84
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF TEE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
H. M.'s 1st Sind Horse.
JACOBABAD.—In medical charge of Surgeon S. O'B. BANKS.
Average Strength
363.3
Deaths in Hospital
2
Do.
Present
229.2
Do out of do.
5
Admissions
406
Invalided
10
Daily Sick
12.1
Sick Leave
18
Years.
Stations.
Rate per cent. to Average Strength
Present of
_
Admissions.
Daily Sick.
Deaths in
Hospital.
1874
Jacobabad
195.3
3.8
2.0
1875
Do.
187.2
3.3
1.9
1876
Do.
211.2
4.3
1.5
Average......
199.2
3.8
1.8
1877
Jacobabad
176.9
5.2
0.8
Location and movements.
Head-quarters of the regiment not moved. The left wing, with an average of 253 sabres,
has been absent in Beloochistan and on district outpost duty
during the year.
The Lines and their surround
- i n g s : p r e s e n t c o n d i t i o n , h y g i e n i c
and otherwise .
2 . T h e l i n e s a r e e x c e l l e n t , a n d l e a v e v e r y l i t t l e t o b e d e s i r e d . T h e a m o u n t o f c u b i c
and superficial space allotted to each man has been described
in former reports. Surroundings are unobjectionable, and their
hygienic condition has been improved by knocking down old
lines, &c., in the vicinity of the present ones, which somewhat
obstructed the passage of air, and these were used as latrines.
Conservancy.
3. In the hospital dry earth is used, but, owing to the defective construction of the
latrines, which are enclosed by a roof, disinfectants have to be
used. The line conservancy is very bad, the latrines being
situated in. the middle of the troop lines, and less than forty paces from the men's quarters.
They are made of sun-dried bricks on earthen floors; the whole of the liquid excreta is dis-
posed of by soakage and evaporation. There can be little doubt that if properly constructed
latrines were made in suitable places the dry-earth system might be carried out to perfection
in this dry climate. The difficulties, such as separating the fluid and solid excreta, caste
prejudices, ablution, &c., are all matters of detail only involving a little trouble. If the
hospital latrines were properly constructed there should be no necessity for the use of disin-
fectants ; the powerful sun and free use of earth would suffice,—disinfectants being kept
solely for purifying the building, and for disinfecting specific stools.
Water supply.
4. Unchanged as to source or impurities.
Food.
5. Food during the year has been abundant, but the prices were somewhat higher than
usual—not, however, sufficiently so as to exercise an injurious
influence on health. The scorbutic taint is less commonly ob-
served in the troops than in the civil population of the district, which is owing to vegetables
being fairly abundant in the cantonment.
Duties, exercise, and amuse-
ments : their effects on health.
6. Duties extremely arduous and trying to health, from
exposure to the vicissitudes of climate, intense heat and cold.
The men, as far as I am aware of, have no games or sports of
any kind.
Hospital and its immediate
surroundings : present condition,
hygienic or otherwise.
7. In the vicinity of the regimental hospital a new ward has been built, which will,
under all ordinary circumstances, prevent overcrowding. The
ward is built, I believe, on a standard pattern with domed
roof ; but however suitable such plans may be in other parts of
India, there can be no doubt that they are utterly unsuited to
this climate, being hotter than any other form of building. It has, besides, other defects—
there is no approach to it, no fence round the building, and the ventilation is defective.
General health and physique.
8. Unsatisfactory.