Duty and
exercises.
Drill.
Exercises.
Vaccination.
Epidemic
diseases.
Ventilation,
&c., of the
hospital.
Hospital
drainage.
General
conclusions.
62
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Condition of
the water.
Condition of the water. —A plentiful supply of water is obtained from wells situated within
the lines, and also from neighbouring tanks ; quality good.
Diet.
Diet.—Sepoys provide their own food.
Lines.
Sanitary
condition of
all buildings.
Water-
supply.
Duty and exercises. —The ordinary duties of Native troops in garrison. No ill effects on
health. Average number of nights in bed 3.
Drill.—Usually five times a week, between the hours of 6-30 and 8 A.M. ; on health beneficial.
Exercises. —None for Native troops. The men occasionally play cricket.
Vaccination.—Vaccination is kept up by hut to hut visitation.
Epidemic diseases. —No epidemic disease has occurred since the arrival of the corps in
Bangalore.
Ventilation, &c., of the hospital. —Good; no overcrowding.
Hospital drainage.—Fairly good. Dry-earth system of conservancy is carried out.
General conclusions. —Upon the whole the health of the regiment during the past year
may be considered to have been very good, and nothing has occurred in connection with its
sanitary arrangements to call for special remark.
Deputy Surgeon-General P. G. FitzGerald, M.D., inspected this corps on the
8th March 1879 and reports as follows:—
Lines.—They are badly placed and the huts old and ill-constructed. The huts are too close
to the native bazaar, and when cholera or small-pox exists in the latter it almost invariably
extends to the lines.
Sanitary condition of all buildings. —There are no regimental latrines in connection with
these lines. The night-soil and sweepings are removed by contract. There are no regimental
toties. The guard-room and its latrine have been described in former reports. The latrine,
which used to be a nuisance to the neighbourhood, was rebuilt on a better plan in 1877 and is now
quite inoffensive.
Water-supply. —Water is obtained from Miller's Tanks and from wells. It is supposed
that the sepoys and their families use the latter for drinking and the former for washing, but the
same cask is the vehicle for both, and, as a rule, Natives rather prefer tank water for drinking.
Conservancy
of the neigh-
bourhood.
Hospital.
Conservancy of the neighbourhood. —The lines of the 4th Regiment adjoin the native
portion of the town, the conservancy of which is under the care of the Municipality. Where the
streets are open and form a thoroughfare the conservancy is generally well attended to, but in
narrow lanes and in the compounds of unoccupied houses and even occupied houses which are off
the main streets this is much neglected.
H o s p i t a l .
— T h e
removal of the central piers which supported the roof has added to the
cubic space available for the sick and greatly to the cheerfulness of the ward. The latrine is on
the tar-chatty principle, and is supplied with dry earth and coal-tar. It is, with ordinary care,
quite inoffensive. The situation of the hospital is not as good as could be desired. It is quite
close to the public road, from which there is nothing to separate it, and is too much shut in on
the south side by bungalows.
Principal
diseases.
Principal diseases. —Two hundred and ninety-four cases were treated in hospital since last
inspection on the 16th March 1878. The principal diseases were, in the order of frequency,
venereal diseases 23, ague 21, rheumatism 16, dysentery 11, diarrhœa 10, other diseases 192
. T h e d e a t h s w e r e d u e t o r e s p i r a t o r y d i s e a s e 1 , d y s e n t e r y 1 , o t h e r d i s e a s e s 3 .
1 5 t h R e g i m e n t N a t i v e I n f a n t r y .
STATION—BANGALORE.
Arrived from Madras on 28th December 1878.
Average strength ..
. .
..
..
. .
..
. .
. . 717
Do.
do.
present ..
..
..
..
..
..
.. 478
Admissions
..
. .
. .
. .
..
..
..
.. 502
Daily sick
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
1 9
Deaths in hospital
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
6
Do. out of hospital ..
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
..
4
Pensioned
..
..
..
..
. .
..
..
.. 61
Sick leave
. .
. .
..
. .
..
..
.. ..
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding, as
contrasted with previous years :—