43
by Major Gibbs and published in my report on Mhow. The amount of water passing
through the sub-soil under the barracks and mounting by capillary attraction up
into the solid plinths is a matter that in my opinion most seriously affects the
health of the soldiers.
As a rule barracks are not overcrowded, but sometimes owing to military
exigencies overcrowding does take place; but this subject at all time engages the
most careful and immediate notice of medical officers in charge of troops.
The ventilation of the barracks in many stations is, during the monsoon, ex-
cessive. If the doors are kept open, the men sleep in a draught and are liable
to get a chill; if the doors are shut, they breathe the emanations from their lungs
and bodies. What is required is that, fresh air should be admitted about half way
up the wall, and such would be provided by the adoption of the door and window
recommended by the Army Sanitary Commission and by Mr. Lumsdaine.
The wastage water from the non-commissioned officers' rooms in barracks
as a general rule is received into iron receptacles which either stand on the surface
of the ground or are let down into a chunamed pit. Too often, either from the
spout leading from the bath-room not being immediately over the centre of
this receptacle or from the wind blowing the stream away, the water does
not fall into it, but into the pit in which it stands. This wastage water
is generally removed from the receptacles by puckauli bhisties by means
of a dholl or tinpot, but a little always remains behind, and sometimes a
not inconsiderable quantity. I have heard complaints that a smell from these
receptacles sometimes finds its way into the rooms. The wastage water from
the wash-houses, as at Nasirabad, is utilized in their immediate vicinity over
gardens—a very dangerous proceeding with such a previous history as the sub-
soil in the Infantry Lines at that station has. In other stations it is removed
by puckauli bhisties and is either utilized for watering trees or is discharged
into a nála.
Dry earth is used in all latrines attached to barracks and hospitals, and the
greatest care is taken throughout the Presidency to keep these places clean;
but I cannot help regarding the standard latrines as a disease cause. Many are
insufficiently ventilated, such as the left flank latrine at Ahmednagar, the Artillery
latrine at Karáchi, the Artillery latrine at Nasirabad, the heavy battery latrine
at Mhow, and others. I think the iron pans in use are more than probable the
nidus of disease.
These pans are dammered inside and out and they present inequalities of
surface which, in spite of every care on the part of the sweeper, it is simply im-
possible to keep perfectly clean, and they retain particles of filth which cannot be
removed. The same remark applies also to the iron urinal tubs, no amount of
ordinary cleaning can remove the salts deposited on them.
The use of dry earth by the men also is not habitual. Some do throw a
scoopful of earth into the pan after using, but very many do not. On in-
spection morning it was generally found that dry earth had been deposited in
each pan, but very frequently a sweeper would be seen hiding himself from
observation. On visiting the latrines at odd times without notice the use of dry
earth by the men was found in some stations to be exceptionable. The greatest
attention in this respect was observed at Belgaum in the regimental latrines of
the Royal Irish Fusiliers where the Quarter Master, Captain Watkins, is very
particular in seeing that they are kept as clean as it is possible to keep them,
In each latrine the following notice is pasted up :—
"The soldiers of the battalion are directed never to leave a latrine without throwing
a scoopful of dry earth into the privy pan. The application of the dry earth must be imme-
diate, and the Commanding Officer desires to impress upon the men the necessity for a strict
observance of this valuable sanitary precaution. He hopes that it will be unnecessary for
him to place sentries on the latrines to enforce this order."
The night-soil and urine are removed from the latrines and urinals in closed
iron tubs which are kept in a passage hehind these privies. These, too, it is im-
possible to keep thoroughly clean, and they are not inspected as often as the privy
pans. In my opinion they are a source of great danger and very possibly the
nidus of enteric fever.
B 357-