Nuisance.
Water-
supply.
Sanitary
arrange-
ments.
Diet.
Clothing.
Drill.
Vaccination.
Epidemic.
Hospital
ventilation.
Hospital
drainage.
Hospit
al water-supply.
General conclusions.
Ventilation
and drainage
of the men's
huts, &c.
22
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
on 15th January, and arrived in Madras on 21st January. The Right Wing was detained
in Calcutta on account of a slight outbreak of cholera.
Ventilation and drainage of the men's huts, &c .—The guard rooms are nice and ventilated,
but the sepoys' huts owing to their faulty construction, low situation, and their being
surrounded by houses densely populated are badly ventilated and the air cannot be maintained
pure. The surface drainage is so defective that the lines are flooded after heavy rain. Steps
have been taken to remedy the lodgment of water by raising the roadways through the lines,
but the floors of the huts are still damp, and the huts require constant repair to make them
habitable.
Nuisance. —No nuisance has occurred during the year. The sanitary arrangements of the
regimental lines are carried out under the superintendence of the Quartermaster with a staff of
1 cutwall, 2 peons, and 8 sweepers. The regimental latrine is clean and in good order; and the
dry-earth system is carefully carried out.
Water-supply. —Water is procured from two tanks, one supplied by the Red Hill Tank
and the other from the rainfall; the supply is at present abundant, and the quality fair.
Sanitary arrangements of the lines have been carefully attended to; the dampness of the
huts after rain is a local cause of disease which from their position it is not possible to remedy.
Diet.—Provisions of all descriptions have been very dear on account of the famine, and
vegetables not easily procurable. The troops have received compensation on account of the
dearness of rice. Monthly average for the year, Rupees 2-11-1. Although famine prices
prevailed almost the entire year the men presented no appearance of defective nutrition.
Clothing has been sufficient and adapted to the climate.
Foot soreness.
Duty.
Foot soreness. —The men frequently come to hospital suffering from foot soreness owing to
the ill-fitting boots supplied to the Native Army, and to the want of protection of the feet by
socks.
Duty.—The duty performed by the troops has been that usually performed by troops in
garrison, and was in no respect prejudicial to health. The average number of nights in bed
were three.
Drills have exercised no unfavorable influence on the health of the men.
Vaccination has been carefully practised; there has been no case of small-pox amongst
the men.
Epidemic.—Cholera broke out in an epidemic form in the regiment on the march from
Dorundah to Calcutta, when four sepoys and three women were attacked; there have also been
slight outbreaks of cholera since the arrival of the regiment at Madras; the disease could not be
attributed to any local cause as it was prevalent at the time in Vepery and other parts of
Madras. The total number of cases were as follows:—
Admissions.
Deaths.
Sepoys
10
3
Women
12
4
Children
15
9
Total
37
16
Hospital ventilation is defective owing to want of proper ridge ventilation; this condition
has been frequently represented but without effect. There has been no overcrowding.
Hospital drainage.—The hospital latrine is in fair order, and the building in good repair; the
dry-earth system is carefully carried out.
Sanitary
condition of
lines.
Hospital water-supply. —Water is procured from a tank supplied by the Red Hills Tank,
it is abundant and of fair quality.
General conclusions. —The health of the regiment has not been as good as the previous year,
the deaths having increased from 4 in 1876 to 9 in the present year. The prevalent diseases have
been intermittent fever, dysentery and diarrhœa, in some cases attributable to the defective
condition of the lines, and to which attention has been frequently called in previous reports.
Deputy Surgeon-General W. J. vanSomeren, M.D., inspected this corps on the
9th March 1878 and reports as under:—
Sanitary condition of lines.—Excepting elevation of some of the thoroughfares through the
lines and their better metalling, these lines continue as objectionable as they were. Even the
exception mentioned is a doubtful improvement, seeing that in damp weather, with the street-
level above that of the floors of the tenements on each side, these are probably kept more damp,
and that for a longer time.