CHAP. X. ] spread of infection by land. 299
Further
relaxation of the
rules.
up by Mr. Lely, the Commissioner of the Northern Division, explain-
ing the modified precautions that had been adopted. The Govern-
ment of India agreed that the regulations described by Mr. Lely were
not open to objection. The sketch of the Daman frontier given in
Volume IV (page 20) accompanied Mr. Lely's report. The dotted line
in the sketch shows the cordon as it is ordinarily maintained for
salt and customs preventive purposes; in order to protect all British
villages the cordon was, for plague purposes, transferred to the line
marked in chain dot along the territorial frontier. To provide for the
greater length of frontier the strength of the guard was increased
from 260 to 320 men. The following is the account of the modified
precautionary measures given by the Commissioner:-
Persons allowed
to enter Daman.
(1) All Portuguese subjects were allowed to pass into Daman
without question, and also all British subjects who had
reasonable cause for going there. Every one was
warned at the time of entry that they ran the risk of
being detained under observation on their return. It is
stated that this operated as an effectual check. The only
people who were prevented from entering Daman were
British subjects who desired to cross the frontier to
obtain cheap drink.
Observation
post and camp
on the frontier.
(2) The cordon round the frontier was used to divert all
traffic into the road leading out of Daman territory vi
the village of Chola, where the observation post and
camp were situated. All persons not suspected, such as
persons from Big Daman, where the Governor's Fort
stands, were allowed to pass out of Daman after medical
examination; but all who came from Little Daman and
the neighbouring villages were treated as prim facie
suspicious. The Commissioner states that considering
the extent to which Little Daman was impregnated with
plague no other presumption was possible. Up to the
end of July 400 persons were allowed to pass out of
Daman without detention. For all suspicious persons
comfortable residential sheds were provided on the
road near Chola. The post was furnished with a pro-
vision shop, good well water, and an isolation hospital for
treatment of the sick. The clothes and personal effects
of the persons detained in the camp were divided into two
heaps-one to be burnt or sent back at the option of the
owner, the other to be disinfected by boiling. After select-
ing a suit of clothes that had been boiled and dried, the
owner went to a healthy shed, and after taking a