Water
-supply.
Sanitary
arrange-
ments.
Diet.
Clothing,
Foot-soreness.
18
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Ventilation
and drainage.
Nuisance.
Duty.
Drill.
Exercises.
General
conclusions.
Lines.
as they well can be with such a character of the physical geography as is shown above. The
huts are strong, well built, tiled-roof masonry erections, giving a cubic space of 840 feet in each.
Except in the drummers' huts there are no windows in any, and the doors being low the means
of ventilation are very imperfect.
Ventilation and drainage .—It would be a great improvement were a ridge ventilator,
communicating with the rooms on each side of the centre wall, added to each row of huts. Drainage
is very good by means of brick and tiled open drains on each side of all the streets which lead
to and open into the main drain laid traversely to the line of huts. All are flushed with water
twice daily and at the same time thoroughly swept, but the main drain from its mode of construc
-tion is open but twice in the year, and then thoroughly cleaned out. It would be better were
this more frequently done.
Nuisance .—No nuisance of any kind is allowed to be laid or to accumulate in any part of
the lines, latrines or urinals. These are regularly cleaned, and all refuse carted away twice
daily.
Water-supply .—The water-supply is received from the Red Hills cisterns and channels. It
has at all times been abundant and good.
Sanitary arrangements .—Sanitary arrangements have been constantly attended to, and there
are no local causes of disease in the lines requiring removal.
Diet.—There has been less scarcity in supply of articles of food during the past year, and
the prices of food grains have been cheaper. Vegetables have been abundant and good.
Compensation allowance on account of high prices has been necessary, reaching a total of Rupees
31-2-5 per man for the year, at an average monthly cost of Rupees 2-9-6. The men diet them
-selves, and considering the climate, seasons and nature of their duties, their means would be
sufficient to produce enough of food for each and for their children as well, were it not more
generally the case that nearly every sepoy is burdened with a crowd of relatives and followers
dependent upon him for sustenance, and it is not uncommon to find men weak and unfit for duty
simply by reason of insufficient daily food.
Clothing .—The clothing has been sufficient and as well adapted to the climate as it can be.
No representation has been necessary.
Foot-soreness .—There has been much and frequent foot-soreness among the men, and this will
continue to be as long as Natives are compelled to wear heavy English boots on naked feet,
without stockings to guard against abrasion. The cases have not been of such severity as to
require admission of many into hospital, but more generally it has been enough to excuse boots
for a few days, and this effects immediate relief and an early cure.
Duty
.—The duty has consisted of the usual guards and parades, which seldom appears to
exercise a detrimental influence on the health of the men, except in the cases of the more elderly,
feeble and worn-out, and of the few who, by reason of the numbers dependent upon them,
have been underfed. The men have had an average of 3.39 nights per week in bed, as compared
with 2.94 in the previous year.
Drill.—During the drill season the men are out for drill on parade for two hours each
morning, and again occasionally for an hour in the evening. The duties have not exercised an
injurious influence on the health of the men and no representation has been necessary.
Exercises .—A Talimkhana was a year ago erected from the subscriptions of European and
Native Commissioned officers, but the number of men who voluntarily make use of it for the
purpose of athletic exercises is very small.
General conclusions .—The health of the men of the 10th Regiment Native Infantry has
been very good during the year 1878. The numbers of admissions into hospital, 241, have been
99 fewer than those of 1877. One death occurred in hospital in January last, a case of dysentery
in a feeble, old and worn-out man. Three others occurred out of hospital. One of these was a
Native officer granted sick leave to Trichinopoly on account of ague ; the immediate cause of death
is unknown. A private on furlough died from cholera, and another was found drowned in a tank
near regimental lines. The health also of the families and followers has been good, and among
them record has been kept of 38 casualties during the year, 10 of whom had reached an age above
70 years ; one, a female, returned as 103, 9 were under 1 year, and 5 between 1 and 10. One
casualty occurred among European Commissioned officers in Colonel C. J. Godfrey, who suffered
in June last from dysentery, and in whom the fatal issue was most rapid.
Deputy Surgeon-General Colvin Smith, M.D., inspected this corps on the 18th
June 1879 and reports as follows:—
Lines .—The lines are pretty clean and well built, but the ventilation is extremely bad in the
men's quarters, so much so that they themselves complain of the closeness of their huts. For
both wings there are 792. huts ; of these 660 are occupied. The drainage is good in the Right
Wing lines, where six companies are There are only two companies in the Left, but they are not
so good or so well drained. Ridge ventilation should be put in the sepoys' huts.