PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
165
Water-supply.
VIII. Water-supply.—All the drinking and cooking water ought to be taken from a very fine
covered well in the fort, which is about 115 feet deep to the water, which is good and abundant.
It is said to contain salts, but it does not cloud glass, and the soap used in washing dissolves
readily in it. It is so clear and soft and comes from such a great depth that without any analysis
I would pronounce it good water. But I am afraid that not all the water drunk and other-
wise used by the men comes from that well, the pucka watercourses which run all through
the fort bring the Koorum water too temptingly near each man's quarters. This water is some-
times not often clear enough to the eye, but coming as it does from a distance of about 1½
miles in an open channel, through a highly cultivated and thickly populated piece of country, it
is only a fair presumption that it is well charged at all times with organic matters when it
reaches the fort. There certainly are two or three small settling tanks within the walls, but
the water in them, so far as I could see, differed not materially from that running in the
channels.
Clothing.
X. Clothing.—The regiment is well clad. In the hot weather the men wear drill uniform
consisting of tunics and knickerbocker trowsers, which are continued down the leg in a sort of
plaited gaiter. In the cold weather they wear cloth tunics and drill knickerbockers with
Cashmere "puttees." At all times the head is covered with a puggaree, which has a Prussian
blue (the regimental facings) fringed end. Native shoes are worn according to the nationality
or fancy of each man ; the pointed Punjab shoe appears to predomináte, although I think it an
inferior article to the Pathan sandal. It cramps the toes, forces the great-toe to form an angle
with its metatarsal bone, and sometimes causes abrasion of the skin where the upper leather
abruptly ends. Each man has a frieze great coat and a poshteen. The new valise equipment
was issued to the regiment during the year, but there was no opportunity of trying it. The
men when in undress appear to be fairly well clothed, and during the year there were but few
cases of sore-feet.
Hospital.
XIV. Hospital.— The hospital is a _pucka building, joined at right angles to the middle of
that occupied by the 3rd Sikhs. A plan of both is given in the accompanying sketch.
They are situated in a ravelin, which has recently been enlarged, on the north-east face
of the fort, and are very convenient for the regiments. The construction is good, the capacity
generally sufficient, except during the latter half of September, October, and November ; the
ventilation is good, there being both doors and glazed windows, as well as roof-ventila
tors.
Each hospital is divided longitudinally by a row of pillars and arches into two wards. A pucka
drain runs round the two hospitals. There are two stoves and two fire-places in the hospital ;
the former only are used, except on an emergency. They are inefficient, almost useless for the
purpose of warming the building. The mass of brick-work with which they are surrounded at
the base has not as yet become warm, and the air-chamber, with which the brick-work is
surmounted, gives out little heat indeed. A committee has reported on the stoves and suggested
that they should, as soon as possible, be replaced by something that will be more useful. The
issue of blankets to each hospital has been a great boon ; they are most useful both to sepoys
and camp-followers, and not only have the men not objected to use them, but they have always
been very glad to get them. They have enabled more than one camp-follower to pull through
attacks of sickness to which he would almost certainly have-succumbed bad he nothing but his
own scanty clothing and bedding.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment—
Present
.
.
.
.
. .
.
.
.
.
. 6 2 9 . 7 2
Absent
.
. .
.
.
.
. .
. .
. 1 0 3 . 8 8
Total
.
. 733.60
STATION.
PERIOD.
-
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUAL.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
of sick.
Head-Quarters at Shindi
. 1st Jan. 1878 20th Jan. 1878. 350.30
47
...
26.76 244.70 ..
7.83
,, Kohat .
21st „
„ 6th April „
668.52 227
2
25.37 163.08 1.38
3.79
,, Edwardes-
abad.
7th April „ 31st Dec. „
575.31 1,363
6
37.75 321.46 1.41
6.56
Detachment at Kohat
. 1st Jan.
„ 20th Jan. „
376.40
36
...
24.42 174.50 ...
6.48
,, Jani Khel
1st May
„ 14th June „
3 5 .
28
...
1.15 251.79 ...
3.28
1st Aug. „ 31st Aug. ,,
1st Oct.
„ 11th Oct. „
3rd Dec. „ 31st Dec. „
,, Sheikh Budin 11th June „ 6th Aug. „
4 6 .
8 ...
1.07 111.42 ...
12.32
,, Bahadur Kheyl 12th Oct. „ 5th Dec. „
4 7 .
37
...
3.89 522.33 ...
8.27
TOTAL
.
. . .
. . .
629.72 1,746
8
37.44 277.26 1.27
5.94
Number of deaths in hospital 8; out of hospital 2; total
.
10; per cent. of total strength .
. 1.36
,,
of invalided.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
20;
,,
,,
.
. 2.72
„
of sent on sick leave .
.
.
.
29;
„
,,
.
. 3 . 9 5
, , of days spent in hospital 13,666; per admission .
7.82; per man of total strength .
. 18.62
, ,
,,
on sick leave 2,760; per man
.
95.17;
,,
, ,
.
. 3.76
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength .
. 2 2 . 3 8
R 1