SATARA DISTRICT.] 247
of January 1898 in this Tluka alone was 57. In the first week of September 1897,' seven
villages returned about 100 cases. On the 4th September, Lieutenant Robertson, I. M. S.,
took charge of the villages in the Kard Tluka and succeeded in several cases in detecting
plague at places where it had been carefully concealed. But the extent of his charge largely
discounted the efficacy of his endeavours : for whatever good he was able to effect on his
arrival at a village, was undone on his departure. Nevertheless, the surprise visits which he
paid to villages, and the scrutiny exercised by him over village death registers, acted as
valuable checks.
Amongst the places which suffered most severely in the Kard Tluka was the town
Masur.
Population-6,703.
of Masur, a well-to-do agricultural and commercial centre,
second in importance only to Kard itself. Some people of
Masur visited Kard and brought infection thence in the
second week of August 1897. During the two succeeding weeks only one indigenous
case occurred ; but this was soon followed by others. The first few cases all occurred
amongst the Rmoshis, who were quickly turned out. Nevertheless infection soon spread to
the other classes; and the monsoon prevented general evacuation. Efforts were therefore
confined to the isolation and treatment of the sick. Lieutenant Robertson occasionally visited
Masur, and Mr. P. E. Percival, I. C. S., Assistant Collector, devoted special attention to
it. Later on (in November) it formed the chief part of the charge of Mr. A. D. Wilkins,
Divisional Forest Officer, who was constituted a Plague Authority for Masur and the
surrounding country. Many of the agricultural and commercial inhabitants left the town,
some escaping to other villages and some merely vacating their houses and living in camp.
In November 1897, owing to the cessation of the rains, evacuation became practicable and
was generally enforced.
As in Kard, as in Kaledhon, so in Masur, disinfection was carried out extensively,
All the houses in town-about 1,000-were not only completely disinfected, but had the roof
opened up to admit light and air.
The results may be seen in the following figures which trace the progress of the epidemic
week by week :-
Week ending
Cases.
Deaths.
REMARKS.
28th August
1897
14
7
4th September
,,
20
14
11th ,,
,,
15
15
18th ,,
,,
31
27
25th ,,
,,
17
7
2nd October
,,
80
26
9th ,,
,,
25
18
16th ,,
,,
57
51
23rd ,,
,,
67
63
30th ,,
,,
75
75
6th November
,,
48
48
Evacuation proceeding.
13th ,,
,,
40
40
Evacuation complete.
20th ,,
,,
24
22
27th ,,
,,
8
7