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(b) the railway premises, their environment and the relation of

plague to such premises, and

(c) other contributory causes such as imperfect drainage, storage

of commodities or garbage conducive to the harbouring or feeding of

rats.

III.-PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

10. Preventive measures may be either A. Seasonal    or    B.

Permanent.

11. A. Seasonal Preventive Measures.-The seasonal measures to be

taken may be classed under four heads-(a) rat destruction, (b) cleanli-

ness, (c) control of movement of (i) goods and (ii) persons, and

(d) inoculation.

12. (a) Rat destruction.-It is doubtful whether rat destruction has

ever been thoroughly carried out in any district. There has been entire

lack of organization, there has been little supervision of ratters, and no

care has been taken to deal systematically with well-known infected

areas. In order to be effective, rat operations must be organized on a

large scale throughout the non-epidemic season and especially a month

or two before the date of probable reappearance. As already pointed

out, it is useless to attempt to destroy the whole of the rats in a town.

Intensive operations must be directed towards keeping down the rat

population in and around these areas known to be foci of plague

recrudescence. Traps and poison baits should be used alternately over

periods of about ten days, care being taken that baits and poison pills

are renewed daily. Energetic and sustained campaigns carried out on

these lines will help to keep the rat population at a low level, and a

reduced rat population, even if it remains -in proximity to man, is

incapable of maintaining a serious epizootic; but if sustained effort be

not secured, and if the campaign be not carried out systematically, the

results will be disappointing and will kindle the popular scepticism as

to the value of rat destruction. It is obvious that, if the best results

are to be obtained, the local health authorities must concentrate atten-

tion on these foci which investigation has shown to be the danger spots.

13. (b) Cleanliness.-Insanitary conditions and overcrowding favour

infestation by rats and are important factors in determining the

spread of plague, whilst persons who live under healthy and sanitary

conditions run but little risk. The habit of using the streets and lanes

as depositories for filth, refuse and garbage affords an abundant food

supply for the rats. Rats will not remain where they can get no food,

and special attention should therefore be paid to the systematic removal

of garbage and rubbish and the general cleanliness of dwellings, house-

drains, gullies, court-yards and their surroundings  The improvement

of conservancy in towns and villages is one of the primary duties of a

local body, and the health staff should take every possible step to ensure

that this factor in the spread of plague does not exist in the area for

which it is responsible.

14. It would be of immense advantage to the public health of India

if the people generally could be brought to realize the importance of a

periodic cleansing of the home. It is not a process that involves

expense, All that is needed is a little trouble. It should be within

the power of local health authorities to educate public opinion in this