118 MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
1 s t C o o r k h a R e g i m e n t — D h a r m s a l a .
Medical
Officer.
Location and
movements.
Diet.
Clothing.
Duties and
employment.
Marches and
service.
I. Medical Officer. —Surgeon-Major Oldham held medical charge through
-out the year.
II. Location and movements. —
The regiment remained at Dharm
-sala until 3rd October, when it
marched for Mooltan and Afghan
-istan. A depôt, with an average
strength of 58 men, was left at
Dharmsala when the regiment
went on service.
IX. Diet.—The men live well,
and underfeeding is very rare.
Animal food is consumed in con
- s i d e r a b l e q u a n t i t i e s .
X. Clothing.—The woollen put
- t i e s o r d e r e d f o r n a t i v e r e g i m e n t s
came into use on the march to
Mooltan. They are very service-
able for cold and wet weather, but there is a tendency amongst the men to put them on too tightly,
for the sake of smartness. This, by interfering with the circulation, is apt to cause swelling and
tenderness of the feet, especially on long marches and in hot weather. Several men were in
hospital from this cause on the return march from Kandahar. On the march to Mooltan native
shoes were worn almost exclusively, and the number of foot-sore cases was much smaller than
on former marches, when the ammunition boot was worn. In Afghanistan the men generally
wore socks. The clothing of the men, both for hot and cold weather, is much too tight, so much
so that in general nothing but a shirt can be worn under the coat ; and the karkie coat cannot
be worn over the red one. In such a climate as that of the Western Punjab and Sind, when
the nights are often bitterly cold, the sepoy's cloth-coat is quite insufficient, unless supplemented
by warm under-clothing, even when the great-coat is worn. Moreover, the Zouave pattern
jacket is much too short to protect the loins and abdomen. It has but a mere frill below the
waist belt.
XI. Duties and employment. —On the march there were the usual camp guards, &c., and
from Sukker to Jacobabad, on the last five clays of the year, the loading and unloading of a
convoy of 1,100 camels was very hard work for the men.
XIII. Marches and service. —On 3rd October the regiment marched for Mooltan, en route
for Afghanistan. The distance, about 350 miles, was performed in 37 days, including halts,
Mooltan being reached on 9th November. Unfortunately this was the unhealthy season in the
Punjab, and the sepoys suffered much from intermittent fever. The fever was not of a severe type,
but it returned again and again. It weakened the men, and no doubt rendered them less able
than they otherwise would have been to withstand the cold to which they were afterwards exposed.
From 10th to 18th November was spent at Mooltan in preparations for service. Tents and bag
-gage were reduced to the smallest possible weight; 80 lbs. of each being allowed to each officer,
which left very little margin beyond tent and bedding. On 18th November the regiment was sent
on by rail to Sukker, which was reached on 20th. Two men were attacked with pneumonia in
the train. The first part of the night was hot, but there was a great fall of. temperature towards
morning. At Mooltan and at Sukker the nights were very cold, and between Sukker and Jacoba
-bad the frost was severe. The moisture from the breath froze upon the beard and moustache inside
the tents, and remained in long icicles even after sunrise. Several cases of pneumonia occurred,
and dysentery was very prevalent. At Sukker the sepoys were supplied with a free kit consisting
of—1 blanket, 1 woollen jersey, 1 pair of socks, and 1 pair of woollen gloves. On 26th December
the regiment marched with a convoy of 1,100 camels for the Bolan by way of Jacobabad, Lehri
and Mittri. The last day of the year was spent at Jacobabad.
Hospital tents (lascar pals) and sick carriage were allowed for 10 per cent. of strength, which
was a very liberal allowance. The sick carriage consisted of—
Doolies, old pattern, with six bearers.
.
. .
.
. 8
Looshai doolies, with four bearers . .
. . . .
. 36
Camel kajawas .
. Pairs . 10
This large number of doolies required some 200 bearers and mates equal to one third of the
strength of the regiment. These, as they (and all followers) were provided with tents, rations,
and carriage for bedding, &c., added considerably to the difficulties connected with carriage and
supplies. The 10 pairs of camel kajawas, although hastily and badly constructed, were most
useful, and caused a saving of at least 80 kahars, with their tents, rations and baggage. The
old pattern dooly is quite useless for a campaign in such a country as Afghanistan. One man
falling sick throws the dooly out of use ; and even six men cannot carry it, when loaded, on
long marches of 20 or 30 miles. I have seen doolies struggling along far in rear of the bag
- g a g e t o t h e g r e a t e m b a r r a s s m e n t o f t h e r e a r g u a r d , w h i c h w o u l d h a v e h a d t h e g r e a t e s t d i f f i c u l t y
in protecting them had an attack been made. The sickmen, too, were thus kept out long after
the main body of the force had reached camp. The Looshai doolies, with 4 bearers, were good
and serviceable ; but they should have a waterproof sheet to throw over the pole in rain and
snow. The dandies supplied were all but useless. They were most of them very short and so
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873 . Dharmsala .
.
117.2
2.2
4.3
1874 . Ditto
. . .
104.5 .6
3.7
1875
Ditto . . .
147.32
4.57
4.49
1876 . Ditto
. . .
166.2
1.99
6.12
1877 . Ditto
. . .
152.35
1.39
6.88
Average . .
137.51
2.17
5.1
1878 . Dharmsala ; and active
service in Afghanistan.
201.02 2.06
6.85