Conservancy.
Hospital.
26
Regimental
lines.
Principal
diseases.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
from this cause, in my opinion due to malarial exhalations arising from the ground
immediately after its being saturated by the annual rains. The usual form of the fever is
quotidian, very seldom tertian, and I have never seen a case of quartan. Sometimes double
quotidians are met with. Occasional cases of remittent fever occur, and when complicated
with bronchitis or pneumonia become dangerous. It is not frequent that the head
becomes complicated in this fever ; occasionally diarrhoea sets in, butt h e
c o m p l i c a t i o n s m o s t
to be feared are pneumonia and bronchitis.
The left wing of the 31st was inspected by Deputy Inspecter-General E. S.
Tribe in December 1872, and the following are extracts from his report:—
Regimental lines .—The wing lines at Sumbulpore are evidently laid out and built
with the intention of adhering strictly to the hutting rules, but I think mistakenly. Being
built in long lines under only 10 distinct roofs, each rank instead of having a space 30
feet broad, with the length laid down for such rank have more rooms, the private one of 11
feet square, while the subadar has 3, each of them being 11 feet broad, by about 12 feet
long, and so with other ranks—an arrangement disapproved of by the Native Officers as
inconvenient. They are situated on sloping ground, facing the north-west, and leave
nothing to be desired as regards cleanliness and drainage, nor as regards the ventilation of
the lines themselves, but ventilation of the individual huts is simply impossible did their
occupants desire it.
The effect of the removal of the huts from the swamp in which they were formerly to
their previous locality is surprising as will be seen in No. 16.
Conservancy. —As regards conservancy the neighbourhood of the lines and the station
generally appear to be well cared for.
Hospital. —The hospital is, I imagine, on the new standard plan (but it is not here to
refer to) and does not look quite so comfortless as that of Raipur. It is a stone building
with a tiled roof 175 feet long, and contains two wards, one 78 feet long for 26, and the
other 72 feet long for 24 patients, both being 19½ broad by 16 high.
The hospital is ventilated by 16 doors and 12 windows, a ridge ventilation in each
ward, and various holes in the wall, which might be advantageously closed at least in the
cold weather, the cleanliness, conservancy, drainage, &c., leave nothing to be desired.
Principal diseases.—This station affords a remarkable instance of the advantage of
attending to hygienic considerations in selecting a residence. In 1868 and 1869, while the
lines were in the swamp, the admissions were 889 and 984, with 10 and 9 deaths respec
-tively. In 1870 in the course of which the regiment was removed to the new lines, then
457 admissions with five deaths, while in 1871 and 1872 there have been 216 and 257 ad
-missions, with three deaths in each year. During these five years the minimum of ad
-missions from diseases other than fever was 110, and the maximum 119, so that the
decrease is entirely under the head of fevers. The following is however perhaps even
more striking.
On 8th September 1870 three companies removed into the new lines, while the remain
-
ing company remained in the old lines, until the 13th October, and during the 36 days
the three companies furnished only 558 out-patients, while the old lines, with one
company furnished no fewer than 826.
41st Begiment Aatibe Infantrg.
This regiment occupied Cuttack during the year, and Surgeon J. F. Fitz-
patrick, M.D., held medical charge, and wrote the Annual Report:
—
Cuttack, the principal town in Orissa, is situated at about 21° North Latitude and 87°E
ast Longitude. Distance from the sea between 55 and 60 miles, from Calcutta 248, and
from Madras 815. The station is almost insular, being surrounded by the rivers Mahanuddy
and Cajoone on all sides. The swelling of the latter during the rains has frequently placed
the safety of the town in jeopardy. It was endangered last year, the water rising to nearly
a level with the top of the bunds, and had the revetment which almost encircles the town
given way, there would have been great loss of life and property. I have been informed
that Government have now sanctioned such an expenditure for strengthening bunds and
revetments, &c., as to secure the station against any future threatened inundation.
The regimental lines lie to the north-east of the native town, from which they are
separated by an open space about three-quarter of a mile, including a small parade ground,
on the other side of which is the hospital, some low ground generally marshy, through which
the main road for traffic passes from the cantonment to the town.
The lines run directly north and south. About 200 feet from their north end is the
cantonment main road, on both sides of which the officers' quarters are situated to the
east end of this road, and about a mile from the station, Jobra workshop stands by the right