5

Collector's orders. With regard to the measures to be taken in any

particular town or locality the Collector has a wide discretion and may

associate with himself a small committee including the District Health

Officer, the District Medical Officer and the chairman of the munici-

pality or the president of the district or taluk board.

In a cantonment the military authorities are immediately responsible

for carrying out plague measures and the Collector should appoint a

representative of those authorities to be a plague officer for the canton-

ment.                                                                                      

2. Two memoranda on plague preventive measures, one drawn up

by the Public Health Commissioner with the Government of India and

the other by the Director of Public Health under the Government of

Madras, are printed as Appendix A to these Standing Orders. The

greatest importance is attached to what may be called permanent pre-

ventive measures, which consist in making the people understand that

the presence of rats in their houses and godowns is dangerous, and in

persuading them to protect themselves from the risks involved in the

presence of rats in places used for human habitation and their property

from the loss and destruction caused by these animals at all times. It is

possible by making it difficult for rats to enter houses and godowns and

by making it difficult for them to find food when they do enter, to

bring about a very great reduction in the number of rats. Rats are

found in great numbers in markets and places used for the storage of

grain; if grain godowns were constructed in the manner set forth in

part II of the memorandum they would harbour much fewer rats than

at present and none would stay in them long. The municipal councils

of towns liable to plague infection should see that all godowns in their

own markets are constructed on the lines laid down so as to be rat-free.

The councils can, under the existing law, impose conditions with regard

to the construction of new buildings and they should do so in respect of

those intended for the storage of grain ; when the law is amended, it is

proposed to lay down that no person shall store grain or deal in grain

wholesale without a licence and it will be possible then for a council to

insist that grain shall be stored only in rat-free premises. In ordinary

houses if foodstuffs are shut up in receptacles to which rats cannot obtain

access and no garbage or refuse is allowed to lie about, there is less

likelihood of rat infestation. At present few people take any precau-

tions at all, Every endeavour should be made to warn all of the danger

of allowing rats to share their habitations. In some places lectures and

leaflets may be useful, but more can probably be done by the personal

influence of both officials and non-officials and both should be urged to do

\ill\ that they can to educate the more ignorant sections of the population.

Inspection

and sun-dis-

infection of

grain,

clothing, etc.

3. Under existing conditions much can be done to prevent the spread:

of plague from one place to another. Under regulation 8 the 

Collector has power to order the breaking of bulk of any consignment

of grain in transit and under regulation 10 the municipal or village

authority may similarly ensure that no consignment of grain shall

enter a town or village until bulk has been broken and the grain has

been exposed to the sun. The mere breaking of bulk and the disturb-

ance caused by the unloading of the bags will generally be enough to

get rid of any rats they contain; but a bag may contain rats which are

perhaps too young or too sick to move and it may be necessary to

empty out bags of grain coming from infected places in order that such