the accommodation of different castes in different wards or
hospitals. It was not explained that the relatives of the patient would
be allowed to attend him, or that the prejudices of the various castes
in the matter of food, &c., would be respected. Such a storm of protest,
therefore, was raised by the proclamation of October the 6th that, after
consultation with the Commissioner of Police, who anticipated a riot,
the Municipal Commissioner modified the proclamation on the 14th of
the same month, and issued a public proclamation* to this effect at the
end of the month. This meant that segregation was greatly restricted.
In the absence of caste hospitals, no one would bring their sick
out of their houses, and from this, time, till the Plague Committee was
appointed, it may be said that there was no organised effort to
segregate the sick or their families.
Hospitals.
If, however, segregation had really been carried out at this period,
great difficulty would have been experienced in finding the necessary
accommodation for the sick ; besides Arthur Road, there were no other
hospitals of any  sort for the reception of plague cases, and it was not
• See Appendix No. 1.