258 Measures outside the Bombay Presidency. [CHAP. IX.
The Health Officer is also empowered, should he consider it neces-
sary, to himself adopt the prescribed measures of disinfection, etc.
By the authority of the District Magistrate huts or temporary struc-
tures may be burnt or destroyed if they cannot be properly dis-
infected.
Punjab rules.
The Punjab rules empower the District Magistrate to order the
disinfection or destruction of any building, or part of any building in
which any declared or suspected plague case has occurred. A
detailed set of instructions for the treatment of buildings and sheds
which have been occupied by persons infected with plague is append-
ed to the Punjab Government circular letter of the 19th June.
North-Western
Provinces and
Bengal rules.
Disinfection or destruction of infected articles.
The instructions issued by the Governments of the North-Western
Provinces and Oudh and Bengal for the disinfection or destruction of
contaminated articles are contained in the same rules as the instruc-
tions regarding infected houses and are similar in their purport,
Householders, etc., are required to carry out any instructions given
by the Health Officer, who is also empowered to himself cause the
disinfection or destruction of any bedding, clothing, or similar articles
which he may consider to be infected.
Punjab rule.
In the Punjab the District Magistrate is empowered to order the
disinfection or destruction of any article that has been in the possession
of a plague patient or any other person who has been in dangerous
proximity to him. Detailed instructions were issued regarding the
method of disinfection.
The disinfection of the clothing and baggage of travellers is dis-
cussed in Chapter X.
Summary of pre-
vious remarks
on the subject.
Payment of compensation.
The importance of this subject has been noticed in the account of
the measures adopted in the Bombay Presidency and the views held
by the Government of India have been explained. It will be re-
membered that the Government of India stated in a resolution issued
in March that persons should not be considered entitled to com-
pensation because it is necessary to destroy property in their
possession which is dangerous to the public health, but that in
view of the importance of overcoming the reluctance of the lower
classes to disclose cases of plague, the authorities should be rea-
sonably liberal in paying compensation for destroyed bedding,
clothing, and other effects, when the loss would fall upon poor
people to whom it would be a great hardship to bear it.
The rules finally framed by the various Local Governments and
Administrations followed this principle, and provide generally for
the payment of compensation for the destruction of dwellings, etc., and