Hospital
water-supply
.
General
conclusions.
Sanitary
condition of
all buildings
Conservancy
Sanitary
condition of
lines.
Sanitary
condition of
all buildings.
Duties.
Conservancy.
104
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Sanitary
condition of
lines.
Hospital.
a distance of about one and half mile out of cantonment and there buried in trenches one foot
square and afterwards sold as manure.
Hospital water-supply is from spring wells near the lines; the quality good and the supply
abundant.
General conclusions.— The general health of the men of the regiment has not been so
good as shown by the increase in the number of admissions for ague, but it must be recollected
that the type of fever is very mild and easily amenable to simple treatment. The ratio of
admissions per 1,000 of strength for the year under review, 2111.18, when compared with
the previous year's, 1,644.14, shows an increase of 466.34 in the admissions; nearly of the
entire were due to ague, conjunctivitis gave 84, dysentery and diarrhœa 42, primary syphilis 4,
rheumatism 25, small-pox 21, and measles 48. Altogether the year was not a healthy one;
that the short hot season and irregular rainfall rendered the climate unhealthy there is little
reason to doubt; as regards the water-supply and duties of the troops there is no reason
why the ratio of sickness should continue so high, but so long as the men occupy the present
site no improvement in their health return (for ague) can be looked for.
Deputy Surgeon-General J. R. Theobalds inspected this corps on the 7th and
8th December 1877 and reports as under:—
Sanitary condition of lines.— I f o u n d t h e l i n e s t o l e r a b l y c l e a n , a n d t h e h u t s i n t o l e r a b l e
repair; the ventilation rather worse than regimental native huts generally as the doors are
very small and roofs low; ventilation chiefly through the interstices of tiles and where the
poles rest on the walls. Drainage remains in much the same indifferent, unsatisfactory state
as last year. I would recommend that an application be made to the Executive Engineer to
take a series of levels and, if possible, deepen all the main drains so as to give a gentle fall
into the main drain that leads into the Jumma tank.
Sanitary condition of all buildings.— I found all the guard rooms and cells very clean, in
good repair, and well ventilated. Two of the three public latrines are in a very dilapidated state,
and the dry-earth system is in consequence very imperfectly carried out. The private latrines
are very imperfect.
Conservancy .— The conservancy of the lines tolerably good, though there is no dust-bin.
The rubbish is carted away some distance outside of the lines on the maidan on the
Kamptee road, north and north-east of the lines, and burnt daily.
Hospital.—I found the hospital wards, latrine, and out-houses in good repair, very clean,
and all the surroundings tidy and in good order. The drainage is good from the natural
configuration of the ground; the hospital is well raised, very well ventilated with ample
accommodation. Hospital is well supplied with good drinking-water from a well near.
Deputy Surgeon-General J. R. Theobalds inspected the detachment at Chanda
on the 25th February 1878 and reports as follows:—
Sanitary condition of lines.— I found the lines very clean, huts in fair repair, ventilation
and drainage of lines good, ventilation of huts indifferent.
Sanitary condition of all buildings.— I found the barrack guard and cells in good repair,
well ventilated, but they were not clean.
The private latrines in front of each sepoy's hut remain in the same unsatisfactory state
as I found them last year; and, if the pattern latrine that I recommended last year cannot be
carried out, I would urge that every latrine be at least provided with chatties filled with dry
earth, for ordure, and drains made leading direct from the private latrines to the street drains.
Water-supply.
Water-supply .—Abundant supply of good drinking-water from the wells near the lines.
Hospital.
Duties.— The usual parades and duties, which have in no way proved prejudicial to the
health of the men.
Conservancy of the lines and neighborhood good. The dust-bins I recommended last
year have not been put up.
No public latrine in the lines. At a small cost an old magazine or store-room which is not in
use could be easily altered into a public latrine worked on the dry-earth system, with a lavatory
made in one corner, and another could be made opposite to the present entrance. The
excreta is buried in trenches in the public gardens and north-west of the lines.
Hospital.— For a full description of the hospital see my last Annual Inspection Report,
dated 24th February 1877.
Hospital bath.
Hospital bath.—The bath has not been moved, as I suggested last year, to where the
bedding is now kept; this room should be made into a bath room and the hospital bedding
moved into the store-room on the opposite end of hospital. An abundant supply of water from
a well near.