Ventilation
and drainage.
Water-
supply.
Sanitary
arrangements.
Diet.
Clothing.
Foot-soreness.
Duty.
Drill.
Exercises.
Epidemics.
122
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Years.
Stations.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions. Daily Sick. All Deaths. Pensioned. Sick Leave.
1875 ..
.. Banda
.. ..
167.12
5.30
1.10
4.14
1.65
1876 ..
.. Camp Delhi ..
..
170 . 73
4.66
2.68
38.80
.89
1877 ..
.. Banda
.. ..
118.34
3.60
1.70
3.54
. 8 5
Average ..
152.06
4.52
1.49
12.16
1.13
1878 ..
.. Banda
.. ..
92.62
2.61
1.73
.57
1.01
The following officers held medical charge of the Head-quarters and Left Wing
of this corps during the year :
Surgeon P. Thompson,
Surgeon S. L. Dobie,
the latter of whom reports as follows :—
Climate of the
station.
Climate of the station.— The hot weather begins in March and lasts till the rains in July,
then malarious fever is prevalent. During the rainfall the climate is cool; in the intervals it is
close. In September the rains end, then malarious fever re-appears. In October the cold weather
sets in and lasts till February. The minimum temperature is as low as 32° F. Bronchitis,
dysentery, lung affections and fever, the result of chill, are the winter complaints.
Barracks.
Barracks.—The huts run in lines from north-west to south-west. The ground is very
slightly elevated. There is nothing in the neighbourhood except dry cultivation, which is at
some distance.
Ventilation and drainage.— Good.
Water-supply.— Good water-supply from wells.
Sanitary arrangements.—Arrangements good.
Diet.—They diet themselves and have been as well nourished as they could afford.
Clothing .—Clothing suited to the changes of the climate in the year.
Foot-soreness.—Very few cases of shoe-bite. Boots not defective, but unnatural to the sepoy.
Duty .—Ordinary parades, manœuvres and guard duties ; effects beneficial.
Hospital.
Drill.—In summer from 5 to 6-30 A.M., in winter from 6 to 7-30 A.M. The recruits drill in
addition from 5 to 6 P.M ; influence beneficial.
Exercises.— A. most successful gymnastic meeting ended the year, into which the men entered
with zest. The recruits are exercised with Indian clubs and sticks.
Epidemics.— Cholera broke out in Banda in June, and appeared in regiment on 22nd August,.
leaving the regiment on 22nd September. It appeared in the district in May. The cholera was
not of a virulent type. Its attacking the regiment must be considered as due to infection, probably
through the air.
Hospital.— There being two wards, only one of which it was necessary to use, this capacity
could have been doubled if it had been advisable. Hospital ventilation very good. No over
-crowding. Drainage good. Dry-earth system.
Water.
supply.
Water-supply.— Good.
General
conclusions.
General conclusions.— Banda is not a healthy station ; the whole district . is strongly malarious ;
the cantonment becomes so under the influence of moisture. Cholera almost always pays an
annual visit to the town. After an acclimatization of about a year the men from Madras do not
suffer particularly from the cold of the winter months. Possibly after a year or two it does them
some good, as in the case of Europeans at once.