84
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
in the cold weather uniforms, which are questionable as to their utility. The alkhalac has
been shortened and is now worn tighter ; so that it looks somewhat like a tunic. The
consequence is that the men are unable to increase their under-clothing when necessary, and
the thigh is not, as formerly, protected from rain, &c. A coarse canvas-like material (double
khadi) has been substituted for the dark green cloths of which the trowsers were originally
made. The former is insufficiently close in texture to resist the piercing cold wind expe-
rienced in Katch and Khorassan.
6. The duties during the last couple of years have been very arduous, owing to the
Duties, exercise, and amuse-
ments ; their effects on health.
large numbers of men at the outposts and on escort. Some
of the men play polo and others join their officers in hog
spearing expeditions, &c. A gymnasium with a trained in-
structor is a desideratum.
7. The old ward. like most buildings in the place, is exceedingly d
amp, the brick
Hospital and its immediate
surroundings.
flooring crumbling away, and the walls for three or four feet
from the ground look as if they had been standing in water of
that depth for some time. The servants’ houses are in a state
of complete ruin, and are not safe to occupy. The latrines are simple enclosures with a few
common earthenware pans. The new ward built a couple of years ago is on a plinth, 3 feet
high, which is not sufficient. Five or even ten feet should be the elevation of the floor in a
place where the ground is so damp. Should the expense not prevent it, building on arches
would be beneficial. The arched roofs in the hospitals, built according to the new standard
plan, are objectionable here on account of their retaining the heat so long.
8. With the exception of a scorbutic tendency and a certain amount of anæmia in men
General health and physique.
returning from outpost duty, the general health of the regiment
is good. The majority of the men being either Hindustani or
Deccani Mussalmans, their width of shoulders and chest measurement are comparatively
small ; they are tall, long limbed, and active. Their endurance of fatigue and privations
whilst exposed to great extremes of climate is the best criterion of their physical powers.
My own experience proves that the class of men who form nine-tenths of the regiment
remains healthier than Sikhs, Pathans, &c. when doing the same amount of work in a rigorous
climate. This is due I think to the large amount of animal food they consume.
9. A long-continued hot weather lowering their vitality, renders the men more vulner-
- able to the attacks of ague, which prevails during the drying,
of the inundation waters. The cold winds of December, Janu-
ary, and February cause annually a few cases of pneumonia in
men whose constitutions are impaired by repeated attacks of malarial fever. The extreme
cold experienced by men on duty above the passes seems to improve their health. They
suffer less from fever, and when attacked by pneumonia, a greater proportion recover from
that disease.
10. As usual the admissions for ague exceed those for any other complaint, 217 cases
having been taken into hospital during the year. Contusions
come next in frequency, accounting for 47 cases ; they were
caused chiefly by injuries received from horses. Ulcers and boils, due to a scorbutic taint,
were prevalent during the hot months. Primary syphilis caused 11 and secondary 2 admis-
-
sions, showing a considerable increase on previous years, and indicating the want of a lock
hospital. There were 23 cases of rheumatism, the greater number of which were probably
of syphilitic origin. Dysentery and diarrhœa have increased, and are due to the dampness
of the lines.
Influence of climate or local
circumstances on health.
Details of treated.
Mortality and its causes.
11. There were 6 deaths during the year ; 4 occurred
whilst the men were on leave, 1 in hospital, and 1 whilst on
detachment duty at Dadur.
12. Twenty men were invalided, of which 10 were for old age, 3 for weakened in-
Invaliding and its causes.
tellect, 4 for malarious cachexia, 2 for chronic rheumatism,
and 1 for defective vision.
H. M.’s 2nd Sind Horse.
JACOBABAD.-In Medical charge of Surgeon M. L. BARTHOLOMEUSZ.
Average Strength
490
Do.
Present
465
Admissions
570
Daily Sick
18.8
Deaths in Hospital
7
Do. out of do.
7
Invalided
23
Sick Leave
10