xiv
urine from the very first must have affected it, and ever since caused it to con-
- tinually wear away.
Nearly all the other hospitals have very good accommodation, and some of
them are excellent buildings.
24. With few exceptions both the health and physique of the men in the
Native Army are very moderately good, and in those
cases where they are not quite up to the standard, a
satisfactory explanation is given; and it may be fairly expected that when these
regiments are placed under more favourable circumstances and go to more healthy
stations, they will compare favourably with the other regiments in the Presidency,
thus the health of the 2nd Grenadiers deteriorated on coming to Nusseerabad.
The 15th Regiment suffered a great deal from fever, and many men were rendered
unfit for anything but light duty whilst they were at Ahmedabad. In the 24th
Regiment the physique of the men was good, but those at Mehidpoor were debili-
tated from fever; whilst the men in the other wing stationed at Augar always
enjoyed good health, with the exception of those who were transferred from
Mehidpoor. The men of the 28th improved in health after their arrival at Surat,
as also those of the 11th, whose station was changed from Bhooj to Poona. The
health of the 1st Sind Horse became much deteriorated from exposure and work
in the Bolan Pass, and the epidemics of cholera between Jacobabad and Dozan
Nullah, and the outposts not being relieved sufficiently often. But of all the regi-
ments the 25th at Aden appears to have been the most broken down as regards
health, which is bad. This is due to scurvy, which is always more or less rife at
Aden. This question is at present under consideration, but I would invite atten-
tion to the remarks by the Medical Officer on the subject, and am of opinion that
the recommendation first suggested by Deputy Surgeon General Johnstone, that
the troop should be relieved after eighteen months' service, is worthy of trial.
Though the health of the regiment was bad, the physique has not much deteriorated.
25. Few of the duties of the sepoys appear to have had any injurious
effect on their heath, with the exception of men on the
frontier, where the work was necessarily heavy and
somewhat trying for the men. At Aden the public
guards' duties are heavy, but the ill health of the troops is attributed to other causes.
But the Medical Officer of the 7th Regiment writes: "When the running drill
was commenced in the beginning of November there was a very cold north-east
wind blowing, and in two or three days the increase of admissions into the
hospital was so great that I recommended the running drill should be stopped
for some weeks. This was done, and when the running drill was resumed in
January it was found to have no ill effect." The 15th Regiment at Ahmedabad
had to perform the entire duties of the station, which were previously shared
by two, the men at one time having less than two nights in bed. The Medical
Officer says : "Such an amount of duty, involving exposure and want of rest during
a season like the past, when malarious influence had been so prevalent, has told
on the men's health, and many primary cases of intermittent fever and many
more re-admissions from it have appeared as results." When the 3rd Light
Cavalry were stationed at Deesa it was noticed that many men going on duty to
Palunpoor returned with syphilis. In every regiment the sepoys are encouraged
to join in various sports, as running, wrestling, &c., but the cavalry regiments
have a great advantage in being able to vary their amusements more than the
infantry. Some of the men, too, take great interest in musketry firing: the men
of the Right Wing, 24th Regiment N. I., fired off no less than 16,317 rounds at
their own expense before the annual course began.
Gymnasia are common in the native lines, but the 2nd Sind Horse are
reported to be greatly in want of gymnastic training for the recruits and young
sowars of the regiment, and the Medical Officer states that this important subject
" d o e s n o t s e e m t o h a v e r e c e i v e d t h e a t t e n t i o n i t d e s e r v e s . "
General health and physique.
Duties, exercise, and amuse-
ments.