106
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
for the most part under canvas since the beginning of 1878, the physique of the men has kept
up fairly well.
8. Described under para. 2.
9. The valley of Quetta is situated 5,500 feet above sea level at latitude 30° 10' 50" and
longitute 67° 2' 51". It extends north to south, and takes a bend
eastward near the Fort. It covers a length of about thirty miles,
and is from three to five miles broad. The extent of the hills
around is from two to eight miles, presenting a bare surface of apparently burnt clay and rock.
To the north runs the river Lora, cutting through the western portion of the valley and
debouching over the Pisheen Valley. The several nullahs and water-courses in the valley of
Quetta empty themselves into the Lora. The climate of Quetta is delightful to those who
belong to the temperate zone. To the inhabitant of Hindustan proper and to the Sindhi
and Dekkani Maratha it is quite otherwise in winter months. For him the snow, the frost,
and the keen cutting winds are too much to bear, especially when on sentry duty.
The thermometer ranged between 2° to 98° Farh. during the year, November being the
month in which the lowest, and August the month in which the highest temperature was
registered. The prevailing direction of the wind during the year was mostly W.N.W., in
June it was S.S.W., and in November N.N.W. Small dust whirls and occasionally violent
dust-storms prevail at midday and in the afternoon more or less throughout the year. Dur
-ing winter months electric tension is so strong in this valley that brisk rubbing of woollen
clothes or dry human hair elicits a series of electric sparks in the dark. Rainfall throughout
the year is registered 2.86 inches, lasting twenty-two days between January and June.
The habits of the various classes of natives forming the Regiment are not an unimpor
-tant factor in the causation of disease. The Sindhi is proverbial for his filthy habits.
Cutaneous diseases are therefore common among Sindhis. Their quarters require rigid and
repeated supervision to bring them to the standard of ordinary cleanliness. The Hindu of
Hindustan proper has a habit of eating one meal a day, during which he stuffs himself with a
large quantity of unleavened bread and dhal. This is productive of disturbances of the
alimentary canal.
With regard to the influence of local conditions on the men, it may be observed that the
Regiment is living here under several unfavourable circumstances. Fuel is extremely dear,
and not easily procurable. One rupee and even more per maund is a prohibitive price.
Milk, eggs, and meat are not easily to be purchased in the bazaar. This interferes materially
with the diet of the sick. They have therefore to be fed at Government expense, where very
serious cases require careful and substantial feeding.
Venereal diseases, soft chancre, and gonorrhœa have been contracted here by some of
the men. The number of such men is very small, but as Quetta is daily improving, the
advent of a few prostitutes follows as a matter of course. As a precautionary measure,
therefore, if the Contagious Diseases Act were brought into force it would confer a great boon.
I have had opportunities of observing that venereal diseases are largely prevalent among the
natives of Beluchistan. It is therefore the more incumbent to protect the sepoy as much
as possible.
10. Malaria and its sequela stand pre-eminent in the causation of disease in the Regi-
ment. Out of 1,620 admissions in the year, 624 were for
quotidian ague, 1 for tertian, and 79 for remittent fever; 3
were for congestion of the spleen. Thus very near half the admissions were from malaria.
Enlarged spleens, however, were diagnosed in several cases admitted for other complaints.
Admissions for rheumatic complaints of all kinds were 38. They are generally very trying,
and chiefly occur among old and worn-out sepoys. Affections for primary and secondary
syphilis were 28; of these some originated here, others came from Jacobabad and Dadur.
Twelve admissions for scurvy were registered. Although this looks a small number, scurvy
prevails in the Regiment to a very large extent, and complicates several cases in a
hopeless manner. Nearly a hundred men have been for some time taking lime-juice freely,
and the whole Regiment is inspected every week for scorbutic gums. In the absence of
other fresh vegetables, men are strongly recommended the use of onions and potatoes.
There is one case of epithemolia of the finger. There were some among them of a typically
progressive pernicious nature. There were only 5 admissions for nervous diseases, 2 for
epilepsy (the same man admitted twice), 2 for hemicrania, and 1 for sciatica. Twenty-four
cases were admitted for eye diseases; of these 19 were for conjunctivitis, 3 for keratitis,
1 i r i t i s , a n d 1 g o n o r r h œ a l o p h t h a l m i a . D i s e a s e s o f t h e c i r c u l a t a r y s y s t e m h a v e b e e n v e r y f e w .
There was only one case of pericarditis and 3 of varicose veins. There were 100 admissions
recorded for lung diseases, of which 15 proved fatal. Pleuro-pneumonia and acute
bronchitis have been the chief causes of death in these cases. There were 285 admissions
recorded for diseases of the digestive system. Of these 144 were for diarrhœa, the largest
Hospital and its surroundings.
Influence of climate or local
circumstances on health.
Details of treated.