The Plagne in India.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 11

The Plagne in India.

A CRITICISM AND A REPLY. A Blue Book was. published on August 19.'containing correspondence with rofcronco to measures for the prevention' 'of.'; plague "in India. ■' As long a£o,; as August,' 1905, Mr.' Brodrickj thbii. Secretary, for India, trans-mitted'-to' tlip of India a momoraridum on plague which had been .presented••to him by tlio' Royal. CoUegoi of.' .Physicians,'_ and asked for an expression' 1 of opinion on the momoraridum. . Tho reply was -not :ient .till- May ;2'of. this, year, owing to tho';fact;that.'at'.tho'tiinc of Mr. 13r«lrick's : 'despatch . the Government of India':,weroiat 'a ;critical period .in tlitf history, of ■ plague measures,.'and waited;'fpr ■further.evidenco. regarding the' bpidehiiology of the disease' and the "measures taken; to' chock it. Mr. Mortoyj-in replying to this, com-' mentod .rather severely on the dolay : in a matter in which- knowledge was urgently . desired at homo. Briefly, the memorandum of the College , of , Physicians laid stress on •tho- inadequacy of .tho sanitary ■ servico of India as at present ..organised; and '"'recommended., .the creation of a special sanitiry -service for tho purpose of dealing with plague. It recommorided. that a -special service' should bo formed, consisting in .the superior grades of .' officers of tho 111'dian. Medical., Service' and •of physicians sorit oiit':from. .this/country, and in tho-lowcr''.grades;',of. natives -, of India; that lit should : bo divided into an intelligence.-branch, an administrative branch; and a'laboratory research: branch!'arid .that its operation should . be ..''directed by -a special Plagii'o • Department ! at. headquarters. Among the measures to which drew- spccial attention" wore 'the destruction of rats arid the ;.disinfection/'of . houses by means of fumigatory apparatus. GOVERNMENT'S' REPLY', TO THE - . r COLLEGE. v; 'To sum equally briefly tho reply of tho Government -of India, it amounted ; .to. ..this—that. ,a spccial Plague Department was. not necessary or .desirable, though tho extension'; of-Ithd '. sanitaryservice undbr local official?'.would: .bo a. .good thing; •that ,'the .suggested ..divisionof- .tho work into'.three branches Mwas-:'.un-called for, all' three lines of operation, being- at'.prosent -carried -on; that-'it, -was : ! far ; . from :desirable that' physicians should ' bo. sent .out from • England, because, /in' ignorance. of native customs and - prejudices, they might cause, trouble;' that;-_ the >'de- : struction ..of vrats:. was inculcated ast far ' as, possible, - but. that i measures to enforce -itwould, risk :rousing-'the feelings-; of,.- the. ; people - 'by intrusion; •'and finally, that' - fumigation, besides (being dangerous in flimsy houses, was, rendered-futilo; by, 'any fresh infection by rats;; .' In. ;their-.. general. reply .. tho i.Gbverrihierit' of.' India further.' state, ■that their' Sanitary Comiriissioner' has submitted proposals ' for. the' extension of'the,- sanitary-seryico.-on lines which j iricihde.',tho 'employment , 'of ' r natives ' with as medi-' cal officers''of health -in ..the larger towns ;';.bf.'' -'specjally ■ qualified . native assistants -in 'the smaller' tov/nSj and, ofi riaiive'-'sanitary 'inspectors - thrpugh6tit' the' couhtry.- ■ Tho' G'overrimerit Of, India' feel; that they ' must rbly'-at pre-, sent ■ ufon . improved; sanitation in towns, the; of tho .people in/the evacuation of infected villages, the' destructiori' of. rat's; and. ariy...fur r : ' ther measures suggested ; by, their, oivri .'p'xp6Hehcp,..'arid : ' 'they-do /not.-find; that the memorandum,.of, the;; ißbjal,. Col- • lb£o. of .Physicians .'.hblps, them jit all., arrangemerits; riiadbfor. ■. ,baoteriolbgi- r fia] .rese.irch,:', that, is „tosay,., .a;. Rfesearch i Cbmmittce"; appointed;, at; .tho request of tho Government, of . India by the Royal Society. .and the .Lister Institute, such, .assistance. ..as they asked for having been, promptly sup-; plied.. ■ ',■ ■' ' .

