I P / 2 5 / A F . 4 SANITARY REPORT OF BRITISH TROOPS IN THE MADRAS COMMAND FOR 1884.
The health of the British Troops in this Command was generally satisfactory during the
past year, and seeing that a similar statement was made during each of the previous four years,
it may be assumed that the sanitary conditions of their surroundings in the Madras Presidency
are on the whole favorable.
Cholera was very prevalent in most of Southern India and there was a very large mortality
among the civil population, so that the troops got off wonderfully with only twelve cases and ten
deaths. There was a good deal of small-pox also at several stations, while the troops escaped
with nineteen cases, most of which were mild, and only one death.
ENTERIC FEVER has increased steadily during the last four years, the increase being most
marked at Bangalore, where the water-supply is always bad, and where it was scanty as well as
bad in 1884. It seems probable, therefore, that the quality of the water has something to do with
the spread of this disease, but seeing that there were many cases at Secunderabad also, where
the water supplied to all the barracks is good, there must be other agencies at work. At all
military stations there are several more or less isolated collections of huts occupied by the
lowest and poorest classes of the population where filth of all kinds abounds and the soldier,
and especially the young unmarried soldier, is fond of wandering among these in search of
prostitutes and drink. There has been no improvement in the number of cases of venereal,
and the general impression among Medical officers is that the lock hospital system, as worked
in this country, has proved of no use whatever to the soldier.
BARRACKS— Eastern District .—Formerly one of the drawbacks to living in Fort St. George
was the very offence smell that used to rise from the large main sewer that opened into the sea
close to the eastern wall. The contents of this sewer have lately been diverted so that the
serious nuisance has been almost entirely removed, The defective construction and ventila
- t i o n o f t h e g r o u n d - f l o o r r o o m s o f t h e F o r t b a r r a c k s h a v e o f t e n b e e n b r o u g h t t o n o t i c e .
They are shut off by high buildings from the sea breeze, and indeed from any breeze, and in the
hot weather they are not fit places for soldiers to sleep in. Last hot season three cases of heat
apoplexy occurred in two of the worst rooms, which were afterwards vacated.
The barracks at Poonamallee are old, badly lighted and ventilated, and, being only 153/4 feet
in width, allow only a central free passage of 3-feet wide when the cots are in their proper
places.
Bangalore Division and Ceded Districts .—At Bangalore the barracks are all in a good
sanitary condition, but some of them are, as stated in last year's report, too close to densely
populated quarters which are under the Municipal authorities and about the sanitation of which
frequent complaints are made. Bellary has been favorably reported upon.
Western District.—At the small station of Malapuram on the West Coast new barracks are
in course of construction in place of those destroyed by fire in 1879 and some were occupied in
December.
Hyderabad Subsidiary Force .—The main defects at Secunderabad are the want of trees to
check the force of the monsoon winds and of surface drains to carry off the rain water; at
present this water percolates into the soil and the foundation of the buildings.
Nagpore Force.—During the year the wash and cook houses which were to the south
-western side of the Infantry barracks have been taken down and the new ones to the north
- e a s t e r n s i d e b r o u g h t i n t o u s e . T h e h a l f o f t h e n e w f a m i l y q u a r t e r s h a s b e e n c o n v e r t e d i n t o
the Sergeants' mess-room by the removal of the partition walls.
British Burma Division.—The barracks in this Division have been favorably reported on.
Hospitals .—Many of the sewers that opened into the Cooum having been diverted in
other directions in recent years, that river is not so offensive as it used to be, and the Station
Hospital, Madras, gets better air in consequence. There still remains the drawback of its situa
- t i o n c l o s e t o t h e R a i l w a y s t a t i o n a n d a m u c h - u s e d a n d n o i s y t h o r o u g h f a r e w h e n c e c l o u d s o f r e d
dust are blown into the rooms.
All the hospitals in the Bangalore Division are good, except the North Station Hospital at
Bangalore itself, which, having been built many years ago, is not up to modern standards. The
several blocks are too close together and the sanitary arrangements are imperfec
t .