If regiment
has been on
the march.
Hospital
ventilation.
Nuisance.
Clothinrr.
Foot-soreness
Drill.
Vaccination
40
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OP THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding, as
contrasted with previous years :—
Years.
Stations.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions. Daily Sick. All Deaths. Pensioned. Sick Leave.
1875 ..
..
T r i c h i n o p o l y
. .
72.61
2.34
1.28
4.42
3.85
1876 ..
..
Do.
..
. .
51.51
1.96
9 0
3.02
2.26
1877 ..
..
Do.
..
. .
62.40
2.28
1.67
7 6
1.35
Average ..
62.17
2.19
1.28
2.73
2.48
1878 ..
..
T r i c h i n o p o l y
. .
52.56
1.90
.71
1.14
1.72
The following officers were in medical charge of this corps during the year,
Surgeon E. Fawcett,
Surgeon H. A. F. Nailer, M.B.,
Surgeon A. McClorg, M.B.,
the last-named of whom reports as follows :—
Climate of the
station.
Water-
supply.
Climate of the station. —The climate of Trichinopoly may be described as drier than usual
during the last quarter of the past year. The rainfall was below the average from the failure of
the north- east monsoon. The health of the regiment slightly improved during the year, as
provisions were cheaper and more abundant than in 1877.
If regiment has been on the march. —The Head-quarters and Left Wing of the 38th Regiment
N.I. left Trichinopoly on the 9th December 1878 for Secunderabad, and was still on the march
at the date of this report. The Right Wing remained in Trichinopoly.
Hospital ventilation. —Ventilation and drainage generally satisfactory.
Nuisance.—The dry-earth system is carried out as far as possible in the two public latrines,
but until new latrines are built on a different principle the present unsatisfactory state of things
will exist. Up to the present no improvement had taken place though the defects had been fully
reported upon.
Water-supply.—The water-supply is chiefly obtained from three wells near the lines. It
is of good quality and has been sufficient during the past year.
Sanitary
arrangements.
Diet.
Duty.
Epidemics.
Sanitary arrangements.—Sanitary arrangements satisfactory.
Diet.—For the first half of the year provisions were at famine prices, but after the appear -
ance of the south-west monsoon a slight improvement took place, though the rates were still
much higher than ordinary seasons. Vegetables were scarce, except during the last quarter of the
year. The sepoys received compensation on account of dearness of rice. Owing to the high
prices of provisions and the inferior quality of most of the food, the diet of the sepoys was not
sufficiently nutritive for the preservation of health. Many of the men have a family and several
relations to provide for out of their pay, so that they cannot purchase the best kind of provisions.
Clothing. —The clothing of the men has been sufficient and adapted to the climate.
Foot-soreness. —Besides several admissions into hospital for ulcers, the result of boot-bites,
a good many men were excused from wearing their boots for a few days owing to foot-sores. This
will always be the case as long as sepoys wear badly fitting boots without any socks to protect
their feet
Duty.—The duties of the troops have been the usual drills in the season, also guards and.
parades throughout the year. These have not been prejudicial to the health of the men.
Average number of nights per week in bed 5.54.
Drill. —The daily amount of drill performed during the season was in the morning from
5-30 to 7 A.M., and in the evening from 4-45 to 5-30 P.M. No apparent influence on health.
Vaccination.—The total number vaccinated in the regiment during the past year was 97 ;
of these 67 were successful and 30 unsuccessful. Twelve of the men were re-vaccinated, but the
result was a failure. No case of small-pox occurred in the regiment.
Epidemics .—There was no epidemic, but ague of a mild type prevailed throughout the year—
most prevalent during the last quarter. There were only 12 cases of dysentery and 8 of diarrhœa
admitted during the year, although famine diarrhœa was very prevalent in the district in the first
half of the year.