88
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
H. M.’s 19th Regiment N. I.
KURRACHEE.—In Medical charge of Surgeon K. R. KIRTIKAR.
Average Strength
700
Do.
Present
681
Admissions
1,244
Daily Sick
24.6
Deaths in Hospital
12
Do. out of do.
. . .
Invalided
26
Sick Leave
4
Year.
Stations.
Rate per cent. to Average Strength
Present of
Admissions. Daily Sick.
Deaths in Hospital.
1875 ...
Sholapur
93.6
2.1
0.3
1876
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
51.6
1.7
0.5
1877
Do. ......................
117.1
5.2
1.4
Average...
87.4
3.0
0.7
1878
Kurrachee
182.6
3.6
1.7
1. The Regiment remained at Kurrachee from 1st January to 11th December 1878.
Location and movements.
A detachment of 212 men of the Right Wing left for Hydrabad
on the 9th of October 1878, to relieve the 1st Belooch
Regiment. Severe malarial fever having prevailed among men of this detachment, and those
on duty having got not more than a night in bed, the rest of the wing followed on the 6th
of November. On the 11th of December the head-quarters left Kurrachee for Jacobabad, on
field service, and having reached there on the 20th instant, continued to remain at that
station till the end of the year. The Right Wing left Hydrabad on the 10th December and
arrived at Jacobabad on the 17th. An escort of a Native officer and 41 men was sent off
from the head-quarters at Sukkur with a convoy of camels to Jacobabad on the 14th Decem-
ber. It arrived at Jacobabad on the 19th December. On leaving Sukkur on the 16th De-
cember, the head-quarters left behind a Native officer and 50 men to furnish guards till the
arrival of 1st Grenadiers at Sukkur. This party joined the head-quarters on the 23rd of
December. An escort of 36 men was also sent off from Jacobabad with a survey party
proceeding on duty in the Murree and Boogti Hills. This escort had not returned to the
head-quarters when the year closed.
9. The lines are situated on an irregularly rising ground, and have plenty of open
Lines and surroundings,
space around. The sepoys’ quarters are in a perfect state of
repair, but the Native officers’ quarters, with the exception
of two, were uninhabitable during the unusually heavy rains of the year under report.
3. The excreta and line sweepings are removed in carts regularly morning and evening.
In the month of July last, on reference being made to me, I
directed the attention of the authorities to the faulty construc-
tion of the regimental latrines, especially with regard to the deficient means for the passage
and subsequent collection of the foul water which at present runs at random behind the
latrine wall, forms a miniature cesspool, and doubtless damages the latrine foundation. The
proposed improvements not having been practicable, I believe from pecuniary considerations,
the latrines wanting repairs most were temporarily closed and others opened. With
alternate closing and opening of a series of latrines for short periods, the sanitary arrange-
ments were as well carried out as circumstances permitted.
4. It is a matter of regret and no less of surprise, that such an important station as
Kurrachee should suffer from a positively bad supply of water.
To instil habits of cleanliness into a class of men to which the
sepoy generally belongs, and to prevent a series of cutaneous diseases which are the essential
condition of uncleanliness, a liberal supply of water is absolutely necessary. The water of
Kurrachee, apart from its being of inferior quality, is decidedly limited in quantity. Owing
to the unusually heavy rains of the year under report, much of the brackishness of the water
was removed, but the saline and organic impurities were visibly increased.
5. Fish, flesh and cereals are abundant and cheap usually. There is, however, a marked
want of fruit. Since the rains vegetables have risen in price
quite beyond the means of the sepoy. This is partly owing to
Conservancy.
Water supply.
Food supply.
the destruction of vegetable life by the innumerable swarms of locusts that infested Kurrachee