126
SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
the same date disease showed itself in the 49th Regiment, in which corps there were 12 cases.
In the sudder bazar the disease appeared on the 21st April, and from that date to the 16th
June there were 33 cases.
The native troops in garrison remained comparatively free, and only one man of the 16th
N.I. was attacked who had just returned from furlough, and had been allowed to enter camp
before quarantine arrangements had been fully carried out; but those moving about in the
districts were liable to diarrhœa and cholera, and several men were attacked when proceeding
to join their corps. The first instance of the liability to severe diarrhœa occurred in the begin
-ning of April, in a private of the 10th N.L.I., who was on his way to join regimental head
-quarters, and had halted at the dhurmsalla, and was there attacked with diarrahœa, and had
to be conveyed to the civil dispensary, and sunk in thirteen hours; another, presented in a pri
-vate who had returned from escort duty to Rutlam, who was attacked with diarrhœa and died
after reaching camp. The most severe cases of cholera among native troops en route to join
their corps occurred in May, when a party of 22 recruits who had come from Khundwa and
had halted at the dhurmsalla to take their evening meal, and used the water of a well in the
vicinity, which they found saltish and unpleasant to the taste. At 9 P.M. two men were seized
with cholera, at 2 A.M. two more, and in the morning the disease had extended to nine cases,
of which number eight proved fatal; four, in from seven to fourteen hours, and four, in from
two to eight days. The quality of the water was suspicious; though used by all it did not affect
the whole party; but this may perhaps have been owing to some having partaken more sparing
-ly of it than others. On analysis the water from the well was found objectionable from the
quantity of mineral impurities and sewage contamination, which was so strong, as to render it
unfit for drinking purposes; and it was, in consequence, cleared out by the Engineer Depart
-ment. The analysis is attached herewith.
Report of analysis of Water from a Well behind Dhurmsalla, Mhow.
(Taken on 9th May 1872.)
Grains per
Gallon.
Total solids dried at about 280° F . . . 113.12
Loss on ignition . . .
4.76
Chlorine
.
.
.
16.86
S u l p h r i c A c i d . . .
5.57
Lime
.
.
.
31.98
Magnesia
.
.
.
9.69
Hardness before boiling . . .
54.60
" a f t e r " . . .
34.30
Ammonia.
. . .
Indistillate from carbonate of soda . . .
.0064
" " permanganate of potash . . .
.0012
Of nitrates and nitrites . . .
6.720
Oxyg en .
. . .
Total required by the Water at 140° F. in presence of acid . . .
.0490
After evaporation to about 1/10w i t h c h l o r i d e
o f
a l u m i n u m a n d r e d i l u t i o n . . .
.0112
Sediment.
Abundant vegetable matter in a decomposing state, conferva, monads, nanicula.
The last case was in a recruit who was on his way to join, and had come from Simrole
where three fatal cases were reported two days previously, and who sunk in twelve hours
after reaching the quarantine station. At the quarantine station, a medical subordinate was
detailed with a supply of medicine ready for issue, with medical comforts and a small establish
- m e n t o f 2 n d c l a s s s e r v a n t s , e n t e r t a i n e d f o r t h e o c c a s i o n . W h a t e v e r m a y b e s a i d a g a i n s t t h e
establishment of a sanitary cordon, it on this occasion succeeded in intercepting fourteen
cases of the disease at the quarantine stations, in the northern and eastern end of camp.