Sanitary
arrangements.
Diet.
Drill.
Exercises.
Hospitals.
Drainage.
General
conclusions.
37
SOUTHERN DISTRICT.
The following officers were in medical charge of this corps during the year,
Surgeon M. E. Eyre,
Surgeon J. Backhouse,
the latter of whom reports as follows:—
Climate of the station. —The south-west monsoon has been very heavy; the rainfall has
been upwards of 105 inches, which gave rise to a few cases of pneumonia and acute bronchitis,
and the cases recovered. The regiment is just completing its sixth year of service on the Western
Coast, and would benefit by a change of station.
Climate of
the station.
Ventilation
and drainage
of the men's
barracks,
huts, &c.
Ventilation and drainage of the men's barracks, huts, &c. —The ventilation is sufficient
throughout the lines. I have noticed no defects in the ventilation or drainage.
Nuisance. —There has been no nuisance during the year; the lines and barracks have been
kept in good order during the year. Two new pucca latrines—one for the lines and another
for the cantonment-have been sanctioned, and I understand will shortly be commenced, as a
Station Committee have selected suitable sites. The present ones are of cutcha construction
(cadjan leaves), and are always injured during the monsoon weather. They are chiefly used by
the Hindus; the Mussulman women and children, from Native custom, having to resort to the
latrine in the courtyard of the huts in the lines, as they cannot expose themselves to the public
gaze.
Water-supply. —The water has been of good quality and sufficient in quantity. No
recommendations were necessary.
Nuisance.
Water
-supply.
Sanitary arrangements. —The general sanitary state of the barracks and lines have been
well attended to. There are no causes of disease requiring removal.
Diet—Provisions have been sufficient in quantity, but the famine in other districts has
raised the prices in the Travancore District. The men get monthly compensation for the
dearness of rice. The climate has been somewhat trying owing to the heavy and continued rains,
which last for seven months out of the twelve. The duties have been light The diet has been
sufficiently varied to preserve health.
Liquors.—This is a toddy country, and sufficient liquor of good quality can be obtained for
one anna to make a man intoxicated. No cases of intoxication occurred during the year 1878
among the admissions to hospital.
Clothing. —The clothing of the sepoys has been sufficient and well adapted to the climate
while on duty, but in plain Native costume I consider they suffer during the monsoon weather.
Liquors.
Clothing.
Foot-soreness.
Foot-soreness.— There has been the usual amount of foot-soreness from the shoe biting.
Drill.—There have been the usual daily drills for one and a half hour in the morning and
for one hour in the evening, and have exerted a beneficial effect on the health of the men.
Exercises.—There is a gymkhana in the lines for the use of the recruits and younger men.
The majority of the men garden to a great extent, the produce being country vegetables. They
also fish a good deal in the backwater canal when off duty; all of which assist in keeping
them in a healthy state.
Vaccination. —Vaccination was commenced very late owing to the prevalence of small-pox in
the town of Quilon during October and November, and there were three cases in the lines during
November and December. All the cases in the lines recovered.
Epidemic diseases. —Cholera and small-pox were epidemic in the town of Quilon during
October and November 1878; there being 50 seizures and 30 deaths from cholera, and 11
s eizures and 4 deaths from small-pox.
Hospitals.—The hospital has answered very well during the year; the ventilation is of the
ridge variety and has been sufficient. There has been no overcrowding during the year 1878.
Drainage. —The drainage of the lines is natural from the gradual slope of the streets in the
lines and the sandy nature of the soil.
General conclusions.—I have had eight months' experience of the station of Quilon, and
have noticed the long period of wet weather, which I believe occurs each year, viz., upwards of
seven months out of the twelve are wet and damp, thus giving rise to a humid and relaxing climate,
which tells on the constitutions of both Europeans and Natives after a prolonged residence, such
as the present regiment (26th M.N.I.) have had. They will finish their sixth year in Quilon
in January 1879, and there is no doubt but this corps requires a change to another station—an
inland one.
Deputy Surgeon-General J. Wilson inspected this corps on the 28th November
1878 and reports as follows:—
Lines .—Total number of huts in the lines is 484; they are not built strictly according to
regulation; most of the huts are small buildings composed of mud walls two to four feet in height
with bamboo sticks and cadjan leaves for the roof. The ventilation is ample at all times, as the
Vaccination.
Epidemic
diseases.
Lines.
10