Water-supply.
Sanitary
arrange
- m e n t s .
Diet.
Foot sorenes.
Duty.
Exercises.
Vaccination.
Epidemic.
Hospital ven
-tilation.
Hospital
drainage.
Hospital
wa ter-supply.
Epidemic.
General con
-clusions.
Water
-supply.
Hospital.
Climate of
the station.
28
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Nuisance.
Clothing.
Naisance. —The arrangement in the latrines for the sepoy's family, which is a small portion of
the compound about 5 feet by 4, screened by a bamboo tat, is very unsatisfactory. Urine and
wash water (such as does not run off into the tat buried in the ground outside the compound
for receiving sewage) percolate into the soil, and the place is more or less constantly damp.
Evaporation by the heat of the sun sometimes dries this place.
Water-supply.—Quantity has been sufficient.
Sanitary arrangements. —On the whole the sanitary arrangement of the lines has been as
far as practicable properly attended to. But the site and construction of the lines are so faulty
that sooner or later the present lines will have to be abandoned.
Diet. —The men purchase their own provisions from the bazaars which were well supplied
during the year. Prices had however risen owing to the high price of rice, which rose on
account of extensive importation from here to famine districts. The men received compensation
on account of dearness of rice. Food sufficiently nutritive and varied to preserve health was
always procurable in the bazaars ; but, as I have already mentioned, the prices were somewhat
high this year.
Clothing.—Military clothing suitable and adapted to the climate with the exception of the
cap which is no protection to the head, and the boots which fit badly and are worn without
socks, producing numerous cases of shoe bites.
Foot soreness. —A great many cases of shoe-bite have occurred during, the year from defective
boots and from the sepoys' habit of wearing them without socks.
Duty. —The amount of duty performed by the wing was not excessive, and had no
injurious effect on the health of the men.
Exercises.—A few of the men take to gardening.
Vaccination. —No cases of small-pox occurred during the year. Vaccination has been
efficiently kept up.
Epidemic. —Malarial fever of the intermittent type was the prevailing disease during the
year. There were 55 admissions from this cause. The disease is endemic here and due to
malaria. Cholera also prevailed towards the end of the year.
Sanitary con
-dition of lines.
Condition of
lavatories.
Hospital ventilation is very satisfactory ; it is ventilated by doors and windows placed
apposite each other, and has also ridge ventilation.
Hospital drainage is natural. There are no masonry drains for conveying away surface
drainage. Instead of the old and ill-ventilated latrine a new latrine has been built, and is in use.
Hospital water-supply. —Water is brought to hospital by the regimental puckallies from
a well near the barrack guard quarter of a mile from the hospital. No complaint has been made
of the quality. The quantity has been sufficient.
Epidemic.—No epidemic spread or broke out in hospital during the year.
General conclusions. —The total admissions into hospital for the year just closed were 231,
of which nearly a fourth was due to malarial fever. The fever was of the intermittent type,
generally very mild, and readily yielded to treatment. Cholera broke out towards the close of
the year. Six men and one Native Commissioned Officer were attacked. The Native Officer
(aged 64) and two of the men died. Among the families 13 were attacked and two died,
though only 18 in all were attacked in the regimental lines ; the epidemic was still very prevalent
among the civil population in the station as also in the district.
Deputy Surgeon-General W. J. vanSomeren, M.D., inspected the head-quarters
of this corps on the 8th November 1877 and reports as follows :—
Sanitary condition of lines. —Lines clean and clear of litter except, in the exceedingly
narrow galleys between the backs of the rows of huts, through which progress is difficult, and
in which clearing operations are still more difficult. Their existence is a fault in the original
construction of these very objectionable lines, which are in no way better than when I last
condemned them.
Condition of lavatories. —Water plentiful for ablution purposes in tanks and wells, although
the former are now running very low.
Water-supply. —Water for drinking is obtained by the men from wells, principally one in a
paddy field to the north of the lines and one at or near the butts ; the former of doubtful quality,
the latter clear and potable.
Hospital is clean ; its floor in the verandahs out of repair.
Climate of the station. —The earlier months were cool and pleasant with an unusual
number of showery days. The hot weather commencing in April lasted till the end of June.
In June there was a short but heavy fall of rain, and in July and August we had the usual rains
of the south-west monsoon. In September there was a deficiency of the usual rainfall, causing