Climate.
Natural
features.
Barrack
-rooms.
Nuisance.
124
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
The clothing generally suitable and adapted to the varying climate of the country.
The duties and drill of the troops beneficial to their health rather than otherwise. The
time in bed from two to three days' interval.
Vaccination is kept up as systematically as possible, the difficulty of having fresh
lymph always at hand being considerable. The absence of children with the sepoys being
one cause of this, the lymph also in tubes often failing.
The punishment-cells are upon the whole in good order. Some few are reported
slightly defective in ventilation, which will soon be rectified.
The hospitals throughout are in a very satisfactory state as regards position, sanitation,
and commodiousness.
The drainage is everywhere attended to, and, when defective, has been remedied.
The water-supply has been good and abundant. The cooking good. Lime-washing of
walls effected where needed.
The latrines have been particularly attended to, and the dry-earth system in general
use.
There has been no epidemic visitation of disease in any of the hospitals of the division
during the year.
1st Regiment M.A.I.
This corps arrived in Thayetmyo from Kamptee in January and February
1872. Assistant Surgeon W. Robertson, who was in medical charge during the
year, reports as follows :—
Climate .—The climate of the past year presented no peculiarity worthy of remark,
and may be considered as having been favorable to the health of the troops.
Natural features.— The station is placed in the lower part of a basin of country, the
boundary or margin of which, situated at a distance varying from three to eight miles, is
formed by ranges of hills, which partially surround the place in the form of a semi-circle.
The Arracan Range consists geologically of shale, sands, and numinulitec limestone. The
Pegu, like the Arracan Range, is composed of clay and sand, but without the limestone,
though in places the sand stone is so charged with fossils as to approximate this in character.
The intervening country is more recent than either of the above, and its components have
usually the following position from above downwards clay, grave, and sand. The last two
are highly ferruginous, and are at places converted into rocks with iron as the agglutinating
medium. The general aspect of the country is most irregular, being formed into hills and
mountains with no plains of any extent. Thick and stunted jungle pervades the lower
country, whilst trees of larger growth are met with on the hills.
Medical
topography
and diseases
of the district,
March.
Principal products of cultivation are paddy, cotton, sessamom seed, chillies, and tobacco.
Medical topography and diseases of the district.—Intermittent fever, dysentery,
diarrhœa, and chronic rheumatism are the prevailing ailments, and in some parts of the district
intermittent fever is endemic, and is greatly prevalent.
March.—The Right Wing and Head-Quarters left Kamptee on the 13th January and
arrived at Thayetmyo on the 31st of the same month. The Left Wing left on 27th January
and arrived at its destination on the 13th February 1872. During the trip to this country
there was little or no sickness.
Barracks.
Ventilation
and drainage
Barracks.—The barracks are placed on elevated and sloping ground to the westward of
the European lines ; the site is probably the best and healthiest in the station ; are
constructed of wood and supported on posts, being raised thereby some distance from the
ground, and with the mode of their construction no particular fault is to be found.
Ventilation and drainage.— Owing to their having been built somewhat too close
together, the ventilation and access of air to the innermost ones are not so good as they
would have been had the buildings been made to occupy a larger area. The buildings
themselves are constructed so as to admit of excellent ventilation. The guard-rooms are
well ventilated, and have free access of air, being separate from the other buildings. There
are no drains in the lines.
Barrack-rooms .— The barracks have never been whitewashed, but they are earth-oiled
over from time to time as they are thought to require it.
Nuisance.—The dry earth not being used in the latrines in sufficient quantity, it was
brought to the notice of the Officer Commanding, who subsequently detailed an orderly to
keep watch over the large (for use of the fighting men) latrine , to see that the men applied
the dry earth in
p r o p e r q u a n t i t y .
Sanitary ar-rangementsin the barracks.
Water - supply .—The water-supply is obtained from four wells in the lines and one
in the hospital compound. In quantity it has been abundant, and the quality is very fair,
although somewhat hard. No recommendations were deemed requisite.
Sanitary arrangements in, the barracks,—The sanitary arrangements for the lines.
have been effective, and the barracks have invariably been kept clean.