Clothing.
Duty and
exercises.
Vaccination.
Epidemic.
Hospital
ventilation.
Hospital
water-supply.
General
conclusions.
120
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Diet.
Diet.—Rice 2 lbs., dholl 3 oz., ghee 2 oz., salt 12 oz., tobacco 1¼ oz., and saffron 2 oz. Men
receive no compensation on account of dearness of provisions as they are rationed here. Vege
-tables, according to season, were abundant during the year.
Clothing. —White clothing durin g the hotmonths and woollen in the cold weather, suitable
to the climate.
Duty and exercises.—Field exercise, and the various drills with guard mounting have been
so arranged as to conduce to health. Nights in bed 4.
Vaccination.— All the men bear marks of vaccination or small-pox. No cases of small-pox
occurred amongst the men of the detachment during the past year.
Epidemic. —Intermittent and remittent fevers, diarrhœa and dysentery, attributable to
climatic causes.
Ventilation of hospital. —Ventilation ample; no overcrowding.
Sanitary
condition of
barracks, &c.
Sanitary
condition of
latrines, &c.
Hospital water-supply. —Water-supply ample; quality good.
General conclusions.— The health of the men of the detachment has been on the whole
satisfactory. Two deaths have occurred during the year; both resulted from fever. It will be seen
from the return of sick that nearly half of the cases admitted into hospital were from fever of
the intermittent type: this apparently was owing to the cantonment being surrounded on three
sides by dense jungle and a marshy land at the northern extremity of it.
Deputy Surgeon-General H. R. Oswald, M.D., inspected this detachment on
the 30th January 1877 and reports as follows :—
Sanitary condition of barracks, & c.—The barracks, three in number and all similar, are situated
on the crest of a hill of laterite about a mile from the river bank; the site is a very favorable
one and commands a magnificent prospect to the west. They were not clean or tidy; the
ventilation is good and is effected by 8 doors each 6' x 5', and 18 windows each 3' x 3' in each;
the skirting board all round can be raised on hinges, and there is likewise ridge ventilation.
Lighting is effected by a single lantern burning oil. Each barrack measures 120' x 20' x 14' =
2,400 square feet and 33,600 cubic feet, and each man has enjoyed an average of 66 square feet
and 933 cubic feet. There are likewise 2 corner rooms to each barrack for native and non-
-commissioned officers, each measuring 20' x 10'.
From the nature of the site and soil the drainage is excellent, the water running off
rapidly by the superficial earth drains surrounding the barracks.
These barracks are built of wood, with dunnee-leaf roofs, and raised on piles 3 feet high.
They have covered verandahs on the west side and are entered by two ladders or stair cases on
each side. They are evidently very old buildings.
Sanitary condition of latrines, &c.—There is one latrine divided into nine compartments and
furnished with the usual boards to stand upon, and a bucket to receive excreta. It was locked
up at the time of my visit as it was about to undergo repair; in the meantime the men resorted
to the jungle, the commanding officer informed me, as he believed they usually did, the jungle
being close at hand. The latrine was in a bad state and had evidently not been tarred for a
long time. Dry earth did not appear to have been used; excreta are said to be removed to a
distance by the detachment conservancy cart and two toties. There were no cess-pools or foul
drains.
Rations..
Rations.— The rations are good and means exist for producing variety, as there is plenty
of fish and meat to be had with some vegetables. I may observe here that I noticed enormous
quantities of magnificent "bullur" growing all along the banks of the river; melons are likewise
grown in great profusion; and in the jail garden I saw very fine knol-khol and salad, beet
and radishes, &c., &c. so that if the men were encouraged to form gardens, they might supply
themselves with abundance of vegetables. There is a very good covered market, which many
larger towns might be proud of.
Water-supply
Conservancy.
Water-supply of good quality and plentiful.
Conservancy is good.
Hospital.
Principal
diseases.
Hospital.— The hospital is close to the barracks, and is exactly similar to them in point of
structure, dimensions, ventilation and drainage, except that it is only 12 feet high to top of wall
plate instead of 14, has 17 windows instead of 18, and three corner-rooms instead of two. It
also is a very old building, but it was very clean and neat. The latrine is pucka-built with
tiled roof; it is divided into 4 compartments. The dry-earth system was evidently well attended
to, and coal-tar freely used. The arrangements were all good. There is a pucka-built bath-
-room but it is not used, the men bathing at the well when they do so. The cook-room is neat
and clean, divided into two compartments for Hindus and Mussulmans as usual. There is
an excellent well of good water recently dug.
Principal diseases.—Fever and dysentery, which the medical officer ascribes "to the
low-lying surrounding country and jungles on the neighbouring hills."