222 Measures in the Bombay Presidency and Sind. [CHAP. VIII.
CLEANSING AND DISINFECTION OF INFECTED AND OTHER
HOUSES.
Large
disinfecting staff
from Bombay,
Two hundred coolies under the charge of two capable European
inspectors, and furnished with large quantities of lime and other
materials, having arrived from Bombay, the arduous work of dis-
infecting and cleansing the filthy city commenced on the 21st of
May. "The usual measures were taken, viz., opening out the rooms
as much as possible to light and air, and removal of part of the tiles,
taking out all rubbish and clothes and burning them, the use liberally
of disinfectants, and, finally, hot limewashing the whole premises."
Extensive
cleansing and
disinfecting
operations.
The experienced Bombay inspectors and labourers proceeded
rapidly with the work, and as the inhabitants took heart on seeing
the plague decrease, the Bombay agency was gradually replaced by
less expensive local labour. In addition to the regular disinfecting
parties small gangs of labourers were placed at the city gates, so
that when cases or dead bodies were removed through them, labourers
were at once despatched to disinfect the house in which the sick
person had resided. Finally, whole streets were operated on at a time,
and the houses abandoned by their owners were opened and cleansed.
In this way the whole town was purified, and Dr. Wilkins states
that he has no doubt that it was rendered cleaner than it had been
for the past few centuries. Mr. Attes, the Bombay Disinfecting
Inspector, gave the following account of the operation:-
Description of
the work.
"3,338 houses were disinfected by me, containing 16,540 rooms.
Tiles were taken off partially from the roofs of 2,540 houses to admit
light and air; 8,843 coolies were employed on the above works from
the 5th May to 21st June. I found it necessary to use about 12 oz.
of carbolic acid to every cask of mixed lime, as the lime was more or
less slaked. Care was taken to freely use this solution to the walls,
more especially to the flooring until it fairly permeated it. In every
instance the men were not allowed to enter the infected houses
until some chloride of lime was used, and in some extreme cases
where the smell of dead rats and cats was unbearable, I fumigated
the rooms with about 2 lbs. of chloride of lime with 2 lbs. of dis-
infecting powder. This fumigation answered the purpose very
satisfactorily, although expensive. In some extreme cases I used
the pump and washed the walls and flooring with a solution of carbolic
acid, and then limewashed the place with carbolic acid in lime. I
found nearly 50 per cent. of the houses disinfected by me had dead
cats and rats, and I believe if the disinfection had been started
immediately the plague broke out (a month prior to our coming here),
one-half of the mortality would not have taken place. The whole
length and breadth of the town was fairly infected when we came."