1.69
Chapter VI.
Description of No. 10 District, typical of the Sanitary
Work carried out in all charges under the Control
of the Plague Committee.
No. 10 District, in charge of Surgeon-Captain. Jennings, I.M.S., comprises the
Northern half of the Island of Bombay , an extensive area, sparsely populated.
It is bounded on the north by the Mahim river ; on the south by Maha-
luxrni, Byculla, Tarwari, and Mazagon ; on the east by the Bombay Harbour ;
and on the west by the open sea.
The northern part of the district is made up of North Mahim, Dharavi, and
North Sion ; the southern part of South Parel and South Worli Pakhadi ; the
eastern part of Sion/Govari, Vadalla, Sewree, and North Parel ; the western part
of North Worli Pakadi, Worli Koliwada, and Mahim ; while Dadar, Bhoiwada,
and Matunga occupy the central part.
The population of the district is 98,402, or about ? of the total population of
Bombay, and the number of houses is 9,612, or about of the total number of
houses in Bombay.
In the scheme for combating the epidemic of plague, the district was divided
into four sub-divisions, viz., Parel, Sion, Mahim and Worli. Each sub-division was
provided with a complete organisation and establishment (as will be described in the
course of this report) for the purpose of finding cases of the plague, removing them
into a temporary Plague Hospital, and treating them there, providing accommo-
dation for the relatives of the sick, disinfecting infected quarters, and attending
generally to the sanitary condition of the sub-division.
Such organisation comprised, in a general way, the following :-
(1) A temporary Plague Hospital (the size of which was regulated by
the number of inhabitants) with quarters for the medical nursing
and menial staffs, and also for segregating the relatives of patients.
(2) A Sub-divisional Office.
(3) A temporary barrack for a military detachment.
(4) Conductors of Search Parties, such as Justices of the Peace, and
other gentlemen who volunteered for the work of house-to-house
visitation.
(5) A sub-divisional staff ; comprising a sub-divisional medical officer, a
clerk, medical subordinates, nurses, ward-orderlies, military and
police sepoys for search work, Hospital servants, sanitary staff for
disinfecting, workmen for building, demolishing, lime-washing and
other purposes ; coolies for conveying ambulances ; an office peon ;
and Police Ramosees for watch-work. (Details of establishment of
each sub-division are appended to this report.)
(6) Hand ambulances on bicycle-shaped wheels, with India-rubber tyres,
and stretchers attached.
(7) A locksmith, or bunches of keys, for opening up locked houses.
43