53
Mandvi in Cutch in April 1897. The Bania is the Plague spreader partly,
perhaps mainly, because the Bania is the chief traveller.
As has already been noted, the outbreak of the second epidemic in
September 1897 occurred, as in the previous one, among the Banias of the
mandvi Section of B Ward. In late December and in January, as the
disease became more and more severe, the high proportion of mortality
among traders aroused attention. Amog Hindu traders, the Jains
or Shravaks seemed to suffer the most. According to the returns the
proportion of deaths among Shravaks was remarkable, being double the
proportion even among low-caste Hindus. This was supposed to be the
result of certain special social or religious practices among the Shravaks.
It was said that their fastings during the month of Bhadarva weakened
their system and consequently made it especially susceptible to Plague.
To a certain extent their habits were also supposed to be responsible for
the average higher mortality among them. The true explanation seems
to be that while in the census of 1891 the name of Shravak with a total
of 25,000 is confined to those who are Jains by religion, in the health
figures the term Shravak is used loosely to include nearly all Hindu
traders except Bhatias and Lohanas. The fact is that the total popula-
tion represented by Shravaks in the health returns is probably
nearer 50,000 than 25,000.
Labourers.
A class of Hindus who suffered severely when the epidemic was at
its height were the large powerfully-built temperate Dekhan Marathas,
known as Ghatis, who are the great weight carriers in the Docks.
These men are often exhausted at the end of their day's work. They
have as a rule no families with them in Bombay, and have to wait late
for their dinner in their lodgings. Not uncommonly, they have no
room, and sleep in passages or in verandahs. They live in very bad
localities. In their case an attack often ended fatally a few hours after
their return from labour. They did not give in immediately they
were attacked, but in spite of the fever stuck to their work, until, com-
pletely exhausted, nothing could save them.
Craftsmen.
Among Hindu craftsmen, towards the close of December, a number
of Goldsmith or Soni families suffered severely. In January and
February the Coppersmiths or Kasars, the Ironsmiths or
Lohars of Kumbharwada, as also the Lohars of Lohar Chawl in
Market, were badly infected. The Panchkalashis or Carpenters of
Girgaum and Gamdevi suffered much in the months of February
and March. Craftsmen of each class generally live in one moholla or
locality. As there are no alien neighbours to gire information if