Water
-supply.
Sanitary ar
-rangements.
Diet.
Ventilation
of the
hospital.
Drainage of
hospital.
Hospital
water-supply.
General
conclusions.
30
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Ventilation
and drainage
of the men's
huts, &c.
Nuisance.
Clothing.
lines for days after the rains have ceased does the water ooze out of the very surface of the
ground and trickle along the cutcha drains. The site is not a healthy one.
A sepoy occupies a hut of regulation size irrespective of the number in his family, and
accordingly, therefore, as a sepoy has a small or large family, is his hut more or less conducive
to his health.
Ventilation and drainage of the men's huts, &c.— Drainage natural. Sepoys' huts more or
less fairly ventilated accordingly as the number occupying the hut is small or great. Drainage
of the lines very imperfect. There are no masonry drains whatever. Shallow grooves are
scratched into the earth on either sides of the roads for carrying away surface-water, but
sewage also finds its way into these very frequently. This subject has been frequently
represented and as yet nothing has been done to improve the lines. The present site of the
lines must be given up.
Nuisance.— The arrangement in the little enclosures in the compounds of the sepoys, used
for the purpose of latrines for their families, is very unsatisfactory. A few stones buried in the
ground is all the flooring. A few tiles placed on the ground is the drain to conduct the sewage
into an earthen tub sunk in the cutcha drain outside the compound wall. The consequence
is the place is constantly damp and sewage percolates freely into the soil.
Water-supply.— Sufficient in quantity. No complaint has been made of its quality.
Sanitary arrangements.— Proper drains are sadly required and impermeable flooring and
drains for the little latrines in the compounds of the men for the use of their families absolutely
necessary.
Diet.— The necessaries of life had, till within the last two months, been cheap. Since
November, however, the price of grain especially has been nearly doubled owing to large export
- a t i o n t o f a m i n e - s t r i c k e n d i s t r i c t s . T h e m e n h a v e r e c e i v e d c o m p e n s a t i o n f o r d e a r n e s s o f r i c e ,
Rupees 1-5-4 per man per month on an average.
Clothing. —Military clothing of the men suitable and adapted to the climate, with the excep
-tion of the sepoy's cap. It is no protection against sun, and in a shower the water would run
down the neck and wet the body.
Foot soreness.
Vaccination
and small--
pox.
Epidemic.
Foot soreness.— Many cases of shoe-bites have occurred consequent on wearing boots
without socks, and the utter impossibility of getting a boot adapted to a foot that had never from
infancy been contorted to a form necessary for the easy fit of an ordinary shaped boot.
Vaccination and small-pox .—There were 4 admissions of small-pox into hospital. Three of
the cases were protected either by small-pox or vaccination, and one of these died. One recruit
had the disease in a confluent form but recovered. The case that died had distinct marks of
vaccination and took the disease from his comrade, to whom he was attached as an orderly.
Seven recruits who bore doubtful marks of vaccination were re-vaccinated, 5 successfully and
2 unsuccessfully. Total cases vaccinated during the year 99; successfully 81, unsuccessfully
16, doubtful 2.
Epidemic .—Malarial fever of the intermittent type was the prevailing disease during the
year. Small-pox was very prevalent in the station and the district. Four of our men were
attacked with the disease. One had it in a confluent form and recovered, and one case died;
the disease was very mild in this case, but while recovering, suddenly symptoms of effusion into
the pericadium and pleura set in from, I believe, imprudent exposure to cold on the part of
the patient, and he died within twelve hours of the appearance of the unfavorable symptoms.
Cholera also prevailed in the station pretty severely. One case occurred among the sepoys.
This man had, against orders, visited his friends who arrived from a cholera-infected place and
were consequently prevented admission into the lines. This case proved fatal.
Ventilation of the hospital .—Ventilation of the hospital very satisfactory, by doors and
windows placed opposite each other, and by ridge ventilation that extends the whole length of the
wards. The hospital had never been overcrowded during the year.
Drainage of hospital natural. The dry-earth system of conservancy was carried out
satisfactorily.
Hospital water-supply sufficient ; quality good.
General conclusions.— On the whole the health of the wing was very satisfactory. Two
hundred and twenty-nine cases were under treatment during the year, inclusive of Native Commis
-sioned Officers; only one case of cholera occurred in the wing during the year while the
disease was very prevalent in the station. This one case proved fatal. Four cases of small-pox
occurred among the men and one died. Among the families two children and one woman were
attacked; all these three recovered. Small-pox was very prevalent in the district and the
station during the year. The drainage of the lines and the latrines in the compounds of the
men for the use of their families are in a very unsatisfactory condition.