108
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Hospital
drainage.
General
conclusions.
Hospital drainage .—The drainage surrounding the hospital is good, consisting of excellent
pucka brick-made drains having a good slope. The hospital latrine has been kept clean during
the year; but the Deputy Surgeon-General at his last inspection disapproved of its style of con
-struction, and intends recommending some alterations.
General conclusions .—There were 463 admissions into hospital during the year and four
deaths. The causes of death were 1 from beri-beri, 1 from abscess of the liver, and 2
from general debility. There were 8 men sent on sick leave during the year : 4 were sent
from Palaveram just before the regiment embarked for Burmah and the remaining 4 were sent
from Moulmein. There were 15 men pensioned and 1 discharged the service. The average
number of daily sick during the year was 14.12. A number of men reported sick for very trivial
causes, and some without any real cause for the purpose of escaping duty. Most men when
stationed in the Presidency with their families will not report sick unless they are really ill,
because they do not wish to be separated from their wives; and when in hospital there, they must
diet themselves, so that they do not consider the avoidance of duty compensates for their separa
-tion from their families. Here in Burmah they have all to gain and nothing to lose by reporting
sick, and the consequence is that if it were allowed I really think a large number of the men
would spend the greater portion of their foreign service in hospital. Shortly after their arrival
here some of them gave a great deal of trouble and annoyance in hospital, and said they were
determined never to leave hospital except for the purpose of going to Madras on sick leave, but
after some weeks they found there was no chance of succeeding, and gradually left hospital.
In some cases the general debility was purposely induced by the men themselves, by not
taking sufficient food for two reasons; first, in order to save money; and, secondly, to reduce them
-selves to a condition that would necessitate their being sent on sick leave. The almost total
absence of venereal diseases is, I consider, very remarkable, remembering that the men are all
separated from their families, and by no means free from the usual temptations in Moulmein. It
may probably be owing to one or more causes, such as determination to lead a life of celibacy till
they return to the bosom of their family, which I hope is the chief cause, although I regret to say
I feel rather inclined to doubt it. It may be due to the great morality of the female portion of
the population here generally, or to the pains taken by the Superintendent of Police and his
subordinates, combined with the skill and successful treatment of the Civil Surgeon in charge of
the Lock Hospital; or possibly to the regiment itself having in its ranks a number of physicians
always most willing to undertake the cure of a patient for a very small remuneration; or from
some other causes with which I am unacquainted. The facts, however, are that out of 463 admis
-sions into hospital (all being unmarried men or separated from their wives) during the year, there
were only two cases of venereal disease, viz ., one from gonorrhœa and one from syphilis. This
I must say contrasts very favourably with the apparent morality of some European regiments,
where the admissions from venereal affections generally amount to about one-third the total
admissions; and yet I very much doubt that natives are more virtuous than Europeans when placed
under similar circumstances. Malingering has been carried on to a great extent since the arrival
of the regiment here and chiefly among the Mahomedans, and will continue in every native
regiment for some time after its arrival in Burmah, as long as the present regulations continue
regarding men on foreign service. One of the chief causes of malingering foreign service is
the difficulty of finally disposing of men on the spot as can be done with them in India. According
to the present regulations all men sent from Burmah to Madras must be sent on sick leave (with the
solitary exception of men discharged the service for disgraceful conduct); this the men are well
aware of, and many of them before embarkation refuse to take their pension, and when brought
before a medical committee state that they are perfectly well in every respect, and quite fit to do
lots of service more, for the sole reason of getting to Burmah, and then reporting sick and being
sent back to their native village for a year or so. Frequently after the expiration of their leave
they get an extension, and some of them, through tact or other means, contrive to be kept doing
duty at the depôt for some time longer; so that by the time they rejoin their regiments, if they
ever do, they have made a considerable hole in their tour of foreign service. A second great cause
of malingering is the men being separated from their families; and a third cause is that when a
man is sent to his native village sick, his travelling expenses are paid, he draws the same pay as
when on foreign service (except batta, which to a private amounts to 1 Rupee 8 Annas a month)
and has nothing to do, but eat, drink, and bask in the sun-shine all clay; and the best part
of the latter is that all his leave counts as service. He can also obtain his opium and other little
luxuries at a much lower price in his own village than he can here, which latter fully compensates
for rations and batta, which are the only advantages he gains by remaining on foreign service.
The quantity of opium for which he pays only 4 Annas in Madras will here cost him about
5 Rupees, and he can buy the same kind of meat in Madras for about 1½ Annas per pound
for which he will pay here 8 Annas. In vegetable and other necessaries the prices are also
much higher than in Madras. Remembering the above facts, it can scarcely be wondered at that
native troops should go in so much for malingering while on foreign service, and I have no
hesitation in saying that men of any other nation if placed under similar conditions would most
probably also malinger to a great extent. Rheumatism was the disease which most of the
malingerers went in for, and several of them explained that it was a very common disease in
Burmah and resisted all treatments, and could only be cured by change of air to their native
village. At one time there were said to be 80 men suffering from it, which is nearly one-third the
total strength present. The symptoms were as follows, viz ., numbness and a throbbing burning