NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
425
introduced above. In the female quarters, no window had been
placed in the lunatic cell as recommended, in consequence, as was
said of the facilities this would afford to people outside holding
communication with the inmates. An outer door however had been
put to the small court leading into this cell, so as to admit of the
prisoners sleeping there in the hot weather which formerly they
could not do. This large jail was almost empty. It was clean and
all its arrangements, with the exception of those mentioned, were
satisfactory.
84. The jail at Halla was clean and not crowded. Tried and un-
tried prisoners are fastened at night to a chain which runs the length
of their wards. This is done in consequence of the latter being un
- p r o v i d e d w i t h d o o r s . B u t i t i s a v e r y o b j e c t i o n a b l e a r r a n g e m e n t .
Doors of iron bars should be supplied, and the roof of the wards
pierced with orifices, otherwise ventilation will be impossible. No
casualty has occurred and the sickness has been slight.
85. Since my inspection a year ago of the district jail at Mehur,
the right wing which had fallen in has been re-built. It now corres
- p o n d s w i t h t h e o n e o n t h e o t h e r s i d e , a n d i s p r o v i d e d w i t h a s i m i l a r
outer walled enclosure to which the prisoners can have access. Ven
-tilation has been well attended to, there being a couple of iron-bar
- r e d w i n d o w s u e d e r t h e r o o f , a n d a s t h e d o o r s a r e a l s o o f t h e s a m e
construction, a sufficient circulation of air is maintained. The prison
- e r s , o f w h o m t h e r e w e r e v e r y f e w , a p p e a r e d t o b e w e l l f e d a n d c a r e d
for.
86. In my last year's report on the Larkhana District Jail, I took
occasion to notice the entire absence of all means for ventilating the
wards which are 3 in number; and I recommended that a couple of
small iron-barred windows should be let in under the roof. This
has been done in one ward, and the improvement in the state of the
atmosphere was very apparent. In the other ward—the female one
— t h i s h a d b e e n o n l y p a r t i a l l y c a r r i e d o u t . I n t h e w a r d w h i c h l i e s
between these two, no windows have been cut through the wall com
- m u n i c a t i n g w i t h t h e o u t e r a i r , b u t o n e o n e i t h e r s i d e h a s b e e n m a d e
opening into the wards right and left. This is next to useless; no
ventilation can be obtained in this manner.
87. At Mirpur Khas the subordinate jail is in good repair,
roomy, and well ventilated. There are 4 separate cells for murder
-ers, each furnished with a ventilator in the roof. All the arrange
- m e n t s f o r t h e p r i s o n e r s w e r e s a t i s f a c t o r y .
88. The district jail at Kipra consists of 4 small wards secured
with iron-barred doors, but without windows, and furnished with
the usual open court. As it is seldom that prisoners are confined
here, and then only for a brief period, the defects in ventilation are
not of much moment.
426
89. At Miti the prison accommodation is unsatisfactory. There
are a couple of rooms but only one of them is used, the other being
a ppropriated to stores. The one set apart for prisoners is 18 feet
by 12, and as many as 14 prisoners are sometimes confined in it, the
average being 9. There is no outer court neither is there any
opening in the roof; the windows and doors have iron bars, but
these are not sufficient for ventilation.
90. The working of the above subordinate jails are, taken as
a whole, satisfactory. As a rule the detention of the prisoners does
not exceed a month. During that time their food is sufficient and
of good quality. When employed in out-door work they receive an
extra quantity. There is little or no sickness seen among them; and
when requiring treatment they are either taken to the hospital
assistant in charge of the neighbouring dispensary, or he visits the
jail and prescribes for them. In most cases they have coarse country
blankets and some article of clothing for the night. In no case did
I perceive any reasonable ground for complaint.
