Duty.
Vaccination.
Epidemic.
Ventilation
of hospital.
Drainage of hospital.
Water-supply.
General
conclusions.
98
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
The following medical officers were in charge during the year,
Surgeon-Major W. Arnold Smith, M.D.,
Surgeon-Major B. T. Suffrein,
Climate of
the station.
Ventilation
and drainage
of the men's
huts, &c.
Water
-supply.
Diet.
Clothing.
Sanitary con
-dition of the
lines, &c.
the latter of whom reports as follows :—
Climate of the station .—There has been no special form of disease prevailing which can be
attributed to the climate or the locality. There has been a remarkable absence of the usual
tropical diseases, such as hepatitis, dysentery and diarrhœa. Catarrhs were prevalent to some
small extent during the cold season, and immediately after the rains cases of ague are met
with more frequently.
Ventilation and drainage of the men's huts, &c .—The ventilation of the men's huts cannot
be described as good when judged by a European standard, but it is as good if not better than
that of native houses generally. There is no regular system of drainage. The rainfall readily
escapes as the lines are built on elevated ground with a good natural slope to the north.
During the rains and for some time after their cessation, the floors and walls of the huts are very
damp from the retentive nature of the subsoil. A thorough system of subsoil drainage is the
only remedy for this state of things, but it is a remedy involving too great a pecuniary outlay
I fear. At present the native lines are without any system of drainage and year by year the
ground must become more saturated with organic impurities. Only one stone-drain exists in
the lines of the regiment, the expensiveness of which appears to have prevented the construc
-tion of others.
Water-supply .—The water-supply has been good during the year both as to quantity and
quality. The supply has been chiefly from wells. All the wells (except one) which are used for
drinking purposes are numbered and have a raised stone platform around to prevent waste water
soaking back into them. They have also the words "drinking-water" painted over them, so that
every precaution is taken to prevent pollution.
Diet .—Provisions have been both cheap and plentiful. Vegetables were Plentiful during the
rains and the cold season, but were, as usual in this part of India, rather scarce in the hot
season. The men, as is always the case here, received compensation for the higher price of rice.
The men buy their own provisions, and their pay is quite sufficient to allow of their feeding
them selves adequately.
Clothing .—The clothing of the men is well adapted to the climate of the cold and rainy
seasons, consisting as it does of a cloth tunic and overalls; but during the hot season at this
station it must be most unsuitable.
Duty .—Duties have not proved in any way detrimental to the health of the men. The
average number of nights in bed has been 3½.
Vaccination .—Vaccination has been regularly kept up in the regiment. One case of
small-pox, which recovered, occurred in a person previously vaccinated.
Epidemic.—There has been no epidemic disease among the regiment, though a few cases
occurred among the sepoys of the 22nd and 35th Regiments Native Infantry. Two fatal cases
of this disease occurred among the followers of the regiment, they having in all probability become
infected from wandering among infected travellers on their way from a fair in the vicinity.
Ventilation of hospital .—The hospital is not provided with ridge ventilation, but it is
so amply provided with doors and windows that free perflation of air in the buildings is secured.
The hospital accommodation is amply sufficient and there has been no overcrowding.
Drainage of hospital.—The surface drainage is good. The hospital has a good basement
and has always been dry. The dry-earth system of conservancy has been well carried out in
the latrine, in which also coal-tar has been used liberally.
Water-supply .—The water-supply is from wells, sufficient in quantity and of fair quality.
General conclusions .—Taking into consideration the long service and for soldiers the
advanced age of the majority of the men, together with the long period the regiment has
sojourned in this malarious district, it is not, I think, surprising that the number of admissions,
especially from ague, showed a considerable increase during the past year.
Deputy Surgeon-General J. R. Theobalds inspected this corps on the 18th
November 1876 and reports as follows : —
Sanitary condition of the lines,&c.—The huts are built of mud, detached tiled roof, with
a small court-yard in front, and on one side enclosed by mud walls about 5½ to 6 feet in
height. The huts are built in two single rows, one at each end, and six double rows back to
back, with alleys about 3½ to 4½ feet broad between, and streets in front about 20 feet wide,
which run in a south-west direction crossed by broad streets at right angles.
When the entrance to the compound is at the side of the back of hut, the private latrine is
in the back corner, and next to it the bathing enclosure. When the entrance to the compound