Hospital
water-supply.
General
conclusions.
93
NAGPORE FORCE.
army of impoverished relatives. My opinion is that the men themselves would in many instances
be thankful at the introduction of some regulation restricting the number of residents in the lines.
Clothing.—The clothing of the men has been well adapted to the climate of the cold and
rainy season, consisting as it does of cloth tunic and overalls; but during the hot season at this
station it is most unsuitable. There is no objection to the cloth overalls at mounted duties, but
the thick cloth tunic must be a more oppressive garment during a season when the average morning
lowest temperature is between 80° and 90° F., rising at times in the shade to 116° F. The European
and Native officers, and also the farriers, are permitted to wear white jackets, but the men, not being
able to afford to keep at the necessary number of white jackets, prefer wearing the tunic on
dismounted duties; the men wear a light undress, and in the cold season a quilted cotton coat when
on sentry duty at night.
Clothing.
Epidemic diseases .—There has been no epidemic disease in the corps. During July, August,
and September cholera and diarrhœa prevailed more or less in the district, and to a slight extent
in the cantonment. No cases occurred among the sepoys of the regiment. Among the followers,
however, there were 7 cases with 4 deaths. These cases were treated at the cholera hospital, the
medical officer in charge of which returned 3 cases as diarrhœa, 3 as simple cholera, and 1 as
cholera. Four of the cases attacked and 3 of the fatal cases were grass-cutters, who, in the
execution of their duty, probably visited infected villages; none of the cases could be attributed
to any local insanitary condition in the lines, or to the habits of those attacked.
Hospital drainage and latrines .—The surface drainage is good, the hospital has a good base
-ment, and has always been dry. Hathaway's system has been adopted in the latrine with a liberal
use of coal-tar. Its conservancy has at all times been good.
Epidemic
diseases.
Hospital
drainage and
latrines.
Hospital water-supply .—The water-supply is from wells, sufficient in quantity and of fair
quality.
General conclusions. —The health of the regiment has been good, and the sanitary conditions
as favourable as they could be without the expenditure of a large sum of money.
Deputy Surgeon-General W. Williamson inspected this corps on the 25th
September 1875, and reports as follows:—
Lines .—The huts are larger than those of Infantry Regiments, tiled and with mud walls; a
broad road runs down their centre, which is intersected by streets running due north and south.
The huts are built in double rows, back to back, and open into the streets. The walls of
many of the courtyards have been washed away by the late heavy rains, and are now in course of
repair. The huts themselves on the whole are in fair repair, but ventilation in all is impeded by
a mud wall built right in front of each doorway in the enclosed courtyard so as to secure greater
privacy from their next door neighbour. The enclosures are clean, and have in one corner a privy
and in another a paved bit of ground for bathing purposes, the waste water running into the street
and the urine from the privy out at the back of the hut. The streets are clean and well kept;
the drainage from the natural configuration of the ground is good, but many of the shallow
trenches at the sides of the streets "to facilitate the escape of the rainfall" have silted up.
Sanitary condition of all the buildings .—All the subsidiary buildings are in a good sanitary
condition.
* * * * *
Lines.
Sanitary
condition of
all the
buildings.
The dry-earth system of conservancy is partially carried out. There are no cesspools or foul
drains connected with latrines; all excreta are conveyed to a distance and buried.
Water-supply .—The water-supply is chiefly from wells, and is at all times abundant in
quantity and of fair quality. All the wells in the lines, "with one exception," which are used for
drinking purposes, are, numbered, and each is built in with pucka brick and lime with ridge
platform and drain, so that no waste water can possibly flow back into the well.
Water- supply.
Conservancy .—The conservancy of the lines and station generally is very, well looked after.
The conservancy establishment of the lines consists of eight toties and a cart. The sweepings and
rubbish are collected with dust-bins and carried to a distance. The excreta from the private
latrines "previously mixed with wood ashes" is carried by the toties to pits half a mile to the
south of the lines, and there buried. No suggestions to offer for its improvement.
Hospital.—The ventilation of the wards is entirely by the doors, of which there are five in each
ward, opening into the enclosed verandah on each side, &c., glass door at either end, so that the
ventilation is at all times good. . .The latrine at my inspection was very clean;
is worked on the dry-earth system with the free use of coal-tar.
Principal diseases .—There have been only 110 admissions, of which 53 were ague, the only
disease that could at all be termed prevalent. There have been no deaths in hospital. One death
occurred in a man sent away on sick leave to his native country.
Conservancy.
Hospital.
Principal
diseases.
24