91. With regard to matters of conservancy as carried out in Sind,
I have already spoken of the admirable manner in which this is
attended to in the jails of sudder towns. In these it is systematic
and compulsory, but as the requisites necessary to effect any corres-
ponding condition in the towns and villages throughout the province
are, owing to the habits and prejudices of the natives, quite in
- a p p l i c a
b l e , i t i s h o p e l e s s t o l o o k f o r a n y m a t e r i a l i m p r o v e m e n t i n
sanitary matters—at least in and around their private dwelling houses
for a long time to come. Public roads and streets which intersect
towns and villages may be, and generally are, kept clean by municipal
sweepers. Refuse heaps and offal are not allowed, as in former days
to be thrown at pleasure just outside the houses or village boundaries,
but, as in the case of the night-soil, which is procured not merely
from public latrines—where such exist—and partially from private
houses, but is to be found in ruined buildings and likewise in the
streets and lanes every morning, are transported to a distance and
either buried or burnt. So far this is good and proper. And to a
stranger or one ignorant of the domestic ways and habits of natives,
this would approve itself; and he would come away with the convic
- t i o n t h a t s a n i t a t i o n i n t h e s e t o w n s w a s u n d e r s t o o d a n d p r o p e r l y
attended to. But after all, what has been really effected that can
with any justice lay claim to be included under the head of sanitation?
It resembles but the scratching the surface of the ground with a hoe
or rake in place of driving the ploughshare deep into the soil; and
the results in both cases can have but one issue—failure. Had we the
power, after having inspected the fairly clean streets, of paying
domiciliary visits to, say, half a dozen of the houses on either side, we
should then learn what sanitation is intended to effect, but what, at
the same time, it is utterly powerless to carry out. Most houses
427
have attached to them a small court surrounded with high walls.
I n t h i s , i t i s u s u a l t o f i n d l i t t e r a n d r u b b i s h o f v a r i o u s k i n d s p i l e d a b o u t
in hopeless confusion; a cow or more with, perhaps, some goats,
tethered near the inevitable dung heap; poultry often running
about; and in one corner a latrine resorted to by all the women and
children in the house, and some times also by the men. Into this
court is discharged for the most part, the refuse water from the
house forming in time a huge and seething cess-pool; and into the
soil from one year's end to another percolates not only this foul
fluid, but also the urine and liquid excrement of human beings and
animals. If we enter the house, the windows are generally shut, the
floors cowdunged, and the walls innocent of whitewash; clothes,
bedding, and articles of domestic use, grimy and unwashed. In short,
dirt is seen within and without; poisonous exhalations are constantly
being developed, and which for want of ventilation are permanently
located in the premises. This is by no means an overdrawn picture,
and when this state of things is multiplied by the number of houses
in a town or village, it must be admitted that by confining sanitary
measures merely to the streets and lanes of a city, it is after all, but
whitewashing the outside of the sepulchre and leaving untouched the
fons et origo mali. The people are a long way removed from that
condition of civilization which can enable them to understand the
evils, which as certainly follow this total disregard of all sanitary
measures in connection with their dwellings, as is seen to be the
case when nature's laws are in other instances neglected. They have
been so long accustomed to this state of things; their prejudices in
regard to caste and interference in their domestic concerns are so
strong and deep rooted, that a feeling of intense irritation and
repugnance would certainly be aroused were any law to be put in
force which would throw their doors open to the admission of the
nuisance inspector. Before this could be done, the feeling of the
people must so far be consulted, and their acquiescence and assistance
enlisted on our side. But this, even under the most favorable
circumstances, will be the work of years. In the meanwhile we
must exercise patience, and look forward to the time when
through education and intercourse with more enlightened persons
than themselves, the natives will come to appreciate the benefits of
sanitation, and be glad not merely to see it applied in a general way
to their towns, but be ready to welcome its operations in their
private dwellings.
