86
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Hospitals.
natural, aided by channels cut in the ground. The provision of stone-faced V-shaped drains
would be a great improvement, and has been recommended ; but the large outlay that
would be entailed by this measure is an obstacle to its being carried out. The .public
latrines are kept in good. order by daily removal of excreta, and are as free from offence
as can be expected without the use of dry earth or other deodorants.
Hospitals.—In the hospitals no changes have been made during the past year,
except the provision of a store-room for the hospital of the 6th Regiment N.I. (formerly
occupied by the 5th N.I.) by the enclosure of a portion of the western verandah for that
purpose. This makes the verandah-room, which has for some years past been used as the
Office and Barometer-room of the Meteorological Observatory, available for that use without
the inconvenience formerly occasioned by the arrangement.
Hospital la-
trines.
Guard-rooms,
&c.
Duties and
employments.
Drainage and
conservancy.
Water-supply
Seasons.
Prices of
ordinary food
articles.
Hospital latrines.—The insufficient size and. faulty construction of the hospital
latrines of the 3rd, 6th (formerly 5th), and 40th (formerly 24th) Regiments have fre-
quently been represented, and orders have at last been issued for the provision at once of
new latrines for all these hospitals. Another requirement, in my opinion, for all the
Native Hospital latrines here is a more ample supply of coal tar. It is not an expensive
article, and might, with great advantage, be used much more freely than it is. Dry conser-
vancy is in use as far as means permit in all the latrines.
Guard-rooms, cells, &c.—The guard-rooms, cells, Staff Serjeants' and Apothecaries'
quarters are clean and in good condition. The ventilation of the cells of the 3rd Regi-
ment L.I., which was complained of last year as insufficient, has been improved by the
provision of ventilating apertures below as well as above.
Duties and employments. — The duties and. employments of the troops have been
those usual in garrison, viz., drills, guards, escorts, and brigades. The Sappers are
also employed on public works, making roads, planting trees, &c. None of these employ-
ments appear to have had any injurious influence on health. During the great prevalence
of fever in the 3rd Regiment L.I., that corps was relieved from all except absolutely neces-
sary duties.
Drainage and conservancy. —The drainage and conservancy of the station gene-
rally are carefully attended to by the Assistant Quartermaster-General and the Can-
tonment Committee. Plans and estimates are under preparation for the improvement of
the surface drainage of Trimulgherry, and the drainage generally is naturally good.
Water-supply. —The water-supply project at Trimulgherry for the 2nd Infantry
Regiment is now almost finished, and the Executive Engineer confidently expects it will
be thoroughly completed within the current year. As soon as its success has been estab-
lished the supply for the Royal Artillery and 1st Infantry Regiment will be taken in hand.
As regards the station generally the wells have been numbered, and, during 1871 and
1872, forty of the principal ones were examined by the Analyst of Potable Waters, whose
reports were generally unfavorable. Several of the wells condemned by him are, however,
highly esteemed by the natives. It has been recommended that all wells used for drinking
purposes should be covered in and fitted with pumps, and this measure, it is expected, will.
be carried out as soon as funds are available.
Seasons. —The chief seasonal characteristics of the year were a short and sharp hot
season, followed by a monsoon scanty at first, but abundant afterwards. Up to the end
of August the total rainfall was only 17.08 inches, by the end of September it was 26 . 02, and
by the end of October 31 . 69. In November only 13 cents fell, but in December there
was again a good fall, which brought up the total for the year to 35 . 52 inches, being
8 . 23 above the average. The year, as will appear by the statistics to follow, was a less
healthy one as regards the Native Troops than 1871, and that in its turn was less healthy
than 1870, in which the seasons were more normal than in either of the succeeding years.
Prices of ordinary food articles.—Owing to the very scanty monsoon of 1671,
and the late one of 1872, food was very dear till towards the end of the latter year,
when prices fell considerably. The average prices for the whole of 1872, accordingly,
differed not very much from those of the preceding year (considered a very dear one), as
shown by the subjoined table :—
Per H. S. Rupee.*
AVERAGE WEIGHT.
1870.
1871.
1872.
lbs. oz.
lbs. oz.
lbs. oz.
Rice, third sort ...
... ...
...
...
22
8
16
1 1/11
17
0
Wheat, first sort...
...
...
...
15
2
16
9 1/2
16 13
Jawarry ...
• • •
... ...
...
35
0
23
7
30 10
Toover dholl
...
...
...
...
...
19
8
15
4
16 15
Salt, common
...
...
...
...
...
19 10
16
7 7/8
16 14
Ghee
...
• -
...
...
. . .
2 10
2 1 0 7 / 8
2
5
Bajrah ...
...
...
...
...
...
58 14
27 10
38
2
* The H. S. Rupee is in value equal to about 14 annas of Imperial Currency.