Sanitary
arrangements
in the bar
-racks.
Diet.
Liquors.
Clothing.
127
BRITISH BURMAH DIVISION.
Sanitary arrangements in the barracks. —On the whole the sanitary arrangements in
the barracks have been properly attended to, and there are not any local causes of disease
requiring removal.
Diet.—The provisions used by the sepoys have been plentiful and cheap. Vegetables
have been abundant, and the troops have not received compensation on account of dearness
of provisions.
The diet of the men has been sufficiently nutritive and varied to preserve health.
Liquors.—The native bazaar liquors are those that are used by the sepoys. They have
not been better than native bazaar liquors usually are.
Clothing.—The men wear uniform when on duty, and their native clothing off duty.
The uniform for the warm months is a pair of thin black trousers and a white ungreka.
For the cold months thick black trouser and red tunic. These were changed to suit the
changes in the climate without any recommendation from me. The native dress seems to
me not to afford sufficient protection from the chill of the cold weather mornings.
Foot-soreness.—The men use boots of a European pattern when on duty, except during
the rainy months, when they wear sandals. The boots are made by natives, and seem to be
well made; but, as scarcely any of the men wear stockings, and never wear boots when off
duty, there have been numerous cases of foot-soreness. When the case is slight, the man is
excused boots for four days and sent back to duty. When it is more severe, he is admitted
in hospital under the blister of foot or ulcer (boot-bite). During the year 478 men were
excused boots and 20 admitted into hospital on account of foot-soreness.
Duty.—When on the march, in the beginning of the year, the men marched on an
average a little over 10 miles a day, with a halt about every fifth day. This marching
seemed to have a beneficial effect on the men's health. The duty while in cantonment has
consisted of the usual guards and parades. It does not seem to have had any injurious
effect on the men.
Foot
-soreness.
Duty.
The average number of nights per week in bed has been 4.7.
Drill .—During the drill season there is usually drill morning and evening. On other
occasions there are occasional parades in the morning. In the morning the parades are from
5-30 A.M. to 7 A.M., or from 6-15 A.M. to 7-30 A.M. According to the season; in the evening
from 4-30 P.M. to 6 P.M. No recommendations have been made by me with reference to
drills.
Vaccination.—Vaccination is kept up in the regiment on the months of March and
April, 10en cases were vaccinated; in December 32. Owing to there being very few
children with the men, there is considerable difficulty in keeping up the supply of lymph.
In the month of March one sepoy was admitted with a very slight attack of modified
small-pox. The man was well pitted from the effects of former attacks. He said that this
was the fourth time he had been attacked. At present I am engaged in attempting to re
-vaccinate all the men of the corps.
Drill.
Vaccination.
Diseases.—There was no cholera during the year. Ague, dysentery, and diarrhœa
were present during the entire year. The number of admissions from ague was 111, and
the greatest number of admissions, during the months of January, February, March, and
August. The number of admissions from dysentery was 91; of these, 35 were admitted
during the month of September, when dengue was at its height in the regiment. During
the other 11 months the average number admitted from dysentery each month was only
5.09. The number of admissions from diarrhœa was 88. The greatest number of admis
-sions took place during the months of January, July, August, and September.
There was an epidemic of dengue in the regiment during the months of August,
September, October, November, and December. The first case occurred among the men
on the 5th August, the last on the 14th December. It commenced in the native town of
Tonghoo in the latter end of May and disappeared in September.
During the four months and a half the epidemic was present there were 171 admissions
from it, or 31.84 per cent. of the average strength of the regiment. There was one death
from dengue: the man was admitted on the 1st September and died on the 16th November.
The average number of days of each case in hospital was 14.71.
Phthisis pulmonalis .—During the year there were three cases of phthisis pulmonalis
treated in hospital; two of them died, but no post-mortem could be obtained. In none of
the cases could any history of previous phthisis in the family be obtained. One of
the men referred the commencement of his illness to exposure and fatigue when he was
assisting his family on their way to their native country before the regiment marched from
Droundah. In the other two cases the cause could not be ascertained.
Diseases.
Phthisis pul
-monalis.
The other cases of chest disease were few in number and slight, and appeared to be
brought on by the usual causes.
Hospital ventilation. —The Native Infantry Hospital having been condemned and
about to be pulled down, the patients were received into one of the Native Infantry Barrack
-Rooms.
When the epidemic of dengue broke out, and it was found that the number of patients
was likely to exceed that could be conveniently accommodated in the hospital, it was
recommended that a temporary shelter should be built under the hospital; this was done
and there was consequently no overcrowding.
Hospital ven
- tilation.
31—b