POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
standard plan, and are in good order throughout. Some of the pendals are raised on plinths;
the floors of others are level with the ground; but from the rocky nature of the site the rooms
of none of these are ever damp from soakage from below. The single tiling of the roof, how
-ever, lets in a considerable amount of water during heavy rainfall.
4. The roofs have no opening for ventilation, and when the doors of the huts are closed,
the interiors are dark; and though the single tiling admits
some air (as it does the rain), it is insufficient to render them
well ventilated dwellings.
5. The conservancy of the lines, and especially of the married men's quarters, has lat-
terly been much improved. Dammered pans have been sub-
stituted for the small chunamed latrine pits formerly found in
front of the married quarters for use of young children. The pans are cleaned early in the
morning, and left open after 7 A.M. for inspection and report by a responsible non-com--
missioned officer.
6. The water-supply to the lines is entirely dependent on the Kapurwaree aqueduct,
which conveys water collected from springs near the village
of that name, situated about four miles to the north of camp, at
the foot of a range of hills, which forms part of the water-shed of the district. The springs
are reached at a depth of about 30 feet from the surface, and are found in a soft reddish
coloured layer of trap, beneath a hard one of gray. The water is of excellent quality, and the
supply usually ample; but, owing to the exceptionally scanty rainfall in the past year
(8 inches and 44 cents, only were registered at my hospital) the springs are unusually low,
and great doubts are felt whether they will last until the next rains. The municipality of
the town, in whose charge the aqueduct is, are taking energetic measures by sinking new
wells at the source, and cleaning out old reservoirs, to supplement the supply as far as pos
- s i b l e .
As is usual in seasons of scanty rainfall and consequent failing of crops, such as has oc
-
curred in the year under report in this, and the surrounding
districts, much old and damaged grain has been brought into
the markets, and which, owing to the greatly increased prices of better sorts, sepoys have
bought and eaten. In September, when cases of diarrhœa and dysentery were of such fre
- q u e n t o c c u r r e n c e , s e v e r a l s p e c i m e n s o f b á j r i a n d j ó w á r i , o b t a i n e d f o r e x a m i n a t i o n f r o m
patients suffering from these complaints, were found to have been damaged by wet, and worm
- e a t e n . D u r i n g t h e l a s t q u a r t e r o f t h e y e a r l a r g e s u p p l i e s o f g o o d g r a i n w e r e b r o u g h t i n f r o m
the Central Provinces.
7. The duties the native infantry regiment has to perform at this station, besides ordi
-nary regimental work, are the furnishing daily guards to the
jail, and the treasury in the town, to the fort, and to the sud
-der bazaar. The consecutive nights in bed for the year average about 4 1/3. During Decem
- b e r , o w i n g t o t h e g r e a t n u m b e r s a b s e n t o n d e t a c h m e n t d u t i e s , t h e a v e r a g e o f n i g h t s i n b e d
was scarcely over 2.
8 .
A gymnasium has been established, in which many of the younger men of the regi
-ment take much interest, under the superintendence of an
European instructor; some of the men have already attained.
considerable proficiency. The improvement in the physique of the instructed men is very
marked.
9. The hospital is on the south of the lines. The compound is well drained, as is the
surrounding ground in all directions. The hospital itself is in
good repair, is well ventilated, and affords sufficient cubic space
for the average sick of the regiment. The building runs north and south, is raised on two-
foot plinth, and consists of a large central ward measuring 96 feet by 22, with verandahs on
the north, east, and west sides, those on the north and east being closed, and that on the west
open. At the south end are the office, dispensary, and store-rooms. There is a good building
in the compound for the observation and temporary treatment of cases of infectious disease.
Ventilation.
Conservancy of lines.
Water supply.
Food.
Duties.
Amusements.
Hospital.
10. Stone-paving should be substituted for the present earth-flooring of the ward,
which cannot be properly cleaned. The periodical cow-dunging
it now receives is but plastering dirt over dirt. Some better
arrangement is required for the treatment of cases of acute lung disease, in which the main -
tenance of an equable temperature is so important, and from which the mortality in the native
army is so great (the deaths from these diseases in the native army during the past five years
ave equalled those from fever and cholera combined), the treatment of cases of acute bron-
chitis and pneumonia in a general ward necessarily kept open, and in which the temperature
Defects.