164
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
4th Regiment, Punjab Infantry—Edwardesabad.
Medical
Officers.
Location and
movements.
Topography
and physical
geography.
Lines,
barracks and
huts.
I. Medical Officers.—Surgeon-Major Johnstone, M.D., held medical charge
of the regiment from 1st
.
January to 21st February ;
Surgeon Robinson, M.B., from.
22nd February to 31st De-
cember.
II. Location and movements.—
The regiment was in the field
against the Jowaki Afridis until
21st January, when it returned to
Kohat. Marched thence in course
of relief on 27th March, and ar-
rived in Edwardesabad on 7th
April, having been delayed several
days on the left bank of the river
Koorum, in consequence of a sud-
den flood. It continued at Edwardesabad until 31st December.
III Topography and physical geography. —These have been well and fully described by
the late Dr. Colles in the Annual Report for 1871, pages 275 and 276. Mr. Thorburn, Settle-
ment Officer, in his book " Bannu, or Our Afghan Frontier," describes the valley not inaptly
as resembling a saucer with its lip broken in two places, one where the Koorum River comes
in near the outpost of the same name, and the other, the Sang Darrah, where it breaks forth
to join the Indus near Esakheyl. The cantonment is generally level, with a perceptible fall
towards the Koorum, on the right bank of which it is situated, about half a mile from that
stream, a brawling, rapid torrent after rain in the hills, often impassable for days together.
V. Lines, barracks and huts. —I am unable to speak favourably of the present mode of housing
sepoys in this station. The fort, in which all live, consists of the Fort Daleep Garh and the
"horn-work." The 4th Punjab Infantry garrison the fort ; the 3rd Sikhs occupy the "horn-work."
The fort is square, with a round bastion at each corner. The barracks are built against the
inner face of three sides of it, and as there are no openings in the walls (windows or embra-
sures), the ventilation is not nearly as complete as is desirable. The back wall of the barracks
is the wall of the fort ; in all are little windows about 4 square feet in area, facing the parapet
and well below it. In most there are roof-ventilators, which I may add are now being made in all.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873
Abbottabad, Nov. 1871
110.5
. 8
2.1
1874
Kohat, Dec. 1874
.
131.9
1.3
2.5
.
1875
Ditto
.
.
.
254.67
. 9 3
4.51
1876
Ditto
.
.
.
243.36
1.24
4 84
1877
.
Ditto
.
.
.
186.78
2.33
4.36
Average
.
.
185.44
1.32
3.66
277.26
1.36
5.94
1878
. Edwardesabad, Apl. 1878
1 T h e
V e r a n d a h
2 H u t o r B a r r a c k
3 Fort Wall
4 D i t c h
5 G l a c i s
There is no overcrowding, a good many men being always away, some on leave, some on detached
duty, and others again on station duty. They are in very good repair, and are kept so by the
Department of Public Works. The cubic space per man is about 400 feet, i.e., supposing
the entire regiment were present and occupying the barracks, but as has just been said many
men are constantly away, and so the space per man will be about 500 cubic feet, or perhaps a
little more. There is a continuous verandah to each barrack. In the hot weather the men
sleep outside under " pals," which, by lifting up the fly of each, become shamianahs. The ac-
commodation for the garrison of the fort leaves a great deal to be desired.