International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 5, May 2013 1 ISSN 2250-3153 Plague Outbreak Eradication Campaign under Colonial Mysore Dr. Thriveni Department of History, Davanagere University, Davanagere, Karnataka, India Abstract- Princely State of Mysore in India was under the British suppression. Lack of medical facilities besides panacea against colonial rule during 1881 to 1947.This research article aims to the disease had brought high mortality. Historically it has been document the role of Princely Mysore State in campaigning recorded as the most pandemic and devastating disease in the against the outbreak of plague. The methodology adopted is the early 20th century which shook the humanity. 2 historical perspective. Modus operandi adopted by the Princely Mysore state to counter the deadly epidemic is also highlighted. Plague bacillus took away the lives of over 20 million people in II. PLAGUE APPEARANCE IN MYSORE India during 1896-1918, merciless in its ravages and sweeping Between 1897 and 1923, Mysore state witnessed persistent off thousands in a day. The plague outbreak reigned for two plague affect. This fell disease prior to its appearances in Mysore decades and took toll of a crore people in the Princely State of states had broken out and was increasing virulence at Hubli in Mysore. Lack of medical facilities had brought very high Darawad district frontier of the Bombay presidency, only 80 mortality. Historically it has been recorded as the most pandemic th miles away from Mysore. It was therefore deemed essential that & devastating disease in the early 20 century which shook the all possible precautions should be taken to prevent its entry into humanity. There was a serious shortage of medical facilities in Mysore. Plague first made its appearance in the Bangalore city Mysore state. To safeguard the people Princely government on the 12th August -1898 and spread with increasing virulence in under the British colonial administration played an important role every direction of Bangalore, Mysore, Kolar and Tumkur. in disease prevention and adapted vigorous measures to eradicate Severity of the epidemic reached its height in the first year of the the disease. The article also deals with the large sums of money outbreak; there were nearly 15,000 attacks and more than 12.000 spent by the State , the epidemic disease regulation passed, a deaths. separate intensive health campaign formed, health camps, special officers appointed, a laboratory, separate hospitals established and various precautionary measures adopted. Genesis of the III. PREVENTIVE MEASURES devastating Plague disease, cause, effect and panacea are also dealt in the research article. Every possible help was given to people to effect speedy evacuation of infected places Preventative measures were adopted in the state to avoid the increasing number of deaths I. INTRODUCTION under the scheme of Frontier Plague Protection. Public health department played an important role in disease prevention, and it lague is an acute and deadly infection disease caused by the involved with several health activities. There was serious PNitrobacteria Yesinia Pests. The disease which can be shortage of medical personal and medical facilities in India and transmitted to humans from animals, primarily carried by rodents especially in Mysore state. To provide more medical facilities (most notably black rats) and spread to humans via fleas. (a small and to protect the people both in rural and urban areas the wingless jumping insect) In Asia it was Bubonic plague caused princely state of Mysore adopted certain measures to prevent the mainly due to rodents and fleas. The infected bacteria multiply disease. Various precautionary measures adopted under this inside the flea. Infection in a human occurs where a person is (1) enactment such as the formation of a separate Health campaign bitten by a flea carrying the disease. In the early period of the to overcome such diseases in a systematic manner. Special health 20th century, most scientists and historians came to believe that 1 officers were appointed for the cities of Bangalore, Mysore and the ‘Black Death’ was an incidence of this plague. Plague Kolar Gold Fields. A laboratory was also provided for the Health bacillus took away the lives of over 20 million people in India Department. (1) The establishments of railway and frontier between 1896-1918, merciless in its ravages, sweeping off very inspection station and outposts. (2) The examination of often thousand in a day and tens of thousands in a week. The passengers by rail and road. (3) The establishments of temporary magnitude of this calamity is not to be measured by its number plague hospitals, segregation and health camps. 3 alone, its ravage led to the Unsettlement of the families of their To protect the people of the state the government passed victims and left numerous young children without proper Mysore Epidemic Diseases Act, II of 1897.4 Government guardians. One sad occurrence which in common with other parts adopted vigorous measures to check the spread of the disease by of India beclouded Mysore in this period was the outbreak of the plague which defied all human efforts put forward for its 2 Lord Curzon, governor general of India in his letter with appreciation the work of Mysore government. 