36
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OP THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
Detachments during 1878.
Place.
Strength.
Period
From
To
Yeola
18
1st January
. 24th May.
Niphad .
18
Do.
Do
Sinuare
18
Do.
1st June.
N a n d g a o n
.
Nandgaon
18
1st February
24th May.
Sattana
18
15th March
Do.
Chandward
20
29th do.
Do.
The head quarters and right wing marched from Malegaon on 21st November 1878,
en route to Mhow. The march had no special effect on the health of the men, the camps
were good, and healthy, and water and provisions good and plentiful. Twenty-one shoe bites
occurred, and two deaths, one from fatty heart in a very fat elderly man, who was not equal
to the exertion of marching ; he. died suddenly and unexpectedly, not having previously
complained. The other was from pneumonia supervening on ague in a delicate badly
nourished recruit. The weather was unusually hot during the greater portion of the march,
the last few days only being somewhat cold.
2. These have been fully described previously, and no alterations have been made
Lines and their surroundings.
during the year under consideration. The lines were kept in a
good state of repair, and cleanliness was carefully attended '
to. The bazaar, which is close to the lines, was also kept clean ; there was some over-crowd
- ing, but this produced no ill effects.
3. Trench latrines were used, and were most satisfactory.
When they were closed up, the ground over them was culti-
vated, and new trenches dug close by.
4. Previous to the monsoon the supply of drinking water in the wells was small but
Conservancy.
Water supply.
sufficient, as a sentry was placed over each well to prevent its
being used for bathing or washing, for which p urposes water
was available in the river Moosum, which flows close to the lines. The drinking water is of
good quality.
5. Food was of fair quality though dear and somewhat scarce on account of the
famine, until after the monsoon, when it became cheaper.
This had no appreciable effect, on the health of the regiment,
but I think it is most probable that married sepoys must have deteriorated in strength
and energy for want of sufficient food, as some of these sepoys have several children to
provide for.
6. These consisted of the usual routine duties of a cantonment, and had no special effect
Food.
Duties, exercise, and amuse-
ments; their effects on health.
on the health of the sepoys. There is , a good well-conducted
gymnasium attached to the regiment, where the sepoys are
taught various exercises, and all recruits have to go through
a course.
7. These have previously been described. They were kept ingood repair, and clean.
Hospital and its immediate
surroundings, present condition,
hygienic and otherwise.
The hospital is too small for a regiment, and if there was much
sickness there would not be room for the sick. Two new
rooms have been built for 1st and 2nd Class Hospital Assistants,
and, four for 2nd class servants, also a new guard room is in course of construction.
8. The general health and physique of the regiment
was good.
General health and physique.
9. The heavy monsoon, viz. 32 inches and 56 cents, seems to have caused an increase
Influence of climate or local
circumstances on health.
in ague, as 258 cases were treated, against 202 in 1877. No
other special effect was observed.
10. The total number of cases admitted during the year was 703, against 662 in the
Details of treated.
previous year, showing an increase of 41 over 1877.
The chief
diseases were the following, arranged in the order of their
frequency. Ague 258, blisters of the feet 47, contusion lower extremities 40, venereal diseases