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First-class passengers were examined in their carriages as a rule ;
second and third class carriages were emptied of their occupants, and
the passengers were examined on the platform, while the carriages were
searched by the police for concealed cases. Purdah women were not
forced to get out of the carriage, or to submit to examination if they had
any objection, but their names and addresses were taken.
Holders of season tickets and free passes were exempted from
examination, and persons found suffering from plague who preferred to
go their own caste hospital were allowed to do so ; arrangements were
made to prevent their escaping on the way by the Medical Officer of
the district.
When a suspicious case was found, it was removed to a shed for
a more searching examination ; if the person was then found to be free
from plague he was allowed to proceed by the next train, or sent to
hospital if sick.
Until the guard of the train had received a certificate from the Chief
Medical Officer at the station that the train was free from plague, he was
not allowed to proceed.
The following are the details of the inspection at the different
stations as reported by Surgeon-Captain Jennings :-
Kalyan.
The inspection began on the 12th February. When the inspection
of inward traffic under the direction of the Plague Committee was started
in the last week of April, an additional staff of one Medical Practitioner
and two Assistant Surgeons were engaged. For the reception of passen-
gers detained either for observation or treatment as plague cases, a camp
hospital was constructed, containing two observation wards and seven
plague wards. Other sheds accommodated the hospital assistant on duty,
the stores and dispensary, servants, police, relations of the patients, and a
kitchen. In all 740 persons were detained for observation ; of these, 172
proved to be cases of plague, 93 of which ended fatally, 79 recovered.
Palghar.
Inspection began on the 12th February. The staff consisted of one
Commissioned Medical Officer, two Assistant-Surgeons, (one of these
was added when inspection of inward traffic began) and six Hospital
Assistants. There was a camp hospital consisting of one observation
ward and six plague wards, with the usual quarters. Up to the 18th of
April four mail trains were examined every day, and since that date
five. Up to the 4th of July, 192 cases were detained for observation, of
which 45 proved to be cases of plague, 24 of which died, 19 recovering
and 2 remaining under treatment at the date of writing.
Coorla.
At Coorla 34 trains were examined daily. Inspection began on April
17th ; 126 cases were detained for observation, out of which number 34
were sent into hospital in Bombay as either plague cases or sufficiently
suspicious to be treated as such. As they were sent to different hospitals,
it is not known how many of these turned out to be genuine plague cases.
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