92. Much, however, might be done throughout the country, which
would have the effect of diminishing sickness, and improving the
health of the people, and would in no way offend the prejudices of
the inhabitants. To mention one only, the supervision and protec
-tion of the water supply for domestic purposes from contamination
should be placed under stringent regulations. Wells sufficient for
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the wants of a town or village might be dug in suitable positions
removed from all possible sources of pollution. Each of these should
form the centre of a walled enclosure of, say, 40 to 50 yards radius,
within which no cattle should ever be permitted to enter. The wells
should be covered in and supplied with pumps to prevent the possi
- b i l i t y o f v e s s e l s o r b u c k e t s b e i n g l o w e r e d i n t o t h e m . P e n a l t i e s s h o u l d
be imposed upon any one washing either their clothes or persons
within the enclosure or committing other nuisance. On these wells
being completed, all those inside the town or near houses should be
closed. The expense of adopting such measures is doubtless the
main objection to them; but this might be got over by degrees; and
the more readily so, if the municipalities or local bodies could be made
to understand the importance of the matter, and that all existing
wells under the present system of drawing water, are, more or less,
polluted; and that those situated in a town or in the vicinity of
houses, are continually receiving contamination; or, in other words,
sewage, which is poison.
93. Another point bearing on the health of the people and which
is but another branch of the same subject, is the thining of trees,
lopping freely the lower branches of the others, removing weeds and
undergrowth, regulating the height and thickness of hedges, and
burning heaps of rubbish in and around gardens. No progress has
been made in these matters either at Mehur or Tarusha. In the
latter town they are even worse than they were. A good number of
trees have been cut down at Larkhana but the gardens do not seem
to have been interfered with. Abundant evidences are apparent at
Jacobabad in the stumps of trees remaining in the ground, that the
axe has been at work; but even there also much remains to be done.
And there is still great need for removing the undergrowth and
neglected vegetation which I observed in far too great abundance.
These not only intercept the breeze, but collect rubbish and debris at
their roots, which, in turn, add their quota to the already too numer
- o u s a g e n t s a t w o r k i n p r o p a g a t i n g d i s e a s e a t J a c o b a b a d .
94. A great improvement likewise would be effected in the salu
- b r i t y o f t h i s s t a t i o n w e r e o n e - f o u r t h o r e v e n o n e - t h i r d o f t h e s m a l l
water-courses filled up. On the laying out of the cantonment these
were deemed necessary to nourish the young trees; but as these are
now grown up, and many of them also should be removed, it can no
longer be requisite to keep open the water-courses, and by admitting
the Indus water into them, to maintain that condition of hypersatura
- t i o n o f t h e a t m o s p h e r e w h i c h i s o n e o f t h e e v i l s c o m p l a i n e d o f a t
Jacobabad. It would also be the means of reducing the extent of
surface charged with decomposing matter on the subsidence of the
river, and thus lessen the number of centres for the generation of a
poison already present in too great abundance, and which—do what
we will—must ever remain one of the scourges of the place.
430
country, are regarded by all classes of the people, as a strong expr
es-sion of the wishes, if not the will, of "the Sircar" and a consider
-able amount of respect, not altogether unmixed with fear, is, in con--
s e q u e n c e , s h o w n t o t h e d e p a r t m e n t . T h e w o r k t h e r e f o r e i n p l a c e o f
being impeded, is materially assisted by these very mooktyarkars
and local authorities, who yet can disregard similar applications for
assistance in vaccination matters, when preferred by hospital as
-sistants without tangible and influential supporters on the spot.
98. In my last report I mentioned, that I was recommending the
Inspector General, Indian Medical Department to increase the
number of native medical pupils, so as to admit of my placing one at
every dispensary which had only an hospital assistant, as it has been
frequently urged by these as a valid reason for the small amount of
vaccination performed, that the lymph is frequently lost—perhaps.
when its progress was most encouraging—owing to the assistant
being suddenly called away to give evidence in the Session's Court,
or to make a post-mortem examination of a body supposed to have
been the subject of foul play, many miles distant from his dispensary.
The Inspector General agreed with me in the advisability of the ar-
rangement, and applied to Government to allow of its being carried
into effect. But Government declined to sanction the increased ex
-pense, as it was not prepared to admit that a sufficiently strong case
had been made out to justify the step.
