Hospital
latrines.
Guard-rooms,
cells, &c.
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HYDERABAD SUBSIDIARY FORCE.
The lines of the 1st Regiment are old, but the huts and surroundings are particularly clean
and neat; no cess-pools or defective drainage is visible, but gutters are not lined with either brick
or stone and sewage must to some extent be absorbed into the soil. During the heavy rains many
of the huts fell and have been renewed.
The lines of the Sappers are not well situated as they have to the west a large tank and
swampy paddy-fields. The floors of the huts are very low, and during the rains the walls of a
great many huts fell. The drains about the lines are better than in any of other Native corps,
for the skill of the Sappers has been usefully employed to build and keep them in order.
The ventilation and construction of the huts are much the same in all lines, those of most
modern date being somewhat larger and more uniform; the number of openings for ventilation
depends much on the ideas of the occupant: some huts have only the doors and the open spaces
about the roof for the admission of air, whilst others have small windows or openings made in
the front and back walls.
The public latrines of the regiments are carefully attended to by the use of dry earth and
coal-tar. They have been built by the Municipality in the vicinity of regiments and are fairly
resorted to by both males and females of lower castes. The better class of females and their
families use private latrines in their small compounds, and these are kept in order by daily
conservancy, and the constant inspection of the lines checks any nuisance being permitted to
occur from neglect on the part of the occupants of the huts.
Hospitals.—No changes have been made in any of the hospitals for the troops during the year,
and all have afforded sufficient accommodation for the sick.
Hospitals.
Two hospitals, the 3rd and 40th, are built on precisely the same plan, and differ from those
of the 1st Regiment M.L.C., 29th Regiment, and 1st Regiment N.I.
The hospital of the 29th Regiment is the largest and best, as it was originally in use for
European troops, and is situated in a capacious compound. All the hospitals except those of
the 1st Light Cavalry and the 1st Regiment N.I. are enclosed by a wall; those two have one
side open to the adjoining roads.
The Lock hospital has had important alterations made in the original building during the
year by raising the side walls and placing an entirely new roof on, and in lieu of having the
hospital divided into three small wards, it has been reduced to two by removing a wall, thus giving
one large ward consisting of 1,560 square feet and 24.100 cubic feet for 26 patients, and the
other of 780 square feet and 12.390 cubic feet for accommodating 13 patients. At the north-east
corner of the enclosure, where there existed space, a new building has been constructed, one portion
being used for the examination of the females and the other as a store-room. These rooms are
excellently adapted for the purpose to which they are put, and the institution is in consequence
very complete and satisfactory. Minor alterations have also been made in the cook-room to remedy
its defects.
During the year the old room at Trimulgherry in which the periodical examinations were
conducted has been abandoned, and a small house, within an enclosure, specially erected for the
purpose, has been taken over and was occupied on the 8th August. The new building is 14 feet
in height, 12 feet in breadth, and 16 feet in length, with a verandah in front. It is situated close to
the locality where by magisterial regulations, the public women of Trimulgherry are relegated,
and is in every way well adapted for its special object.
Hospital latrines.—Are all built on the same principle at this station. The contents are
removed from openings behind and outside the hospital compounds, an excellent arrangement.
All are kept in perfect order by coal-tar and dry earth.
Guard-rooms, cells, &c .—Guard-rooms and cells are clean and in good order. The cells
are built according to a standard plan, with the same means of ventilation except in the case of
the 3rd Regiment P.L.I., where, in addition to the ventilation on the top which appears to have
been considered sufficient in the other cells, additional openings have been made close to the floor.
Duties and employment.—The Medical Officer, 1st Regiment N.I., states the men perform the
usual regimental and garrison duties, besides furnishing "the Residency escort of about 200 men
for a week once a month. On the whole the duties are severe and the effect on health propor-
tionate. The men while undergoing the musketry course are often out till near midday."
Duties and
employment.
The Medical Officer, 40th Regiment remarks, "the duty consists of the ordinary
drills and parades, such as can have no other effect than to maintain the men in health and vigour-
as well as military efficiency."
I think, on the whole, it may be considered that the duties at this station are heavy for the
Native troops, especially during the musketry season, but it is difficult to trace any direct
influence on the health from their ordinary military duties. There is, however, one part of the
duty performed by the Native troops which seems incontestably to have a prejudicial influence
on the health, and that is the tour of duty weekly for about 200 men at the Residency, Chudder
-ghat. Almost all the cases of cholera that have occurred are traceable to the duty at that out--
post, and it is worthy of consideration if some change in the existing arrangements of guards can
be effected.
Drainage and conservancy.—The perfect drainage of so extensive a cantonment and town is
necessarily a great undertaking, only to be completed at a large outlay and a long period. Year by
year as funds are available new works are undertaken and old ones kept in repair. All open
Drainage and
conservancy.
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