132
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Sanitary con¬
dition of all
Buildings.
Rations.
Water-supply
Duties.
Conservancy
Hospital.
Sanitary condition of all Buildings.—The guard-room is adapted for the purpose
intended. The cells are eight in number, and are situated in a building at some distance
from the lines near the old Artillery Barracks. They are in good order, but the improve-
ment noticed in the last inspection report, as then progressing in the ventilation of the
solitary cells, appears to have been very imperfertly carried out. There are no cesspools or
foul drains connected with the new latrine. But the old regimental latrine continues in its
former objectionable condition, and is not susceptible of improvement. It is still in use
owing to a conservancy establishment having only been very recently sanctioned for the
new building, and carts, or a cart, not having yet been supplied.
Rations.— The rations are supplied by the Commissariat Department. They are of
good quality and in accordance with regulation. They do not vary throughout the year.
The men cook for themselves; five new cook-houses have been just completed, two for
Mahomedans and Hindus, two small ones for East Indians and Christians, and one for caste-
men. They are surrounded by pucka drains and are a great improvement in the old
buildings.
Water-supply .—The water is obtained from covered wells in the lines. The quantity
is abundant except sometimes in the dry weather, when in some wells the supply becomes
scanty and of indifferent quality. The water is good and can be always increased by
deepening the wells. Filters are not used. The brick and mortar platforms surrounding
the wells are in course of renewal; one only is completed.
Duties .—There are usually two parades a week of about one hour’s duration, and the
men have one night in three in bed. With the exception of the last the duties are light, and
in any case they do not appear prejudicial to the health of the men.
Conservancy.—The general conservancy of the neighbourhood of the barracks and.
lines is good. There is the usual difficulty in keeping down the vegetation which springs
up so rapidly during the rains. The natural facility for drainage everywhere afforded by
the high level and sloping of the ground causes this always to be, it is stated, in a satis-
factory state. There is, however, a nullah over which the old latrine stands, and which, from
the site of that building, runs between the barracks and jail wall, and the nullah the latrine
renders very offensive. It is beyond military limits, and is indeed separated from the
barracks by an embankment. It is impossible to deal with this nullah until the use of
the old latrine is discontinued. The Superintendent of the Jail informed me that he
would employ a working party on it as soon as this took place.
Hospital.— The hospital accommodation is good, consisting of two large buildings
situated some distance apart on rising ground, thus affording facility for natural drainage
which is aided by artificial means. Large brick and mortar drains are now in course of
construction and nearly completed. The buildings are clean and in fair condition, indeed
just lime-washed and undergoing annual repair. Each hospital is ventilated by eight doors
and eighteen windows as well as by a ventilating space between the eaves and wall plates. No.
1 has also a fair ventilation. Both hospitals have separate latrines in which the dry earth
system of conservancy is carried out, but coal-tar is not freely used. The accommodation
is very ample, indeed only one of the hospitals is in use at present. The average daily
sick since the arrival of the regiment on the 5th March 1872 has been 6.4l to an average
strength of 112. The water-supply is obtained from the wells in the lines already noticed,
and is of good quality and in sufficient quantity. The following table gives the measure-
ment of the hospitals :—
No. of building s
in 2 7 t h .
Descriptio
n.
Length. Breadth.
Height.
Superficial
Area.
Cubic
Contents.
No. 1 ..
... Hospital...
...
120
20.3
15.9
6
38,732.40
„ 2...
...
Do.
. . . ...
...
1 2 2 . 6
20.9
16.
72.34
41,157.44
Hospital
Baths.
Bedding and
Furniture.
Diet.
Principal dis
¬eases for the
last year.
Hospital Baths.—The bath-room is attached to the hospital and is in good repair.
There are bathing tubs in use—a large oval one, a hip-bath, and a foot-bath. They are in
good condition. The water is brought by puckallies from the wells in the lines.
Bedding and Furniture—the
bedding, with a few exceptions, is in good condition.
It is not in accordance with regulation.
Diet.—The hospital diets are of good quality , and the arrangement for cooking them
sufficient ; two cooks are furnished by the Commissariat, one a Mussulman, the other a
Hindu. The cook-house has recently been provided with new pucka drains.
Principal diseases for the last year. — Since the arrival of the head-quarters at
Moulmein on the 5th March 1872 there have been 77 admissions for dengue, 38 for ague,
23 for itch, and 17 for rheumatism. There have been no deaths. On the morning of
inspection there were two men in hospital out of a present strength of 128, one a case of
rheumatism and the other of general debility, The general appearance of the men out of
hospital indicate health efficiency.