99. Owing now to the number of well authenticated cases in this
and in other parts of the world, of persons, not only those vaccinated
in infancy, but of others who have suffered from an attack of small-pox,
being again the subjects of this disease, it has been considered ad
-visable to introduce re-vaccination, and to encourage the practice as
much as possible. But, as might be expected, it has made little or
no progress in this country. Where such opposition and prejudices
have to be overcome in the matter of primary vaccination, it can
hardly be a matter for surprise that the people should resist the s
ub-sequent operation, especially as it is only of late years that its utility
has been recognized in the most enlightened countries of the world.
100. The cow being held in such estimation by the Hindoo por
-tion of the community, it was anticipated that they would have
view-ed with favour the use of animal vaccination, which it is now consider
-ed necessary to resort to to re-establish the purity of the original
virus, supposed by some to have become deteriorated or to renew it
in cases where the supply fails altogether. But although this mea
-sure appeared to be one well calculated to conciliate their prejudices
and meet the difficulties of their case, it has with the exception of
two places—Shikarpur and Sakkhar, where it met with only partial
success—been received with the most determined opposition, and
431
none more so than at Haidarabad. With regard to the process it-
self, it is surrounded with so many difficulties and so much uncer-
tainty that it is never likely to become popular or to make much way
except under considerable pressure, or in times of panic.
101. A few words on the meteorology of the province during the
past year may—before concluding—here find a place. As mentioned
in the earlier part of this report, there has fallen an amount of rain
which for Sind must be considered quite exceptional. It partook
more of the character of the regular monsoon as observed elsewhere
than what is usually met with in this province. I append a state-
ment of the amount registered at most of the dispensary towns,
omitting mention of the ones already given. They are enumerated
according to the quantities gauged commencing with the smallest :—
Rainfall for 1872-73.
Inches. Cents.
Rohri
...
... 4 49
Kipra
...
...
. . .
...
4 50
Mirpur Batora
...
...
... 5 49
Halla
...
...
... 5 8 4
Tatta.. ...
6 38
Alharka Tanda
...
...
. . . 6 91
Umarkot ...
...
...
... 7 59
Jharrak ...
...
... 7
84
Kotri
...
...
.. 9 44
Tarusha
...
...
... 10 17
...
Keti Bander
... 12 70
Boola Khan's Tanda
...
14 18
Nagar Parkur
• • •
...
14 43
Miti...
...
.
. 6. 14 70
102. By the courtesy of Surgeon Major Murray of the 66th Re-
-giment, I am able to attach a statement Appendix G of meteorologi-
cal observations, conducted at the Observatory at Kurrachee for the
past official year. The great bulk of the rain fell in the month. of
July, which being rather sudden and violent, had the effect of
thoroughly cleansing the surface and scouring out the native town.
Throughout the collectorate no intense or prolonged heat was expe-
rienced. In the beginning of December, there was rather a sudden
fall of temperature accompanied by strong north-easterly wind ;
but with this exception the amount of cold was not nearly so great as
it usually is. The general direction of the wind during the earlier
part of the year was W.S.W. and from November to end of Febru-
ary N. and W.
103. In the Haidarabad Collectorate, the heat though greater
than that of the preceding year was still below what is often experi--
enced. The mean average in the hot season was 95° and in the cold
54 M D
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60°. The extreme dryness of the air allows radiation to proceed very
rapidly, which thus accounts for the nights being generally cool and
pleasant even in the hottest weather. In the early part of January
in the districts midway between Haidarabad and Tarusha, severe
cold was felt for a few days—ice being found in the early morning.
In Haidarabad itself and towards the south and east portions of the
district, the weather was mild, but in the beginning of February the
thermometer suddenly fell below the freezing point, and the frost
was so sharp that young trees and vegetation generally were serious-
ly damaged.
104. As in other parts of Sind, the heat, which is usually intense
in the Shikarpur Collectorate, was less marked during the past year.
The average maximum in the shade was 115° in the month of June;
the minimum, which occurred in February, was 41° ; and the mean
78°. But the stagnation of the atmosphere was very great during
the hot season, and the enervating and depressing effect of the heat
was in consequence greatly intensified. During the monsoon months
the wind blew mostly from the S. W. and the nights as a rule were
tolerably cool. More than half the rain registered fell in August.
