THE SCOURGE OF INDIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 85, 3 January 1908, Page 4

THE SCOURGE OF INDIA.

The intelligence that some of the leading residents of Bombay are pressing the British authorities to bring Dr. Thompson, of the New South Wales Board of Health, to India, to assist in the war against plague is one of many recent indications that under Mr. John Morley's administration the utmost efforts are to be put forth to rid India of its most terrible scourge. The dimensions of the toll which the disease levies upon the natives are so huge that they must strike horror to any community which, like ours, is stirred with alarm at the slightest rumour that a plague "suspect" has been discovered and isolated within our boundaries. A Blue Book recently issued contained the correspondence that passed between Mr. Morley and the Government of India with regard to certain suggestions for a plan of campaign emanating from the Royal College of Physicians, and in tho course of his concluding despatch the Secretary pointed out that, in spite of the Government measures of suppression, "plague has been fatally active in India over eleven years, that the number of victims exceeds 5| millions, that its vimlencc is unabated, and its progress uncontrolled." In a speech on October 21 last Mr. Morley spoke emphatically upon the gravity of the

situation, and the determination 'of the Government to go to the utmost extreme in the matter pf expenditure. "The plague figures," he : said) "are terrible. At this Season plague morr tality is generally quiescent; Imt this .year,, even if,, the' last three months of • it show np rise/- the plague inbrtality will still Ije the worse that has ever', hepn known, I thinks in India's recorded . apals." ■ , v The of the authorities is in> peded by two tremendous obstacles. In the first place,'so little certainty exists upon tlie mpst efficacious method" ofj treatment that bacteriologists still quarrel over the. inoculation process. Moreover, apart from the 'enormous area involved _ arid the. difficulty of applying to millions/the measures that our Health Department' can, apply to tlipusands; 'or hundreds, the .'natives cannot be dealt with so simply as Europeans. Not only, do they naturally dislike hospital treatment with, the ; obstinate distrust 'of ignorance, but they have religious objections to' some of : ,the necessary processes of disinfec- : ition and' prevention- ' In a recently published , despatch, the Government; pf lipnibay tolcl a liopelessstory of native apathy, and carelessness., • The. people of fpur small .villages were assembled; and, after bearing--the measures pro-' posed by the Bombay 'Municipal Health Department, promised' to carry out .the siniple duties of precaution knd notification. .

TJie Commission ■ asked them to chooso among themselves a pail, who could act- as clerk, and .take charge of, rat-traps-setyin the houses: of the village. This man was - : pa visit every Jiouso' .at least ope or twice . a wook ; so l that ijevery. .villager could :,bpcomo familiar» with }iim,laiid,know the'purpose, of his visits. - A hospital assistant with a dispensary was .established in. 'each village to attend to the sick'free of charge : drugs were also supplied. free. ' l'n spite or this,' early information, regarding tho outbreak of. plaguo in tho, villages was not got,' death from .the disease being-generally, the first information' obtained. .Dead rats when foundVvyere. as a rulo, thrown'.out, and the fact that rats had died in a hpuge was'discovered by the evacuation.' of' the hpuse by the tenants.'. In one instance a clerk-in, the laboratory, wlioilived 1 in one of the villages under' -rfas attacked by-the plague. ? This, clerk, was,,perfectly' aware of tho objects of our inquiry,' yqt only when ho became, ill did tho Commission discover that his unclo and niece.had died of plaguo some days previously to liis',ittack, their deaths-having' been- rccordcd as "elephantiasis',' ./and.."favor with bronchitis.'' To .'this apathy the natives add : very strong prejudices. For example, there are classes of Hindus who object-to, the taking away of life. It, is-.obvious that tlie :.. plague-fighters . encounter ' a serious difficulty at oiice,for p. alxcli natives, will have no hand in the! destruction of' the rats through which the pjaguerflea conveys,his cursc to'human beings. /The magnitude ofthfe work pf suppression, is overwhelming, and tlie disease mciy.iiot eveii under favourable, circumstances be stamped,out for',very, many years., ..So far are its ,ravages from decreasing, that the .mortality grown yearly greater; but theie is ground for the world' outside' India to hope that science, aided by energy may ere long have the pestilence, wen in hand for the loiig struggle that- is to come.