Foot soreness.
Duty and ex
-ercises.
Drill.
Sanitary con
-dition of
Lock-up
rooms.
Vaccination.
Epidemic dis
-eases.
Ventilation of
the hospital.
Drainage and
latrines.
Hospital
water-supply.
Have any
forms of epi
-demic. &c.
General con
-clusions.
21
NORTHERN DISTRICT.
Foot-soreness.—Cases of foot-soreness were of about the usual number. Men suffering
from it were excused wearing their boots until they recovered.
Duty and exercises.—The amount of duty was not excessive, and did not act injuriously
on the health of the troops. It consisted of morning and sometimes evening drill, and in
guard duties. Number of nights in bed four.
Drill .—There were drills in the mornings and evenings. The time of commencing varied
according to the season of the year: the morning usually lasted about one and a half hours,
and the evening drill one hour. On Sundays, Fridays, and holidays there was no drill.
The duties of the tromps did not injure their health.
Sanitary condition of Lock-up rooms.—The ventilation is scarcely sufficient. This
defect, I believe, is going to be remedied.
Vaccination.— There was no small-pox in the regiment during the year: none of the
men were re-vaccinated. There were 56 cases vaccinated, of these 33 were successful, and
23 unsuccessful.
Epidemic diseases .—Malarious fevers and dysentery were more prevalent than in the
preceding year. This, I expect, was due in a great measure, if not entirely, to the heavy
monsoon. The fever was of the low type, difficult to get rid of, and very weakening. The
hospital was overcrowded during the months of October and November when dengue was
prevailing. There were no other defects calling for any special notice. The situation of
the hospital is bad, but a better building is in course of construction on a better site.
Ventilation of the hospital.—The ventilation was sufficient. For a short time during
the prevalence of dengue the wards were overcrowded, although tents were erected to
accommodate the extra number of sick.
Drainage and latrines.— The drainage was good. The dry-earth system was efficiently
carried out in the latrines.
Hospital water-supply.— The water-supply was of good quality and sufficiently
abundant.
Have any forms of epidemic disease broken out or spread in hospital ?—Dengue broke
out in the regiment on the 12th October. It had previously prevailed in the native village.
General conclusions.— The total admissions into hospital were far more numerous than
in 1871. This increase was, in a great measure, due to dengue, but even not reckoning it, there
was a considerable large number of men on the sick list. This, I believe, was due, in a great
measure, to the heavy monsoon, and also that the regiment had been for sometime in the
station, the climate of which is debilitating. Neither cholera nor small-pox occurred during
the year. Of men under treatment only three died. The dengue that attacked the sepoys
was of a very mild form, only causing slight pain, and a few days' absence from duty in the
majority of cases. The health of the European Officers was good.
12th Regiment Aatibe Infantry.
The 12th occupied Vizianagrum during 1872. Surgeon-Major J . S.
Ridings writes the report, having succeeded Surgeon M. C. Murphy in medical
charge.
Climate.—The hot season was exceptionally severe, but did not exercise an unfavorable
influence on the health of the troops. The south-west monsoon commenced on the 12th
June and lasted until the 15th October. The rainfall was much in excess of average
annual supply, and during its continuance rheumatic and bronchitic affections were very
prevalent.
Sketch of the natural features and productions of the district.— The station is situate
about ten miles inland, and some six miles from the Eastern Ghauts, spurs from which latter
encompass it also to north and south, those to the north being less than two miles distant,
while the range to the south is from six to eight. Vizianagrum is, therefore, from its posi
-tion, accessible to the sea-breeze, and also sheltered, in a great measure, from inland hot
winds. The cantonment is situate on slightly elevated ground, sloping to north and east,
so as to permit of natural drainage. A large tank of about two miles in circumference, situate
between it and the town, receives the surplus drainage. The hills and rocks in the vicinity
belong to the plutonic and metamorphic systems; the former as exemplified by isolated
masses of boulders of common granite heaped in great confusion of a brownish black color
externally, but whitish grey in the fracture, containing a great deal of quartz; and the latter
in rugged hills, many of them of sugar-loaf form, of granitic gneiss, the felspar sometimes,
changing into albite. The soil is sandy, mixed with many pieces of quartz resting on a
structure of greyish white clay, which, when dry, crumbles into an impalpable white powder,
probably kaolin, resulting from the decomposition of felspathic granite.
Water is usually abundant in the sub-soil, but saline in taste.
Climate.
Sketch of the
natural fea
-tures and pro
-ductions of
the district.
6