:. native ways. , • The greater part of the\Bliie-book is occupied; : »with' - the -. answers/sent' by. various-'local; Governments; and thfcir oifiiials -.'to•-•'the >insuirieS v madd by the; Supreme Government of India with roferenbe to ;tMir. .views on. the memo- - , randum: of the Royal College of Physicians. -' - : It. is; impossible'.to. give any r . thing likeiVa'Bwnmaiyjlof all these , an-, swbi-s;..their; ■pui'po'rt is .contained in the'i'.covErihg. ': despatch ;, summarised' above: .- They ,go into the questions of the, destruction',.of rats,. .'the widening imd.- draining;, of; streets,,.the, failure' of; disinfection, the .evacuation .of, infected spot's'(oiily. po.ssiblb.in, the-,case of yilr. inspection ;'< of ', x .travellers, /segregation (which has been unpopular),' and' inoculation' with a prophylactic., fluid . being . turfcd;' at the Government; Laboratory at -. Carel,; which is,-said . .to be . effica- : depend , for its , adoption upon ; the . goodwill-.'of ' the', '.natives.' Many .of the local reports "differ' ccu r iously in ; detail. Forinstance, at four Bombay villages" whichwere, specially, lurider ' tliei observation :of ■ the Plague ' .Commission,. aiid in which every 'cairo had been, taken by piiblic ihoetings to teach the,people the value of; notifying 'cases', of plague.' or , the death of.' rats, : ;the ! natives gavo no information, , merely throw dead rats diit of' the* houses,., and concealed human,deaths froin. plague.' In. another district, however, the Magistrate remarks' .that 1 ' the .people atfe, beginning to. un'dferstand that, safety lies in early ' notification; and > act accordingly. With j regard-to-the destruction of.rats,'most ' of the' reports: state that attempts at I gbnbral poisoyug ,are' not successful

ahd that • nihch'' m'oris co-Operation ljy the/natives- is.'iiecessary.' "They avoid' destroying 'r&ts be'oause thatywould 1)6 equivalent ' to (notifying that the house 'is infected; •' iNor, again, can this destruction of life' have; the cooperation of > people] (as in 'Burma) professing the;' Buddhist ' religion. ; The reports from- districts like the Northwest Provinces''produce' a further difficulty in-the-fadt that natives employed for' . sanitary..-'; service must not b brought- from, ioth'fer' provmces, as that would? cause' friction. : Most of tho 'r'bpbrts -base; their - strongest hopes on gradual' instruction} of the., natives in the importance.; of li£ht and' ventilation arid, sanitary, precautions, leading to a highor standard- in -such s matters. ; A DOOM'S i. ALLEGATIONS. ; i...Dr.'s.W.-'J;, R; Simpson sent to tho Plague Committee' of the' Royal College of Physicians in 'NOvbmbqr, 1906, a rnqmbrahdurii .on' tho plaguo in Poona in'tn'at joar,- no mado'.strorifc Statements; .So " ; "' 's4id ' ... that two months'of.;the ; plague there passed beforo proper,measures woro-.taken, and that at a,time.whdn.tbero had been 1173. deaths in 13 days, the only peoplo fighting tho plaguo woro four irtivo' medical men;.. The Bombay Government replied -to tho charges in detail, stating that the health camps' and hospital prqvidod amplo accommodation for all who would consent' to go to them, that special staffs were /employed ;for. registration of cases, for' disinfection, and for rornoval of tho sick, and that• tho medical'staff, with assistants, numbered 32. It is not clear'from tho'reply whether these dotails refer to a poriod before the middle of September (whon Dr. Simpson was at Poona) or after!,