Conservancy.
Water-supply.
80 MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
3. The dry-earth system of conservancy is carried out . as
far as practicable, and this is found to answer very well.
4. The water-supply is good.
5 . F o o d i s p l e n t i f u l , b u t d e a r e r i n p r i c e t h a n i n f o r m e r y e a r s . V e g e t a b l e s a r e p l e n t i f u l
during the season, but scurvy is at the same time a very com-
mon complaint. This is due to the fact that some of the men,
through motives of economy, do not live on a sufficiently liberal and varied diet. The cloth-ing is all that could be desired
6. In previous reports I have dwelt on the want of gymnastic training for the recruits
and young sowars of this Regiment. This important subject,
closely bearing on the physical improvement of the soldier,
does not seem to have received that attention which it deserves.
7. The hospital has been recently repaired, and affords sufficient accommodation
throughout the year. The sanitary condition of the surround
-ings is satisfactory. A mud building (of no great importance)
situated in front of the hospital, and shutting out all the available breeze, should be
8. The general health of the Regiment is good. The physique of the rising genera-
tion of the Sind horsemen will greatly improve if the systema-
tic course of gymnastic training which I have over and over
again recommended in my annual reports were adopted. Under existing circumstances, the
p h y s i q u e m u s t r e m a i n u n d e v e l o
ped.
9. This climate being highly malarious, and the Regiment being permanently located
at this station, the men are constantly exposed to the ill effects
of malaria.
10. The majority of cases under treatment were of a malarious nature, and the usual
remedy employed in these cases was the mixed cinchona
alkaloid. For neuralgia of a malarious nature, I have found
the combination of bromide of potassium and liquor morphia with the quinine mixture to be
most efficacious. Buboes are now never opened by me with a bistoury, as is usually the
custom; for in these instances the wound which results takes a long time in healing, months
instead of weeks, owing to the endemic constitution of the patients. I have experienced
good results by treating the bubo in the suppurating stage by simply passing a few horse
- h a i r w i t h a s u t u r e n e e d l e , i n t h e s a m e w a y a s a s e t o n , i n t h e l o n g a x i s o f t h e g l a n d s , a n d
letting the matter draw through this; the bubo is then covered with lint soaked in carbolic
oil, and the horse-hair drain is removed after a week or so, when a pad and bandage is
applied for a few days, at the end of which time recovery is usually complete.
11. Four deaths from pneumonia, one from sunstroke, one from debility, one from
stricture (chronic), two from cholera, two from drowning, one
from diarrhœa, and one cause unknown.
12. A. child was attacked with small-pox in the family lines. This case was isolated,
and no other cases occurred. Small-pox was prevalent in the
town during the period. Cholera was prevalent in the town
in the month of June to a certain extent, but no cases occurred in the regimental lines. Two
men of the Regiment fell victims to it at Dadur and Sibi.
Food and clothing.
Duties, exercise, and amuse
-ments; their effect on health.
Hospital and its surroundings.
General health and physique.
Influence of climate or local cir
-cumstances on health.
Details of treated.
Mortality, and its causes.
Epidemics.
13. Primary vaccination 46 and re-vaccination 44, suc
-cessfully.
Vaccination and re-vaccination.
14. Twenty-two were invalided during the year for the following causes, viz:—Chronic
asthma 2, old age and debility 11, chronic ulcer 1, ichthyosis
1, nyctalopia 1, chronic rheumatism 4, dislocation of the
wrist 1, and impaired vision 1.
15. (a) With reference to the lines, as it would involve great expenditure to build
new ones on a suitable plinth, I think it will be sufficient at
present to keep them in thorough repair, and, in addition, to
tile the floors so as to prevent the escape of noxious vapours
from the ground.
(b) The mud building facing the hospital should be cleared away so as to permit
thorough ventilation of the hospital.
(c) Recruits and young sowars should be made to go through a course of gymnastic
training, and athletic sports should be encouraged.
Invaliding, and its causes.
Requirements and recommen
-dations.