272 Measures outside the Bombay Presidency. [CHAP. IX.
Pilgrim camp.
known the dangers which pilgrims would incur; to discourage pilgrims
from undertaking the journey on this occasion; and to place pilgrims
visiting Hardwar, while there, under strict regulations. A notice was
accordingly issued in a Government Gazette Extraordinary on 17th
May, warning intending pilgrims that it was dangerous to visit
Hardwar, and intimating that if they did so, they might be required
to live in a camp outside Hardwar under medical observation. At
the same time the Government of India, at the instance of this Gov-
ernment, reduced the facilities for travelling by railway to Hardwar.*
As it was certain that many pilgrims would visit Hardwar by road,
having travelled in many cases for part of the way by rail, an order
was issued by this Government under the Epidemic Diseases Act,
requiring all pilgrims arriving at Hardwar, whether from plague-
infected centres or not, between the above-mentioned dates, to live
in a camp provided for their occupation outside the town. The prac-
tical effect of this was to deter from the pilgrimage those who were
not bent on making it this year, to close all pilgrim lodging-houses in
the town of Hardwar, and to place all arrivals under medical obser-
vation, without interfering in any way with religious observances.
Arrangements were made for escorting pilgrims from the camp to
the shrines and sacred pool at Hardwar for the purpose of bathing,
etc., and for bringing them back when the ceremonies were concluded.
They were advised to return home as soon as possible. A member
of the municipal board or one of the leading mahants supervised
the details of the arrangements, and rendered valuable assistance;
a special hospital assistant was deputed to the Roorkee railway
station to examine returning pilgrims and others who might have
evaded inspetion by travelling as far as Roorkee by road. It may
be noted that not a single case of plague occurred amongst the
pilgrims.
Sanitary
arrangements.
Fresh cases of
plague.
"All this time the utmost care was bestowed on the cleanliness
and sanitation of the town, and the limewashing and disinfection of
the houses was carried out without intermission. Between the 22nd
April and the 16th May no case of plague is reported to have occurred
at Hardwar. The caretakers residing in the infected area were free
from disease, also the persons who had removed from the infected
area to the camp of observation. But on the 16th May a pujari or
attendant at a temple who had visited, and probably slept in, the
infected area died of plague (case No. 9 in list attached), and subse-
quently, at intervals between the 17th May and 8th June, nine cases
occurred in a part of the town outside the infected and evacuated area.
Details of the cases are given in the list attached.
* See Home Department Notification No. 1578, dated the 16th May 1897, Appendix
VII, page
See Map, Vol. IV, page 15.