39
NORTHERN DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
the superintendence of the Executive Engineer, and, if still imperfect, it is at least an
improvement on the pipe drain and cesspool system formerly in use in these lines. The
work was completed before the rains.
3. Permanent latrines are alone in use. Their unpaved floors prevent their being
kept in a good sanitary condition. Two are placed too near
the lines.
4. The water supplied by the line wells is always abundant, and I believe good.
The river water is little used except for bathing and
washing.
5. There has been no scarcity of good provisions of any necessary kind. As, however,
the supplies in the city markets are both cheaper and of better
quality than in the cantonment bazaar, the greater number of
the men obtain their supplies from there, spending much of the little leisure their duties
permit for the purpose. This should not be.
No alteration in the regulation dress has been made during the year. In the hot season
light cotton clothing is worn for all duties.
6. The duties have been very heavy, this regiment since February having had to
perform the entire duties of the station, which were previously
shared by two. In September and October the men got but two
consecutive nights in bed; during the latter part of October they had even less than this.
Such an amount of duty involving exposure and want of rest during a season like the past,
when malarious influences 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.
7. The hospitals for two Native Infantry corps stand in the same compound, with an
interval of 20 yards between them. Since February, when the
remaining wing of the 26th Regiment was moved to Deesa,
both hospitals have been in use by this Regiment. This has prevented much crowding, and
the necessity for the employment of tents. The hospital proper to this Regiment is in the
same condition as reported last year.
The hospital latrine is not good. With earthen floor, and bases of walls saturated with
urine and washings, it is impossible to keep it as it should be.
8 . T h e g e n e r a l h e a l t h o f t h e m e n h a s d e c i d e d l y d e t e r i o r a t e d . T h e e p i d e m i c o f m a l a r i o u s
fever from which all ranks have so much suffered during
the year, has left at its close very many of the men unfit for
anything but light duty.
9. The level plain of light and most fertile soil on which this cantonment is placed
renders its climate decidedly enervating and one in which those
attacked with malarious fever or other illness do not readily
recover health. Though the temperature of the hot season is not excessive, it is but little
lowered by the rainfall, the monsoon breeze is little felt, and throughout the rains the
nights as a rule are hot and unrefreshing. During the last year the rainfall has been about
the average. The first heavy fall was on the 26th of June, the last on the 15th September.
The temperatures in the table below were taken in the hospital ward:—
Months
Rainfall.
Temperature in Ward.
Proportion
of
Admissions
to Strength.
Inches.
Cents.
At 6 A. M.
At 4 P. M.
January 1879 . . .
. . .
. . .
63.5
79.6
9.7
F e b r u a r y " . . .
. . .
6
67.7
82.5
6.0
M arch . . .
. . .
. . .
73.1
87.7
10.8
April " . . .
. . .
. . .
79.7
95.3
10.0
May " . . .
. . .
. . .
86.3
99.4
12.3
June " . . .
8
79
84.6
94.1
15.3
July " . . .
6
48
82.1
89.7
14.2
August " . . .
10
36
78.8
83.0
12.9
September " . . .
3
87
71.8
87.2
19.6
October " . . .
. . .
. . .
76.3
87.3
45.6
November " . . .
. . .
. . .
65.6
78.5
32.2
December " . . .
. . .
. . .
63.0
72.6
18.0
Conservancy.
Water supply.
Food and clothing.
Duties.
Hospital.
General health.
Influence of climate, &c.