72
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Sanitary
condition of
latrines, &c.
Hospital
drainage.
Sanitary condition of latrines, &c.—There are four regimental latrines, situated at the
foot of the declivity on which the lines are built ; one of these for women and the other three
for men. They are constructed on the Vizagapatam principle. Each compartment is divided
from the others by a neat partition of wicker-work coated with coal-tar. The solid excreta are
received into an oblong wooden-box containing dry earth, which is withdrawn and replaced from
outside by the toty. The urine opens into an opened groove of channel which runs along the
range of seats, and is finally received into a tub sunk in a pit outside ; this is removed daily
by a scavenger cart. At one end of the latrine there is a square reservoir for water for
ablution ; the latrine is well ventilated, there being a thorough draft from end to end, as well as a
ridge ventilator. The excreta from the regimental latrines is removed by the conservancy
establishment kept up by Government at the cost of Rupees 87 a month and carted away to a
distance of five miles from the cantonment. The excreta from the domestic latrines are removed
by contract twice a day and realize 16 Rupees a month.
Hospitals drainage.— The hospital of the 36th Regiment Native Infantry is situated on an
open space between the officers' and sepoys' lines.
The drainage is chiefly natural ; a small artificial drain leads from the bath-room to a shallow
channel which conducts the water to the road-side drain.
Climate of
the station.
Position of
huts.
28th Regiment
Native Infantry
STATION—MERCARA.
Arrived from Vellore, 17th February 1874.
Average strength ...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
... 673
Do.
do. present ...
...
...
...
. . .
... 619
Admissions ...
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
... 443
Daily sick
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
22
Deaths in hospital
...
...
.
...
...
...
..
...
12
Do. out of do.
...
...
...
...
. . .
...
...
Pensioned ...
...
...
. I e . . . . . .
...
18
Sick leave ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
...
32
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.
1873 ...
... Vellore..
...
...
5 2 . 8 9
1.78
7.89
1.33
1874 ...
... Mercara
...
...
141.40
6 . 5 4
1.47
1.77
3.98
1875 ...
...
Do.
...
...
108.18
5.72
1.48
4.74
7.11
Average ...
100.82
4.68
.98
4.80
4.14
1876 ...
... Mercara
71.56
3.55
2.97
2.67
4.75
Surgeon J. S. Dill, M.D., was in medical charge of this corps during the year
and reports as follows :—
Climate of the station.— The climate during the year 1876 was milder than that of the
two previous years, during which the regiment has been in Mercara. The men seem to have
become to a great extent acclimatized, as shown by the admissions to hospital, which are in the
year 1876 443 as compared to 661 in 1875 and 864 in 1874. This diminution in the number
of admissions is, however, to be accounted for to a considerable extent by the improvement in the
men's huts during the past year.
Position of huts.—The huts are situated in a deep basin to the south of the fort. In the
bottom of this basin is a marshy swamp from which a dense malarious fog rises nightly, but has
been a good deal improved during the past year by levelling the surface, removing all rank
vegetation, and running a deep drain down the centre. The huts are of regulation build and
dimensions and areas, well ventilated, as sepoy huts in other stations.