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SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
street 28 yards wide runs on either side, a drain communicating with the private compound at
the back of the lines, which I have recommended to be paved, as it carries off water which
must be impregnated with organic impurities. These streets and intervals between the lines
provide very sufficient ventilation.
Each line contains 42 houses for the accommodation of families, the house contains two
rooms, in one of which the family lives, in the other their cooking and daily ablutions are pe
r-formed. The large room measures 18 feet by 13 feet, the smaller room is 13 feet by 6
feet, whilst a front verandah about two yards wide runs along the whole line. The verandah
and rooms are raised 2 feet above the ground, the roof is tiling and is in general weather
-proof. I have found the houses wet and damp after rain, but this may have been as much
owing to the severity of the storm as to imperfect repairs. The houses have a substantial
tenable appearance and afford good and sufficient accommodation to the sowars and families.
A house is assigned to each married man, but to two men if they are unmarried. The furniture
is very simple—a cot, usually a chair or stool, but amongst the more ambitious a table and a
few ornaments are observed.
The hospital occupies a central position at the end of the centre street and is separated
by a road from the lines ; the building is too small, it accommodates 12 patients, and in case
of much sickness it would be much over-crowded. The walls are too low, but otherwise the
building is good and suitable ; as it contains only a single ward it is impossible to isolate cases;
an additional ward should therefore be built. During the past year the hospital has not been
over-crowded; in the preceding year hospital space had at one time to be supplemented by tents;
a good latrine is attached to the hospital in which moveable iron pans are placed. The dry
earth system is not practiced, it seems to be unsuitable to the habits of natives. A convenient
bathroom is also attached, but public quarters for the sweepers and second class servants are
much required. House accommodation too for the hospital assistants in the immediate vicinity of
the hospital would be most desirable at present ; if they are required for night work, they must
sleep in the single ward amongst the patients. A filth cart is also urgently required, as the
present means of removing liquid excreta from hospital latrine and urinary are both imperfect
and unsatisfactory. They should also be supplied for the lines, and as the sweepers are main
-tained by the men, it should not seem extravagant to expect that Government should find filth
carts and bullocks and men to remove excreta, liquid and solid, to a convenient distance from
camp. The horse litter should be removed out of camp and enclosed to prevent animals,
mulch cows, &c., from eating it. Its present site is so unsuited at the western extremity of
the lines, that it needs only to be mentioned to be condemned. A dead-house has lately been
built, it is defective in light and ventilation, it is still unfurnished, without even a table. The
Officers' quarters form the eastern boundary of camp, the houses and compounds form one
line ; the houses are commodious substantial buildings, with the ordinary complement of out
-houses attached. The roofs are in some instances tiled, in others thatch is used; the latter are
coolest, but the former are more economical. The compounds are large but they are not pro
-ductive for want of soil. The soil does not extend to any depth, and unless it is frequently
renewed it becomes rapidly impoverished, and hence it cannot yield much. The rainfall too
for many years has been so very slight that water could not be spared for gardening and
ornamental purposes.
The native village, Goor-nudie, adjoins the cantonment; it were very much to be wished
on this account that an efficient system of sanitation could be speedily introduced into it ;
old houses and dead walls should be removed, latrines should be built and sweepers and filth
carts provided to remove night soil and other organic debris, which at present is to be found
in the vicinity of the village and in water-courses which lead into the river, from which water is
obtained for domestic use. Another site for a manure yard should be at once selected, the
present one being quite unsuited from its proximity to the village. The houses in the village
do not offer much that is worthy of remark, they are generally good and in good repair in the