MILITARY DEPARTMENT, 19TH AUGUST 1881, No. 4447.
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Bangalore. —The Administrative Medical Officer of the circle objects to the situation of the
barracks of the Royal Horse Artillery, as being inconveniently near to the native bazaar and to
the Ulsoor tank ; he thinks that the prevalence of ague amongst the men is a consequence of the
proximity of the barracks to the last named ; the figures in the annual return of sickness of the
corps hardly bear out the inference.
Kamptee. —The non-reformed blocks of the barrack buildings are exceedingly hot and un
-comfortable residences ; they are, however, rarely used. The Deputy Surgeon-General reports
that the roofs (tiled) of the reconstructed blocks are insufficient to protect properly from the
sun, at this exceedingly hot and unhealthy station, otherwise the alterations effected have been
very valuable : one block was remodelled in 1880.
Cannanore, Malaparam. —The troops are lodged in the temporary accommodation pro
-vided for them after the destruction by fire of the barracks in 1879. The men have been
healthy.
Burmah, Tonghoo.— T h e
p r e s e n t b a r r a c k s a r e b a d l y p l a c e d f o r r e c e i v i n g t h e f u l l b e n e f i t o f
the breeze ; it is understood that new buildings have been sanctioned.
Except in the instance of the casemate barracks in Fort St. George, there is no notice in
the reports of any limitation of the authorised cubic space for each man in barracks.
GUARD ROOMS, PRISONERS’ ROOMS AND CELLS.
At Hyderabad, a new cell was built for the barrack of Royal Artillery in the entrenchment ;
the space provided being 3,072 cubic and 192 superficial feet. A guard room was built for the
rear guard of the same entrenchment. At Kamptee, a new guard room was built for the Infan
-try barrack, and new cells were also constructed there ; in connection with the latter, a ther
-mantidote will be used in the hot season. At Rangoon, various minor alterations for improving
the cells of the Infantry barrack were made.
LATRINES.
The dry-earth system is in use at every station ; conservancy servants are sufficient in
number to work it efficiently ; the arrangements for the removal and the disposal of the soil are
good ; and the latrine buildings are in general well designed ; these conditions seem to afford
material agencies adequate for the avoidance of danger to health created by the necessary
existence of latrines near their dwellings, used by large bodies of men. That the system, in
practice, is as successful in this respect as it should be is doubtful ; the continued presence of
enteric fever at certain stations, with conservancy arrangements apparently so perfect, is alone
sufficient to cause misgiving. It would appear that there are shortcomings in the proper
carrying out of the dry-earth system, due to au imperfect supervision, which again is probably
the result of a non-apprehension of the necessity for strictly carrying out every detail of it.
Were this done, a well-ventilated latrine should give hardly any offence to the senses; but the
Deputy Surgeon-General notices that at Secunderabad unpleasant smells in connexion with the
latrines are common, and it was necessary to vacate the married quarters nearest to the latrines
of the No. 2 Battery, 8th Brigade, Royal Artillery, on account of the stench from them. At Bellary,
the administrative medical officer of the circle notices that the “ air-tight vessels ” used for remov
-ing the soil from the latrine buildings often gave out overpowering stench. At Rangoon, the
comfort of the troops is interfered with, and their health is endangered, by the toleration of a
large public latrine for the use of a part of the native population, and placed within a
hundred yards of the nearest block of the Infantry barrack. A difficulty in connexion with
the perfecting of the dry-earth latrine is the want of a workable arrangement for preventing
the urine from passing into the receptacle for the other dejection; this, of course, is not a
result of defective superintendence, but the employment of earth of a useless kind, or in an
improper state from moisture, or from being in lumps or mixed with stones. The inatten
-tion of the persons using the latrines, however, or their deliberate disregard of the primary
condition in their use, is perhaps the most ordinary cause of the imperfect success of the
system ; the men very often do not throw in earth after using the latrines, and when this
is the case, the system is a dry-earth one in name only. The disregard of propriety, as well
as of instructions, might be less common were the earth placed conveniently at hand for
throwing into the pan after use ; at present, it is often placed in a distant corner of the
building.
During the year, new latrines have been provided for the barracks of the Royal Artillery
at Thayetmyo ; those for the Invalid Depôt at Poonamallee have been reconstructed and
improved. At Kamptee, the latrines have been removed to a position to leeward of the Infantry
barracks ; at Secunderabad, separate latrines have been provided for each of the married
quarters.
BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.
The provision made is favorably reported on in every instance.