Nuisance.
Diet.
Exercises.— None .
Exercises.
Vaccination.
Epidemics.
99
NAGPORE FORCE.
The following medical officers were in charge of this corps during the year :
Surgeon-Major B. T. Suffrein,
Surgeon-Major J. Fitzgerald,
Surgeon C. H. Bennett, M.D.,
the last-named of whom reports as follows :—
Climate of the station.— The weather was unusually severe and marked by high winds and
storms in April and throughout May. The rainfall during the year amounted to 50 inches 29 cents,
whereas last year it was only 35 inches 39 cents. Of the 50 inches 17 fell in July, 14 in August, and
14 in September.
Barracks.— On the west of the cantonment are situated the regimental lines; the ground is
highest at this point, with a gentle slope on the north and south sides, therefore favorable for
natural drainage; but the site has been so long occupied that the soil must be quite saturated
with filth, and during the rains ammoniacal exhalations were very perceptible. The huts are old
and frail, the walls consisting of bamboo mattings plastered with mud and cow-dung. They are
arranged in eight blocks on each side of the main street, the Hindus occupying the blocks on one
side, the Mahomedans those on the other. Each block consists of two rows of houses placed back
to back with an interval of 3 feet between adjacent backs. The blocks are separated by
bye-streets about 20 feet wide. The average size of a private sepoy's hut is 12 feet 10 inches
long, 10 feet 6 inches broad, and 8 feet 4 inches high. There are no windows, the only aperture
being a doorway 3 feet high by 2½ feet wide. There is in front of each hut an enclosure of about
20 feet by 12. The cubic space for each individual is very small in many instances owing to the
number of followers with a Madras Native Regiment.
Climate of
the station.
Barracks.
Ventilation
and drainage.
Ventilation and drainage.—
The guard-rooms, solitary cells, &c., are stone-built, and all well
ventilated and favorably situated. The men's huts are also very favorably situated as regards
natural drainage, but as no system of drainage beyond shallow drains on either side of the streets
is carried out, the walls and floors of the huts are damp during the rains.
Nuisance.— The conservancy is stated to have been well attended to, and no nuisance arose.
Diet.— The diet consists of beef, mutton, and sometimes fish, wheat and dholl. Rice is scarce
and dear. Vegetables were also very scarce and could not easily be procured. The sepoys diet
themselves, and their pay with compensation is sufficient to permit of their purchasing sufficiently
nutritive and varied food for themselves and families.
Liquors.— Native troops are supposed to need no liquor, but I believe the men indulge freely
in the liquor of the country (distilled from the flower of the Mahwah tree).
Clothing .—The clothing provided by the Government appears to me sufficiently adapted to the
climate, but I would respectfully suggest that the sepoys should be compelled to provide themselves
with tunic and trousers made of lookee (country flannel) during the cold weather, to wear when
they are not on regimental duty. Many of the sepoys suffer from ague and rheumatism in
consequence of not being provided with such warm clothing. The tunic and trousers of lookee can
be had from 3½ to 4 rupees.
Liquors.
Clothing.
Foot-soreness.— Shoe-bites are very frequent owing to the men providing themselves with
ankle boots, which are of very rough workmanship, and to the fact that many of them wear socks
only when compelled to do so, in consequence of the expense, having to purchase them themselves.
62 cases of shoe-bite were under treatment during the year, the average duration of cure being
four days.
Duty.— The duties have not been detrimental to the health of the men; the morning and
evening drills appear to me to exercise a favorable influence on their health. Average number
of nights per week in bed 5.
Drill.—The morning and evening drill from 6 to 7 A.M. and 5 to 6 P.M., Sundays and
holidays excepted.
Foot-soreness.
Duty.
Drill.
Vaccination .—Vaccination is systematically carried out, and no case of small-pox occurred
during the year.
Epidemics.—During
the months of October, November and December the number in hospital
from fever of the intermittent type was very high; the peculiarity of the fever was the marked
depression and loss of physical force following even the mildest attack.
Cholera appeared in an epidemic form throughout the district and in the city of Hoshunga--
bad during the months of April, May, June, July, August and September, having been originally
imported from Bhopal territory. 1,776 were attacked, of whom 1,037 died. 18 cases occurred
in the regiment with 11 deaths; of these 18 cases, 8 occurred amongst men and 10 amongst the
followers. The cleanliness and other sanitary precautions adopted, I have no doubt, prevented
the disease from spreading.