105. At Jacobabad—and this will include large tracts of the al-
luvial district surrounding it—the climate has been a trying one, not
so much on account of either the excessive heat in the hot weather or
the cold in the winter, but in consequence of the extreme dampness
of the atmosphere caused by the rain and the inundations. The
mean variation—as observed at Jacobabad—between the wet and
dry bulbs shows this. The observations were made at 9 A.M. The
highest range was 17°, which occurred in May; 3° was the lowest,
and this is recorded for September. In the month of August the
amount of moisture was slightly less, as indicated by the dew point
marking 4°. These two months showed the hyper-saturation of the
atmosphere to have attained its maximum; and it was at this time
also that the greatest amount of stagnation of the air prevailed,
scarcely a breath stirring. From April to end of July, E. and S. E.
winds prevailed; while in October, November, December, and Janu
- a r y , t h e y w e r e f r o m t h e E . a n d N . E . T h e h o t t e s t m o n t h s w e r e
those of May and June; the mean maxima of the thermometer in the
shade were, respectively, 112° and 119°. The highest reading for the
whole year was on the 6th June at 3 P. M., when 124° was registered
in the shade. The lowest was on the 1st February before sunrise,
and this gave 31°. The above are from observations made at Jac
o - b a b a d , b u t t h e y w i l l a f f o r d a t o l e r a b l y f a i r i n d i c a t i o n o f t h e s t a t e o f
the climate throughout that district.
106. With regard to the Thur and Parkur District, the data for
arriving at any very accurate meteorological history, are somewhat
scanty. Here, as elsewhere in Sind, two seasons only are recognized
—the hot and the cold. The former lasts from the middle of March
433
to nearly the end of October; and from that time until the return of
the hot season the weather is pleasant and bracing. In the months
of December and January last, the cold, especially in the early morn-
ing was considerable. And it is these sudden changes of tempera-
ture which cause pulmonary affections to prevail at this season. Dur-
ing the hot weather, the atmosphere is extremely dry, and the heat
as great during May and June as in any other part of Sind. The
register of thermometer kept at Umarkot is therefore incorrect as the
highest reading recorded is only 106° and the lowest 50°. As a rule
thermometers are placed in the verandahs of hospitals. They should
be in the open air at some little distance from a building and shelter-
ed from the rays of the sun. But this arrangement, simple as it is,
cannot be easily managed owing to the risk of the thermometer being
stolen, and which has in not a few instances occurred. During the
cold season in the Thur and Parkur district the winds have generally
blown from the N. and N.E. In the hot weather, they were moder-
ate from the W. and S.W. and at times altogether absent. During
the monsoon month more or less breeze prevailed from the same
quarter, and on two or three occasions thunderstorms were experi-
enced. The sand hills of the Thur, being unaffected by the inunda-
tions of the Indus and its branches, are far more healthy than Umar-
kot and the towns on the Narra. Many of the inhabitants suffering
from disease, especially fevers, found great benefit by leaving these
parts and proceeding for a while to the desert.
107. I had hoped before concluding this report to have been able
to supply tables showing the exact cost of each of the civil and jail
hospitals and dispensaries in Sind for the past official year with a
statement of amount of receipts from Government, municipalities, or
local funds, as also similar returns for the two preceding years, in
order that a comparison might be made of the expenses of these
institutions for the periods mentioned and their corresponding
results; but, I regret to say, I have been unable to obtain all the
items necessary to render these complete. The Collector of Kurra-
chee—though repeatedly applied to—has not yet sent me the infor-
mation on the various points I have requested him to furnish; and the
Examiner Medical Accounts has expressed his inability to forward
me a statement of the cost of English medicines supplied to the
several civil medical institutions for the last three years, owing to
his not yet having completed his own accounts for the past official
year. I regret therefore that the Appendices L, M, N, will be found
wanting in some important particulars; and without which the total
cost of these institutions cannot be arrived at.