Ventilation
and drainage.
Any nuisance.
Sanitary
arrangements.
Diet.
Dieting.
Liquors.
Clothing.
Duty and
exercises.
Vaccination.
Epidemic
diseases.
Hospitals.
Drainage.
112
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Diseases of
the district.
ble matter mixed with the debris of sand, stone and laterite. Water is procured from wells for
drinking purposes and for ablution, and in the district from the river and creeks; that obtained
from wells is of fair quality.
Diseases of the district. —Diarrhœa and rheumatic affections, cholera and small-pox occur
occasionally both in the town and district. Intermittent fevers are most prevalent in the rains
and are often of a deadly character and are usually followed by intense prostration, anæmia,
dropsy, &c., organic diseases of the liver and spleen being concomitant with fever. A few cases
of goitre are met with and calculus of the bladder is rare.
Ventilation and drainage.— The ventilation is sufficient and the drainage is very good.
Any nuisance.— There has been no nuisance during the year; each house in the cantonment is
supplied with an iron receptacle in which the night-soil is deposited and is cleaned out daily by
the cantonment sweepers; it is buried in trenches at the extreme end of the cantonment.
Water-supply
Water-supply.— The supply has been abundant and the quality fair.
Sanitary arrangements.— The sanitary arrangements have been carefully attended to; there
are no local causes of disease.
Diet.—The rations are supplied by the Commissariat Department and consist of rice, salt,
ghee, dholl, tobacco, and turmeric; they are of fair quality; some of the sepoys supplement these
by buying fish, vegetables, and fowls; provisions have been abundant; the prices are somewhat
dearer than in Madras. The men have received batta according to rank.
Dieting.— The dieting of the troops has been sufficient; none of the men presented the
appearance of defective nutrition.
Liquors.—The liquors are those usually obtained in the bazaars; the quality very indifferent.
Clothing.—The clothing is sufficient and adapted to the season. The men wear the cloth
clothing in the cold season and white clothing during the hot months.
Foot-soreness Foot-soreness.—The men frequently come to hospital suffering from foot-soreness which is
attributable to the ill-fitting boots supplied to the Native Army and to the want of protection of
the feet by socks.
Duty and exercises.—The duty performed by the troops has been that usually performed by
Native troops in garrison and was in no respect prejudicial to health. The number of nights in
bed was less than is desirable. Average number of nights in bed 4¼.
Vaccination.— During the stay of the regiment in Madras vaccinators were obtained from
the Vaccination Department who re-vaccinated the women and children in the regimental lines.
There has been no vaccination necessary since the arrival of the regiment in Burmah.
No cases of small-pox have occurred.
Epidemic diseases.— No epidemic has occurred in the cantonment during the year. There
has been one case of cholera which proved fatal; it was an isolated case, and the disease did not
spread amongst the men.
Hospitals.— The ventilation of the hospital is very free and good, and the accommodation
most ample. There has been no overcrowding.
Drainage.—The
drainage is good. There are two latrines parallel to each other enclosed at
both ends forming an enclosure in which the carts are kept for the removal of the excreta; there
is a dry-earth room in the centre. Coal-tar is freely used, and the dry-earth system carefully
attended to.
Water-supply.
Water-supply.—Water is procured from wells; the supply is abundant and of fair quality.
General
conclusions.
General conclusions.— The general health of the sepoys has been fair during the year; the
admission up to 9th April for the entire regiment has been 16, and for the Left Wing and Head
-quarters in Moulmein 68, making a total of 84. The deaths have been in Madras 1 from
diarrhœa and 1 from chronic bronchitis, and in Moulmein 2 general debility, 1 cholera, 1 phthisis,
and 1 anæmia, making a total of 7 deaths for the year. There has been 3 deaths out of hospital,
1 diabetes and 1 general debility in Rangoon, and 1 at Ellore from general debility.
RIGHT HALF, 33RD REGIMENT N.I.
Climate of the
station.
Natural
features.
Climate of the station.—The climate during the year was unhealthy. The first three months
were cool but not cold. The hot weather was prolonged and exhausting. For the greater
portion of the wet season the rain fell in small showers and had the effect not of cooling the
atmosphere but of rendering it more oppressive by saturating it with moisture. The cold weather
did not commence until late in December.
Natural features.— Tonghoo is situated on the right bank of the Sittang river and is about
150 miles distant in a direct line from the sea; it has thick jungle in its neighbourhood within
two or three miles on all sides. Its surface consists chiefly of clayey soil and some laterite. The
sub-soil is sandy. A good many marshes exist in its neighbourhood, and during the rains the
whole of the surrounding country is more or less a swamp. The soil is exceedingly prolific and
produces very heavy crops of rice. Vegetables and fruits of all kinds are very good and more
abundant than in any other parts of India. European vegetables seem to grow very well.