Conservancy
of the neigh
- b o u r h o o d .
Principal
diseases.
114
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Diseases.
General
conclusions.
Barracks.
Sanitary
condition.
Barracks.
Conservancy
of the neigh-
bourhood.
Diseases.— The following diseases caused the most number of admissions:—
Ague 21. All these cases were mild ones; one case proved intractable, and was transferred to
the coast with benefit.
Dysentery gave 20 admissions, all proved amenable to treatment. There were 18 cases
admitted under the head of general debility; 6 of these were brought before a medical board
and transferred to the coast. I cannot help thinking that these cases of general debility were
induced by the exhausting and depressing influence of the climate, and to a certain extent by
underfeeding; the men living as frugally as they can in order either to save or to remit to their
families in India, and not supplementing their rations by their own purchases.
Rheumatism 8 admissions. They were chiefly of a low adynamic chronic form, and occurred
during the rainy weather.
Venereal disease. