120
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
1 6 t h R e g i m e n t H a t i b e I n f a n t r y .
Arrived from Bellary—Head-Quarters and Right Wing 20th November 1873,
Left Wing 10th December 1873.
Average strength
..
..
..
.. ..
.
.. .. .. ..
671
Do.
do.
present ..
..
..
.
.. .. .. .. ..
642
Admissions ..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
.
587
Daily sick
..
..
..
..
..
..
.
.. ..
.
.. ..
17
Deaths in hospital ..
..
..
..
..
.. ..
..
..
..
Do. out of do.
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
3
Pensioned
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
39
Sick leave
..
..
..
..
.. ..
..
..
..
..
..
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding as
contrasted with previous years :—
Years.
Stations.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions. Daily Sick. All Deaths. Pensioned. Sick Leave.
1872 ..
.. Bellary ..
..
..
54.48
1.46
1.07
3.06
1.22
1873 ..
.. Jubbulpore
..
..
43.08
1.74
.72
4 . 3 6
1.74
1874 ..
..
Do.
76.55
2.37
.42
. 1 4
..
Average
..
58.03
1.85
.73
2.52
. 9 8
1875 ..
.. Jubbulpore
..
..
91.43
2.64
.44
5.81
..
Surgeon-Major J. R. Theobalds was in medical charge of this corps during
the year, and reports as follows
:——
Climate of the
Climate of the station.—Throughout the year the climate was pleasant and favourable to health.
station. The monsoon commenced 10th June and terminated 24th September. The rainfall amounted to
51.68 inches, about 35 inches less than the year 1874 and nearly 5 1/2 inches less than the annual
average. Nearly all the rain fell during the months of June, July, August, and September; heaviest
fall in July ; during that month 23.10 inches registered. January, February, November, and
December were pleasantly cool, January being the coldest month, and, the daily average mean
temperature was degrees 58.6. April, May, and June were hot months. May the hottest, the
daily average mean temperature being 92.3.
V entilation
Ventilation and drainage for the men's huts.— The drainage of the lines, natural and artificial,
and drainage good. The drains are kept dug and well cleaned out from time to time. The ventilation of the
for the men's Bengal barracks and Madras huts indifferent, only through the interstices of the tiles of the roof,
huts.
and for the entrance of air to the huts through a small low door leading from an enclosed veran-
dah with an opening of similar size in front of the door of hut.
Water-
Water supply.—Good and abundant. commenced the regimental drinking-water wells to
supply.
be cleaned out at the end of the hot season. Carried out.
Diet.
Diet .—Provisions cheap and plentiful and sufficiently varied. The native troops have received
Rupees 24-10-4 compensation for rice during the year.
Duty and
Duty and exercises .—Average number of continuous nights in bed was low, viz., 3.93 per
exercises.
week. Some athletic games. There is a gymnasium in the lines where the recruits and recruit
boys are ordered to attend once a day. Several of the sepoys attend without orders.
Epidemic
Epidemic diseases.—During the year seven cases of modified small-pox and one case of confluent
diseases. small-pox were admitted into the huts erected on a plot of ground a short distance to leeward of
the hospital for the small-pox camp. Of the modified cases 2 were sepoys, one had marks of
small-pox and the other of vaccination. One woman and 4 children were admitted from the
lines ; all had marks of vaccination. All these cases did well, and were treated by the external
application of a mixture consisting of one part carbolic acid and ten parts of oil, which was applied
over the whole body as recommended by Dr. Aitchison, Civil Surgeon of Rawal Pindee. This
application certainly reduced the unpleasant fetor in the confluent case, and, perhaps, lessened the
contagious effects of the crusts. The confluent case, aged 18 years, with marks of vaccination
(entered in the vaccination history sheet against his name), the brother of a sepoy of the regiment,
had been absent from the regiment some weeks at Saugor, and while there was attacked with small-
pox, taken into the small-pox camp at Saugor, left the camp without permission, was brought into