114	Extent and course of the plague	[ CHAP. V.
thoroughfares ordinarily teeming with life was most remarkable and
continued throughout the months of December and January, when the
population had been reduced to its lowest figure. "
Course of the
epidemic in differ-
ent wards.
Until the end of September the disease appears to have been
mainly confined to the Mandvi quarter of the ward of the same name, but
from the beginning of October cases were reported from many parts of
the city. Speaking generally, the plague travelled from east to west
and then north, throwing out branches to the south. In the Mandvi
Ward itself the disease persisted with fluctuations until the beginning
of May, when it rapidly declined. The worst periods appear to have
been the beginning of October and the month of April. In Bhulesh-
war the cases began to increase in number at the end of November,
and the disease was virulent throughout December, January and the
first-half of February, a sudden drop then occurred in the number of
cases, after which the decline of the epidemic was gradual and steady.
In the Fort Ward the main period of the epidemic was from the begin-
ning of December to the end of April, January and February being
the worst months. The disease was never virulent in this ward.
The end of December to the beginning of April was the main period
of the epidemic in Girgaum; it was specially virulent in February.
In Byculla the epidemic was strongly marked from the middle of
December to the middle of April, and the number of cases was
extremely high during the second-half of December and the whole of
January, February and March. The epidemics in the Parel and
Mahim Wards in the north of the island were almost synchronous;
they were extremely violent, but also short lived. The main period
was from the end of January to the middle of April. From this point
the decline was unusually rapid, and before the end of May the
disease had practically died out in both wards.
Manner in which
the infection
spread.
It was noticed that the first onset of the disease was rarely
rapid in any locality. Isolated, imported and, perhaps, endemic
cases occurred from time to time, followed by one or more small
groups of endemic cases. Then the disease having obtained a
footing in the locality began to spread and soon increased with
rapidity and virulence until the place became thoroughly infected. It
was also noticed that infection appeared to spread from house to house,
neighbouring houses forming groups in which many cases occurred.
The infection was hardly ever found at all evenly distributed over the
locality.
Comparison of
the intensity of
the epidemic in
different wards.
Comparing the wards one with another, it will be seen that in com-
parison with its population the Mahim Ward in the north of the island
suffered most, the number of reported seizures amounting to 38 per