92
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
Water supply.
2. The water both for drinking and irrigating purposes is exclusively derived from two
sources-springs issuing superficially from the foot of the
surrounding hills, and from "karazes." The "karazes" are
peculiar in their construction. A shaft is sunk sometimes as deep as thirty or forty feet,
generally at the foot of a hill; when water is thus found another is sunk at a distance varying
from five to twenty yards from the first, and both are connected by a tunnel; another and
another are sunk in like manner, till at length an underground aqueduct three or four
miles long is formed, and water brought in the proper direction, till it is raised to a level
with the surrounding ground. The water of the " karazes" is not as sparkling as that in
the springs, but is, I think, softer ; it was preferred to the latter by the men. Both waters
contain large quantities of lime salts.
Food.
3. Most articles of food were plentiful, and some exceedingly cheap. Wheaten flour
was to be had at the rate of from forty to fifty pounds for a
rupee ; meat one anna per pound, ghee four pounds for a rupee.
But condiments, milk, and firewood were expensive ; sometimes milk was not even obtainable.
Clothing.
4. The want of stockings amongst a few of the men was felt extremely while on guard
duty at night, but the majority possessed them. Stockings and
gloves of a thick woollen material are absolutely necessary for
men serving at Khelat during the colder months. The trowsers, being made of coarse cotton
material, are not at all sufficiently warm for the climate in which the men have served during
the last nine months, the cloth ones they formerly wore being preferable. The men who
had brought the latter with them on the march were allowed to wear them on night duty.
Duties, exercise, and amuse-
ments : their effects on health.
5. Some of the men joined the officers in games got up in Khelat by the latter, but these
were the exception, as there seems to be a prejudice in the
regiment against foot games of any sort. Though the duties
on the march were sometimes severe, I cannot say that any ill
effect was caused thereby. The average number of consecutive nights in bed was six.
Hospital.
6. One tent is utterly insufficient for the use of the wing of a cavalry regiment, especially
on the march, and had not the officer commanding the escort
lent me a tent from the lines I should have been obliged to
treat some of the men in their own tents, which would have been unsatisfactory. For the
use of dhooly-bearers a tent of some description ought to be always provided when they
accompany troops into Beloochistan. In a standing camp they are generally able to
construct huts for themselves, but while marching they have no protection during the
might. Several of those who accompanied us on our last march were attacked with fever,
bronchitis, &c., on account of being exposed to the intense cold at night.
General health and physique.
7. Taking into consideration the facts that the men have been in tents for nine months
and a half, that during that time they have been subjected to
sudden and great changes of climate, that they have marched
about twelve hundred miles, and that now only four men out of one hundred and ninety
are in hospital, I can come to no other conclusion but that their general health is excellent.
The men are almost all Hindustanis, so that they are characterized more by length of limb
and activity than by large chest capacity or size of muscle.
Climate.
8. The climate of Khelat is peculiarly antagonistic to life under canvas, both on account
of the great variation between the daily and nightly temperature,
and the power of the direct rays of the sun. The amount of
moisture in the air is almost always very small. This excessive dryness, and the presence of
a strong wind from the north-west (its prevailing direction), rendered the men very liable to
chills, when they returned heated from parade and took off their warm clothing. The fol-
lowing are the averages of monthly temperature and rainfall from June to November :—
June.
July.
August. September. October.
November.*
Average maximum
84.5
97.8
94.5
89.6 I
80 . 0
67.8
,, minimum
53.1
49.8
44.2
42.3
32.2
38.0
,,
Dry bulb
(9. A.M.)
68 . 1
80.8
79.6
75.7
65.3
59.5
,, Wet bulb
,,
53.3
55.6
55.7
53.6
48.5
49.2
Maximum temperature regis-
tered during the month
98 . 0
103 . 9
99.8
96.8
94.2
81.8
Minimum temperature regis-
tered during the month
45
46.8
38.5
32.5
20.2
29.5
Rainfall
None.
None.
None.
None. 66 cents. 1 inch l6 cents.
* Observations were taken in November up to the 23rd, but not afterwards.