30
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
The regiment has been stationary at Ahmednagar since December 1875. During the past
year several small detachments were furnished to the talukas.
No special sickness occurred amongst the men engaged in these
duties.
2. The lines are in good habitable condition throughout. The surface drainage has been
well attended to, and the surrounding ground generally is open,
clean, and well drained. The desirability of improving the
ventilation of the huts by ridge ventilation was remarked last year. Bathing-places of pucka
brick and chunam are being constructed in the verandahs of the married men's quarters, which
will improve the sanitary condition of the dwellings, by preventing all soakage within them.
3. The conservancy of the lines is good. The regimental latrines are kept very clean.
The hospital latrine is connected with the main building by a
covered way. Dry earth is plentifully supplied to the iron pans,
the contents of which after use are regularly transferred by the sweepers to iron receptacles
and removed early in the morning by the conservancy cart. The latrine should be better
ventilated and dammered. Iron pans should be supplied for use in front of the chulas to
collect urine and ablution-water, much of which at present runs on to the stone pavement.
4. The water from the Kapurwarree aqueduct, which supplies the lines, has been of good
quality, but was not sufficiently abundant during the hot months
and the early part of the monsoon.
5. Owing to the general scarcity throughout the district, food of all kinds has been at
famine prices. A few samples of the grain forming the staple food
of the sepoys—such as wheat, bazree, and jowaree—have been
found of very bad quality. The remarks made, however, in my report for 1876 on the subject
are especially applicable to the past year. A large white turban has been substituted for the
small puggree wound round a cap previously worn, and is a better protection from the sun.
Badly made, ill-fitting native boots are still worn, with the usual result of some temporary
inefficiency of healthy men from contused feet.
6, The duties, owing chiefly to the number of men absent on detachments, have been
heavy. The average for the year of consecutive nights in bed
has been under four; and this, though the duties have not
been exceptional in their nature, represents a good deal of continued work and exposure.
Though its effects have at no time been instantly apparent, it has no doubt made its expres-
sion on. the general total number of sick for the year.
7. The hospital is in good repair throughout; the ventilation good. It has afforded suffi-
cient room for the sick during the year. The hospital compound
and surrounding ground are clean, open, and well drained.
8. The general health of the regiment has been good, the increase in number of sick
over the previous year having been apparently chiefly due to
temporary and exceptional seasonal causes. The physique of
the majority of the men is of fair standard. That of the recruits enlisted in the year has
been quite up to the average.
9. The season has been an unusual one, and the marked way in which the sick list was
affected, apparently by the rainfall after an unusually long
period of drought, is seen in the table below:—
Months.
Rain.
Sick.
In. cents.
January
0
18
24
February
0
7
28
March
0
26
38
April
0
28
31
May
1
37
57
June
10
3
120
July
. ,
0
45
34
August
4
8
51
September
5
6
44
October
2
94
49
November
0
41
58
December
0
13
59
Total
25
26
593
Location.
Lines.
Conservancy.
Water sunnly.
Food and clothing.
Duties, exercise, and amusements
H o s p i t a l .
General health.
Influence of climate.