3 1 Sham Roa, Modern Mysore Vol – II, Bangalore p. 233 Wikipedia, Encyclopedia and life science library. 4 Ibid www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 5, May 2013 2 ISSN 2250-3153 making provision for the treatment of the disease in special infected areas were examined by a medical officer on duty & by hospitals. Government camps provided accommodation for those a nurse besides a hospital assistant for the segregation & in contact and persons living in infected houses. Infected persons treatment of plague patients. Erlangere plague camp with and houses subjected to systematic disinfection was taken care hospital facilities was commenced. Further four wards were by Special Plague corpses appointed by the government. newly erected with accommodation for 16 patients consisting of Inoculation campaign took its headway. Superintendent. One-woman apothecary, 2-hospital assistant’s New Extensions: A large number of houses were one nurse, 9 male wardens, 1 midwife & 14 female wardens were demolished after payment of compensation and congested recruited. In Tumkur an old building with a few alterations was portions opened out by the removal of many more in Bangalore converted into a camp for the segregation of vegetarian Hindus. and two large extensions Basavanagudi & Malleshwaram A chatram (charity hall) was set apart for accommodation of covering area of 1000 acres and capable of providing Mohammedan contacts. Sheds were set up in a field near railway accommodation for 50.000 persons were laid out. station for others. A temporary hospital was built near each camp Financial support: A large number of temporary health for the treatment of patients (6) The Kolar district health camps camps were established throughout the state. Free issues of were erected at all head quarters temporarily however some timber and bamboos were offered to the poor classes to enable people preferred to erect their own sheds amidst social agony, them to camp out. Advances to government servants an years pay 2. Special officers: Government appointed seven plague was sanctioned in the Bangalore city to enable them to build inspectors to supervise all the villages around the fields. A mid- houses in the new extensions. Three months pay in certain wife & a plague nurse were also appointed to examine gosha infected taluks for putting up sheds was also on the anvil.5 (burkha clad muslim) ladies. Plague 1909.7 Closing up of rat holes were the methods adopted. Cyllin was used for plague- infected rooms, kerosene oil emulsion for the rest of the house as IV. CURATIVE MEASURES a disinfectant. Petroleum was used instead of cullin satisfactory. 1. Special Hospitals: The permanent hospitals were The temporary plague supervisors employed on frontier plague established in the state called Epidemic Disease Hospitals at protection duty in the district of Shimoga and Chitaldrug were Bangalore in 1891, in 1898 at KGF and Mysore in 1926 working replaced by duly qualified Sanitrary Inspectors. These officers throughout the year to treat patients. In other places, have now been employed for the work in all the districts except establishments were entertained temporarily for the period Hassan, where a plague supervisor still continues. (1910.) Plague required, whenever there was an outbreak of Plague. Bangalore hospital capable of accommodating 50 patients consisting of one sub assistant surgeon, one lady apothecary, one hospital assistant, city saw Dr.D.A, choksi a civil surgeon as chief plague officer 8 appointed by the government. He was entrusted with the one compounder, 6 male wardens & 4 female wardens. execution of plague measures in the city. The city was divided 3. Special Buerocracy: The Revenue Assistant into 4 wards, each ward being placed under an assistant commissioners, district medical and sanitary officers in the each commissioner, who was assisted by a medical officer of the district, assisted the Deputy Commissioner. In the taluk’s the grade of an assistant surgeon. Rail passengers coming from Amildars assisted by the local police, medical and sanitary infected areas to Bangalore were inspected at Yeshawanthpur, officers were entrusted and looked after the plague operations. In Bangalore cantonment and Kengeri station. Passengers found Bangalore and Mysore the president of the respective suffering or suspected were sent to Magadi road health camp for municipalities assisted by health officers were in charge of the treatment or observation. Sheds were constructed at government plague operations in 1908. Health officers were newly appointed expense. About 588 sheds were erected. The project consisted of for the Kolar Gold Field and the Plague supervisor employed in two permanent buildings and three buildings with corrugated iron Kadur District.