163
The inspection of steamers was carried on at three bunders :-
Modi Bunder.
Victoria Dock Wall.
Prince's Dock Wall.
All these arrangements were carried out by Surgeon-Major MacCartie, the
Health Officer of the Port, who had been in charge of the outward
inspection from the month of February.
The pressure of work on the inward and outward staff was during
all this time extremely heavy. The hours were frequently from 5-30
a.m. to 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., with only a short interval for breakfast. The
special feature of the examination for the detection of the plague is
the fact that the two most prominent symptoms of plague, viz.,
fever and buboes, are so extremly common among natives of this
country that a very large number of persons had invariably to be set
aside for a prolonged examination, as many as a dozen thermometers
being in use at one time on occasions. Moreover, every possible effort
was made, as, might be expected, by the native passengers to avoid
inspection. On one occasion two men were caught actually trying
to squeeze their bodies through the railings on the Lakri Bunder, and
were seized by a peon of the Customs and taken before a doctor.
It was found that both were in the last stage of plague, and
they were despatched at once to the Arthur Road Hospital. This was
a parallel to the cases already mentioned in the land traffic portion
of this report, and shows how erroneous was the general idea that it
was only cases in the incubation stages which would have the strength
or determination to travel.
The matter being an extremely urgent one, the inspection was
actually begun under the orders of the Plague Committee on April 1st
in anticipation of the publication of the rules framed by Government
which were published on April 12th.
GOVERNMENT RESOLUTION, GENERAL DEPARTMENT.
No. 1975-1446-P, dated April 12th.
1.    The Bombay Plague  Committee is hereby authorised to appoint persons as
Plague Authorities.
2.    Such Plague  Authorities are hereby  empowered to medically inspect per-
sons coming to Bombay Island by sea by vessels, including native craft,  which have
touched at any port in India between Bhatkal and a line ten miles north of Karachi,
and to detain or send for detention to such hospitals or other places as may be ap-
pointed by the Bombay Plague Committee for the purpose any persons whom they
find or suspect to be suffering from plague.
3.    The master of every vessel, buggalow and every kind of native craft arriv-
ing at the Port of Bombay from, and having had communication with, any place on