74
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
Sediments :—
R. A. well-water, after about
one month's settling down.
Greyish-brown, flocculent, abundant. Vegetable débris, spores
and cells, for the most part motionless; some woollen
threads.
68th Regiment
do.
Not abundant, flocculent, brownish-grey ; vegetable cells and
filaments, motionless ; cotton threads; confervoid cells;
pieces of carbonate of lime.
24th Regt. N.I.
do.
Brownish, not very abundant. Bits of carbonate of lime, vege
-table débris ; confervoid cells, all motionless.
3rd Light Cavalry do.
Grey, not abundant, flocculent ; vegetable débris, spores and
cells, naviculæ.
As the rainfall has only been about 20 inches this year, it follows that in all likelihood
most of these wells will run dry by next hot season, and the nullah on the south-west will be
the only source for drinking-water. It is bunded near the bazaar every year, so as to form a
tank. This nallah has an affluent from beyond camp limits, at Sew Ghat, in foreign territory,.
where all the bathing and washing outside such camp limits is done. I have in consequence
recommended that a light earth bund be made across, through which the water from this
one filthy affluent can be, as it were, filtered before it reaches the bazaar. The regimental
wells, which will probably run dry, will either be supplemented by others dug in the bed of
or near, the banks of the north-east nullah, or the troops will have to move out of camp to
the banks of some river. All washing in nullahs in camp above bunds is strictly forbidden.
The two rivulets (north and south) are thus clean enough, with the exception of the affluent
above mentioned.
5. Food. grains, &c., almost approached famine prices—eight seers the rupee. This
only lasted for a few days.
Food.
Duties, exercise, and amuse
-ments : their effects on health.
6. Horse-riding, single-stick, riding-school, and drill
combine amusement with exercise, and favour health.
7 . T h e h o s p i t a l i s o n l y t e m p o r a r i l y o c c u p i e d . W e a r e a t p r e s e n t l o c a t e d i n a p a r t
of the old Artillery Hospital, so often described. The
new hospital is a fine substantial building, and has been only a
few months in use; its ventilation is good.
8 . T h i s h a s d e t e r i o r a t e d s i n c e r e c r u i t i n g f r o m H i n d o o s t a n h a s b e e n p r o h i b i t e d . T h e
Deccanees we now get are not the higher class of Mahrattas
nor indeed of that class which furnished soldiers formerly.
9. The climate of Neemuch gives a predominance to lung diseases generally, which
does not seem to obtain further south. Fevers are, I believe,
neither so severe nor so common as in many other stations,
though a tendency to pneumonia is often observed in them. Typhoid fever appeared last
year amongst the Europeans.
10. Including the figures of the squadron at Nusseerabad there-were 461 admissions as
compared with 589 in the preceding year. The cases of fever
(144) are less numerous, as the rainfall was small in amount,
and the subsoil water further from the surface. There were 47 cases of rheumatism, and 5
of syphilis.
Hospital and its immediate
surroundings : present condition,
hygienic and otherwise.
General health and physique.
Influence of climate or local
circumstances on health.
Details of treated.
Mortality and its causes.
Epidemics.
11. Thera was no death in the regiment this year.
12. Cholera visited the station, but spared the regiment.
13. Since 1873 the whole regiment has been re-vaccinated ; all recruits are vaccinated
or re-vaccinated, unless the lads have marks of small-pox, or
can prove recent vaccination. Some operations, as usual
amongst re-vaccinations, utterly failed. There are no failures among children, for they are
operated on again. and again till protected. The number of children vaccinated is 36, and
the number of recruits and men re-vaccinated 51.
1 4 . A l m o s t a l l t h e c a s e s o f i n v a l i d i n g w e r e f r o m c a u s e s o f d e b i l i t y ; s o m e l u m b a g o
cases were gouty, and therefore not likely to get well enough
for cavalry duty ; a case of hemiplegia (getting well) and an
old asthmatic case complete the list.
Vaccination.
Invaliding and its causes.