134
A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
16. The marching on the present occasion has proved our sick carriage to be a failure,
.
ge
a
carri
and shown its utter inefficiency and inadequacy to the purpose
Sick
for which it is kept up. The bearers are not "Kahars" but an
inferior class of coolies deficient in physical stamina and untrained for their work; hence it
need not be wondered at that they completely broke down. After some correspondence on
the subject I was permitted to put them through a course of dooly practice at Mustoong and
Khelat; but this would have been unnecessary if the bearers had been always under the
exclusive control and supervision of the medical officer who is responsible for the conveyance
of the sick, and would make a point of getting the men trained and keeping them efficient.
A better and more economical arrangement than the present one, in my opinion, would be to
have fewer but properly-trained bearers attached to each regiment of the Frontier Force,
with light stretchers with hoods, instead of the present heavy cumbersome doolies, and a
certain proportion of kujavas similar in construction to that used by the Russians during the
Khivan Expedition.
17. I should say that for troops marching through a desert like that of Cutchee and
over stony ground like the Bolan Pass, camel kujavas of some description are indispensably
necessary for sick carriage, and I submit that the matter should be considered by the proper
authorities.
REMARKS OE DEPUTY SURGEON-GENERAL F. G. JOYNT, M.D.
Visited Mittree February 19th 1877. The regiment is housed in grass huts, the sanitary
condition and ventilation of which are duly attended to. The water-supply appears to be
abundant and of fair quality. The , sick are accommodated in tents. There were 4 fatal
cases of pneumonia, which would seem to be due in a great measure to the great vicissitudes
of climate which have been experienced.
H. M.'s No. 2 Mountain Battery.
KIIELAT.—In medical charge of Surgeon CL W. MACRURY;—strength, 43.
The head-quarters of the No. 2 Mountain Battery accompanied the detached escort of
the mission to Khelat, the men having been carefully inspected and selected from the battery
by a special committee before leaving Jacobabad.
In marching they proved themselves to be superior to the infantry, and altogether are
fine specimens of native soldiers.
2. The admissions during the last nine months were 99, of whom 26 were from ague,
the next most prevalent diseases being diarrhoea and shoe-bites.
3. The casualties were 10: cholera proved fatal to 5 out of 9 admissions; 1 died from
fever, 1 from pneumonia, 1 from dysentery, and 1 from diarrhœa; and the subedar of the
battery, a splendid specimen of a native soldier, who had served for 46 years 10 months and
24 days, died from an attack of nephritis on the return march from Khelat.
4. The remarks on climate and disease made in my regimental report will be found
also applicable to the men of this battery. I would also respectfully invite attention to my
remarks on the sick carriage arrangements of the Frontier Force with a view to their being
reorganized and reformed.
Left Wing H. M.'s 30th Regiment N. I., or Jacob's Rifles.
MITTREE.—In medical charge of Surgeon C. W. MACRURY ;—strength, 148.
1. The left wing H. M.'s 30th Regiment, N. I., or Jacob's Rifles, marched from Jacob-
abad on 4th April 1876 and joined the other troops forming
Marches.
Major Sandeman's escort at Rojhan. The next march to Kunda
across the desert was a long one; the distance has not been accurately measured, but it is
stated to be between 35 and 38 miles, which may be considered a fair test of a soldier's
endurance and marching capabilities. The number of men foot-sore on arrival at Kunda was
small in proportion to the severity of the march.
2 . I n a n e x c e p t i o n a l l y l o n g m a r c h , l i k e t h i s o n e , i t m i g h t b e w o r t h w h i l e s e e i n g
whether the men would not get over the ground, which is
Boots.
smooth and flat, better bare-footed than either with boots or
shoes, more especially when the latter are ill-fitting and worn, as the native soldier does,