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distant stations from booking except by certain trains and from certain
stations, where inspection could be satisfactorily made, was next considered
by Government. This scheme also had to be rejected as impracticable, and
finally, on the recommendation of the Government of India on February 4th,
it was resolved to adopt the first of the alternatives mentioned above-to remove
all passengers from the trains by night as well as by day, at Kalyn and Plghar
on the G. I. P. and B. B. & C. I. Railways respectively, and to employ at each
of these stations a considerable inspecting staff under Commissioned Medical
Officers. Orders were immediately issued to all the officers concerned; the
erection of hospitals and detention sheds was pushed on rapidly ; and the
following rules drafted by the Remembrancer of Legal Affairs were issued on the
10th February under Act III of 1897, which had been passed six days previously,
and which conferred on Government the necessary legal powers for the adequate
treatment of railway passengers--powers which previously did not exist:
1. Every train coming from the direction of Bombay to any of the stations to
which these rules may be declared by Government to be applicable, shall be stopped at such
station and shall not be taken further until the inspection provided by these rules has been
carried out, and until the guard in charge of such train has obtained a certificate from the
Chief Medical Officer in charge of the inspecting staff to the effect that all persons proceeding
further by the said train, whether railway servants or passengers, are free from bubonic
plague.
2. Every such train shall be emptied for inspection of the passengers in such manner
as the Chief Medical Officer on duty may direct, and all such facilities shall be afforded by
the servants of the Railway Company as the Chief Medical Officer on duty may deem to be
necessary for the purpose of inspecting:
(a) persons who have come by such train, whether they intend to proceed by it or
not, and
(b) persons who intend to start from any of the said stations and to travel by such
train.
In particular the doors of all railway carriages shall be locked at the station at
which the train last stops before arrival at the station appointed for the inspection of
passengers under these rules.
3. The Governor in Council may appoint any person or persons, by name or by virtue
of office, to be the inspecting medical officer or officers for the purposes of these rules and
may cancel any such appointment.
4. Inspecting medical officers appointed under these rules are empowered to examine
all persons arriving by or intending to leave by the trains mentioned and to detain persons
suffering or suspected by them to be suffering from bubonic plague. n such places as may be
appointed for the accommodation of such persons respectively.
5. The Police shall act under the orders given by the Chief Medical Officer on duty
under these rules with regard to compelling persons to submit to such regulations as may
be made or approved by the said officer for the purpose of inspection and with regard to
the detention and segregation of persons suffering or suspected to be suffering from bubonic
plague.
6. Disobedience to any orders issued under the above rules Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 5 will
subject the offender to a prosecution under Section 188, Indian Penal Code.
3. On the following day the rules were extended to Ahmedabad, Bhusval,
Hotgi, and Londa. An additional rule providing for the detention in hospital of
any cases which might be discovered was issued on the same day. The Collectors
of the respective districts were asked to arrange for the necessary accommoda-
tion for the staff, and also to have sheds put up for the reception of cases.
4. The inspections at Kalyn and Plghar began on February 12th. At
the other places the requisite increase of Medical staff was provided as soon as
possible, as will be explained in Chapter III.
SECTION 4.
Early measures for Railway inspection in Sind.
1. Plague was declared to be epidemic in Karchi by the Medical Board on
the 19th December, but the Municipal Secretary had reported on the 12th Dec-
ember that the Health Officer of the Municipality had seen one case on the 11th
December, and another, which was considered highly suspicious, on the 12th,
B 1135-7