32
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
causing shoe bites. Socks might do something to prevent sore feet if the men could be got
to wear them regularly. English-made boots have been got for this regiment, but whether
they will fit better than native-made ones remains to be seen. Warm under clothing in the
cold weather would also do something to prevent the men suffering from bronchial affections
and rheumatism.
6. The duties are of the usual kind—guards, orderly duties, drill, &c. These duties
Duties,
exercises,
amuse-
ments.
are much lighter here than at Poona, there not being so many
guards required, or so many orderlies ; while at the latter
station they had about 4 nights in bed, at Satara the men
h a v e a b o u t 7 1 / 2 . T h e r e a r e n o J a i l Gu a r d s s u p p l i e d h e r e a s a t P o o n a , wh i c h ma k e s i t mu c h
less severe on the men. The amusements and exercises are of the usual kind for natives.
There is a gymnasium on a small scale for those who care about such exercises. Some men
make articles of clothing, furniture, and fancy work for the Annual Soldiers' Exhibition held
at Poona, and there are Regimental Schools for the children, where they are taught reading,
writing, and sewing.
7. There is no proper hospital at this station for the Native Troops. It is merely an
ordinary bungalow in the Sudder Bazaar, rented for the accom-
-
modation of the sick. A. regular hospital is very much
required, and if new lines are built, one must be got. The
present house is too small and the sick are too crowded, and tents have to be pitched for
their treatment; or a number made convalescent who live in their huts in the lines, and
attend the hospital for treatment. 'There is only proper accommodation for six or eight
patients, and there is not good accommodation for office, stores or hospital servants. There
is only a small latrine in a bad position. It is kept as clean as possible and the filth removed
every day to a distance; disinfectants are freely used, but it is much too near the sick room
and the servants' houses. There is no separate place for the hospital guard, and they have
to sleep in the verandah of the hospital, which is very objectionable. There is no sort of
dead-house, or proper cooking room, and altogether it is very inconvenient for an hospital.
The building itself is in good repair, and kept as clean as possible.
8. The general health of the Regiment has been very fair during the year. The most
Hospital and its surroundings.
General health and physique.
prevalent disease has been malarious fever, the usual cause of
the greatest number of admissions in Native Regiments. A
good many cases were admitted two or three times over in the year, as any over work, or
exposure a little more than usual, seemed to bring the fever back. As reported last year, a
good many of the men, especially those having families, suffered from dearness of provisions,
and I have no doubt lost strength on that account, and also from their using provisions very
often of inferior quality, as well as being deficient in quantity. The men who were employ-
ed in line building for some years in Poona, do not seem, many of them, to have got over
the effects of that unusual sort of work, and although a good many have been already inva
lided, still a number remain, who, though fit for ordinary station duties, would have to be
left behind if the Regiment had to go on active service. Many of them are old and worn
out, though their service has only been for ten or twelve years, and those enlisted about
the time of the mutiny look as if they had 30, instead of 20 years' service, from their having
been at that time not so particular as to the age of recruits, and from the enlisting of men of
inferior physique. A good many recruits have been lately got from the north of India, who
are generally bigger and more muscular than the sepoys from the Deccan, but at present the
change of climate seems to affect many of them, as well as perhaps the food they get, and
many of them suffer from fever, boils, and bronchial affections. Taking the Regiment gene-
rally, the physique may be considered good, and will now, I believe, go on improving as the
older men are got quit of, those of over 32 years' service being now pensioned off without
any trouble.
9.
The climate of this station is considered very good, but as the Regiment has only
been here a short time, it is not possible as yet to say what
particular effect it may have on the general health. At Poona
it suffered considerably from ague, and since arrival here, that complaint still affects the men
a good deal. The lines here are not so well built as at Poona, and do not afford the same
amount of shelter from the cold at night.
10.
The total number of cases treated was 1,377, which, compared with the number
Influence of climate.
Details of treated.
for the previous year, 961 cases, gives an increase of 416.
This increase is due chiefly to the greater number of malarious
fever cases under treatment, 917, of which 895 were discharged to duty. The other
most prevalent diseases have been bronchial catarrh 28, of which 24 were discharged ;
contusions of the upper and lower extremities 87, and 85 discharged ; diarrhœa 25,
all discharged ; colic 26, all discharged ; acute dysentery 30, of which 29 were discharged;