Water-supply.
Conser-
vancy.
132
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Epidemic
diseases.
Ventilation of
the hospital.
Hospital
drainage.
Hospital
water-
supply.
General
conclusions.
Lines.
Sanitary
condition of
all buildings.
Epidemic diseases.—No epidemic diseases occurred during the year.
Ventilation of the hospital.— Good; no overcrowding.
Hospital drainage.— Good and carried out efficiently.
Hospital water-supply .—Sufficient and good.
General conclusions.—I
only assumed medical charge of this regiment on 4th December
1878, or three days before it left Bangalore for field service, consequently I can say little
generally on the regiment during its last year in Bangalore. From the records I find the
total cases treated during the year were 341, the total deaths in hospital 3, namely, one from
ague, one from serous apoplexy, one from hæmatemesis. There were also 3 deaths out of
hospital. The chief diseases during the year were ague, which gave 127 admissions, febricula
22, chronic rheumatism 19, dysentery 18, conjunctivitis 15, itch 15, primary syphilis 12,
diarrhœa 11, abscess 10.
There were 12 men sent on sick leave during the year, 58 pensioned, and 1 discharged
the service.
There were 87 cases vaccinated during the year, of which 77 proved successful and 10
unsuccessful.
Deputy Surgeon-General P. G. FitzGerald, M.D., inspected this corps on the
25th November 1878 and reports as follows :—
Lines.*— The new huts for this regiment are still progressing ; only one and half company
remains in the old huts ; six and half companies have been hutted in the new lines. The average
number of occupants of each hut has been 5. The lines are drained with V-shaped stone
lined drains. There is a considerable slope, and no water can lodge in any part of the lines. The
new huts have been already sufficiently described in former reports.
Sanitary condition. of all buildings.—There are four regimental latrines complete, three for
men and one for women. The place is a modification of the double slope, in which a rectangular
wooden trough is substituted for the hinder slope. It does not work satisfactorily. The trough
is apparently never removed to be cleaned, and indeed is not always used even when in situ.
The steps for standing on are about 3 feet in length, and the men prefer standing at the near
end and using the front slope for all purposes. The solid and fluid excreta are thus mixed
up together in the place intended for the urine alone. The principal defect in these latrines
is the length of the steps, which gives the men (and women too) a choice as to where they will
stand. There should be no choice in this respect. The urine flows along a groove in front of
the compartments into a cistern outside. The place was flushed for my inspection, but even then
it could be smelt at some distance.
Water-supply.—There are three large pucka wells and seven pot wells in the lines, the
water from which is said to be good ; it is not filtered. Besides water can be easily obtained
from Miller's tank, which forms the northern boundary for a portion of the lines.
Conservancy.— The conservancy of the neighbourhood of the lines and stations generally is
managed by the Municipality, and on the whole is very well done, especially in the more open
and public places.
Hsopital.
Principal
diseases.
Hospital. — There has been no change whatever in the hospital and out-buildings since last
inspection. It is well situated, open and airy. The latrine is exactly what a native latrine
should be, and is always clean and inoffensive. It has been already described in the reports for
1876-77.
Principal diseases.— There were 249 admissions into hospital since the last inspection on the
7th March. There were no deaths in that period. The principal causes of admissions were
ague 92, febricula 22, conjunctivitis 12, rheumatism 11, dysentery 9, diarrhœa 7, abscess 8,
itch 8, primary syphilis 6, secondary syphilis 4. There was no cholera or small-pox. There
were 2 cases of measles and of chicken-pox. Eight men were sent on sick leave and 5 pensioned.
Altogether the medical history of the regiment is a satisfactory one.
* These and following remarks refer to Bangalore.