Liquors.
Clothing.
Duty.
Vaccination
Epidemics.
Hospital
ventilation.
36
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Sanitary
arrangements.
Diet
Drainage and
latrines.
Sanitary arrangements.— There has been no removable nuisance to complain of, but the
men defecating and bathing in their present mode in the yards attached to their huts must be
considered as likely to saturate the soil with organic matters and so tending to induce and
aggravate disease ; so that under the present system a frequent change of site for sepoy lines is
desirable on sanitary grounds.
Diet. —Provisions of all kinds have been abundant but dear in price. Compensation money
for the dearness of rice has been allowed, but this has but slightly mitigated the distress caused
by the dearness of food to the married sepoy. Undoubtedly, with but few exceptions, the
privates are all more or less underfed.
Liquors .—Toddy and arrack are extensively used, but cases of intoxication are rare. The
arrack is generally adulterated. Narcotic drugs appear to be very frequently used by a few men.
Clothing. —The clothing has been sufficient and adapted to the climate.
Duty. —The usual guards and parades, which have not had any injurious effect upon the
health of the troops. The average number of nights in bed has been 4.53.
Vaccination. —Vaccination has been carefully carried on. No case of small-pox has occurred.
No re-vaccination has been necessary.
Epidemics.—There has been no epidemic.
Hospital ventilation —The hospital is too small and was not built for the purpose it at
present serves, but the ventilation is good and quite sufficient when not more than its proper
complement of patients are accommodated. But there has been much overcrowding and the air
has been necessarily foul at such times. I have made no representations on this subject, as the
smallness of the hospital has been referred to in previous annual reports, and I consider the
men to be better off in the overcrowded hospital than if lodged in tents during the cold season.
Drainage and latrines. —Hospital drainage is satisfactory. The latrines are kept thoroughly
clean and the dry-earth system is efficiently carried out.
General
conclusions.
General conclusions.
—The
injurious effects produced by the exposure of the regiment for
three years to the trying climate of Thayetmyo, together with the fact that only six of the men
were invalided during the past year, and also the dearness of provisions appear to have been
the chief causes of the large amount of sickness present during the past year.
26th Regiment Native Infantry.
STATION—QUILON
Arrived from Trichinopoly 19th January 1873.
Average strength
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
654
Do.
do.
present
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
640
Admissions
..
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
348
Daily sick
..
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
18
Deaths in hospital
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
4
Do. out of hospital
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
3
Pensioned.. . . .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
65
Sick leave. . . . .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
14
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
.. .
..
Quilon
..
..
48.68
2.48
1.14
2.57
2.14
1876
..
..
Do.
..
..
64.96
2.32
.41
2.60
1.66
1877
..
..
Do.
..
..
40.14
3.36
1.41
1.55
.99
Average ..
51.26
2.72
.98
2.24
1.59
1878
..
.. Quilon
..
. .
54.37
2.81
1.07
9.93
2 . 1 4