Climate of
the station.
Ventilation
and drainage
of the men's
huts, &c.
Water
-supply.
Sanitary
arrange
-ments.
Diet.
Clothing.
Foot
soreness.
Duty.
Drill.
Vaccination.
Epidemic.
Hospital
ventilation.
Hospital
drainage.
126
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Liquors.
Exercises.
Surgeon F. H. Blenkinsop was in medical charge of this corps during the year
and reports as under:—
Climate of the station. —The past year has been a very mild one. In the early months rain
fell at unusual times; this " caused the hot weather to be both short and mild ;" the monsoon
was very short.
Ventilation and drainage of the men's huts, &c. —The huts are built on the ordinary native
principle, which seems to be to keep as much air and light out as possible. The doors are low
and small, and as a rule the only opening to admit of ventilation. Thanks to the very
indifferent state of the roofs. A good deal of ventilation takes place between the tiles. The only
drainage consists of ditches cut down either side of the roads. From the porous nature of the
soil these are with difficulty kept in proper order.
Water-supply.—There are several wells in and about the lines, but unfortunately most of
them run dry early. The water everywhere in the station is very low now from the short
rainfall, and unless heavy rain comes before next hot season there will be great scarcity.
Sanitary arrangements are carried out regularly and well, each Native officer being held
responsible for the proper state of his company's huts, &c.
Diet.—For the greater part of the year provisions of all kinds have been plentiful, cheap,
and good. Latterly there has been a rise in prices, but chiefly in rice. The compensation for
dearness of grain was Rupees 6-14-2 for the month of October, but it has since gone down
again.
Generally speaking the men are well nourished. Of course there are cases here and there of
men with large families who would be none the worse for a more liberal diet. I think, however,
I have noticed a decided improvement during the past year since the men have received the
increase of pay.
Liquors.—I fancy there are few men in the regiment who do not take a little liquor when
they can afford it. Some drink the date toddy and others the native arrack. There is no
inspection of this, so it is impossible to say anything as to its quality.
Clothing. —The men have learnt by experience the necessity of wearing more and warmer
clothes when not in uniform.
Foot soreness.—There have been very few cases of foot soreness, and those of so trivial a
character as only to need being excused the wearing of boots for two or three days.
Duty has been moderate and has tend ed to the improvement of health.
Drill.—As nothing but good has resulted I have had no occasion to make any recommenda
-tion. I may, however, add that the European officers have sometimes been greatly taxed by the
musketry which keeps them out till late in the day.
Exercises.—Gymnastic bars, &c., have been put up for the men, but they only take to these
by fits and starts ; some of them did fairly well at the athletic sports. They seem to take more
interest in firing for rifle matches.
Vaccination. —The men of the regiment have either had small-pox or been vaccinated. All
recruits who are unable to show marks of either disease are vaccinated.
Epidemic.—Some men who were returning with their families from furlough slept in the
public rest-house of a village, 20 miles from this, in which over a hundred emigrants from
the famine districts were staying, some of whom had been attacked by cholera. The night
after their arrival in the lines the Subadar of the party was seized with cholera ; he was at once
removed to the infectious ward, and his hut thoroughly disinfected. This was on October 12th
at 11 P.M. On the morning of the 14th another of the party was attacked, so the whole of these
people were placed in a preparatory cholera camp in which two fresh cases occurred. The last
three men were sepoys. All attacked by cholera had been in bad health. The Subadar and two
privates died, and the last man recovered.
Hospital ventilation. —I could not wish for better ventilation.
Hospital drainage.—The drainage around the hospital is good.
Hospital
water-supply.
General
conclusions.
Hospital water-supply.—The well sunk in the hospital compound has unfortunately turned
out a failure. Not a drop of spring water gets into it though it is 47 feet deep ; and there is no
saying how much farther the trap rock may extend. After heavy rain the well fills rapidly with
surface water. This is used only for bathing purposes as long as it lasts.
General conclusions.—The past year has been a particularly healthy one for the regiment.
Of the diseases causing admissions ague, as is always the case, greatly outnumbers every thing
else. For this disease there were 297 admissions ; with but few exceptions the type of disease
was very mild and free from complications. There have been no cases of chest affection, which
as a rule are very severe in this station. Dysentery has only given 7 admissions ; all of these
were mild. It has not been found necessary to send anyone away on sick leave.