A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
little depth of soil are during the rains washed into the tanks and contaminate the water there.
The depth of water in the well after the rains was from 18 to 19 feet ; this was a small quantity,
as compared with some other years, because the rainfall was very deficient. The present depth
is 15 feet. The well was cleaned out in 1872, when owing to the extremely small fall of rain
in the previous rains (1871) it dried. The nearest houses to this well are the bakery and
the post office, both buildings being not very many yards away. The post office is occupied
by natives, and being so, I would very strongly recommend its being removed. At the bakery,
also, there are natives during the day, and I would recommend the building of latrines for
their use. The third tank is called the " Mamoo Banja," and in reality consists of two
tanks which are united when the water rises beyond a certain level. This tank was cleaned
out during the last hot weather at the recommendation of Dr. Lumsdaine, the Sanitary Com-
missioner. The cost of cleaning out was, I believe, over Rs. 26,000. Work-people to the
number of 2,000 were employed day and night at the works so as to get it completed before
the rains set in. The time taken for the whole of the work was about two months. Mud,
&c., to the depth of 24 feet was taken out and thrown over the walls at the south-eastern side
of the fort. The bed of the tank is stone, and this was, I am told, washed over after the clean-
ing, so as to ensure the removal of all impurities. The scheme for supplying potable water
is as follows : a well is being sunk in a ravine to the south-west of the tank and about thirty
yards away. The water from the tank will, on the same principle as the Sucker well, percolate
through natural media and filter into the well. About 30 feet of the well has already been
sunk, and I believe the total depth will be 50 feet. The amount of water measured in the
" Mamoo Banja" tank immediately after the rains was 12 feet. The water has never been
used or disturbed since the cleaning. A sample of this water, unfiltered, was sent by the
Executive Engineer here for analysis to Bombay, and the following is the result :—
" Statement showing the result of the examination of the two samples of water from the
" Mamoo Banja" Tank, Assirgarh, forwarded by the Executive Engineer, Hoshunga-
bad Division, Central Provinces ; No. 1, forwarded with letter No. 311 of October 20th,
drawn October 1876 ; No. 2, forwarded with letter No. 374 of the 21st November, drawn
November 1876.
I.
I I
Total solids–grains per gallon ...
. . .
... 12 . 60
11
.
90
Chlorine
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . . 1
.
50
1
.
93
Free ammonia—parts per million
...
...
.
46
1
.
06
Albuminoid ammonia
do. . . .
...
...
.
40
.
72
"The water has a greenish yellow tint, and a dead leaf odour, sediment slight in amount,
and consists chiefly of vegetable fibres and debris, a few monads and paramecida present.
40
(Signed)
Bombay, 9th December 1876.
I. B. LYON, F.C.S., Surgeon,
Chemical Analyser to Government."
From the foregoing analysis it will be seen that the amount both of free and albuminoid
ammonia is very large, indicating, in connection with the surrounding circumstances, that
the waters are totally unfit for drinking purposes.
I append an analysis of the water of same (Mamoo Banja) unfiltered shortly before the
tank was cleaned out, for the sake of comparison :—
Grains per gallon.
Total solids—dried at about 280° F
. . .
. . .
...
14
.
00
Loss on ignition ...
...
. . .
...
...
2
.
10
Chlorine
. . .
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
1 . 07
Sulphuric acid
...
...
...
...
... Trace.
Silica
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
...
2
.
80
Lime...
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . . Trace.
Magnesia
...
...
...
...
. . .
4
.
34
Hardness by soap test before boiling
. . .
. . .
. . .
7
.
70
Do.
do.
after boiling
...
...
...
1
.
75
Free ammonia . . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
.
371
Alb uminoid ammonia
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
.
0420
Oxygen required at 140° F. in presence of acid
...
...
1
.
624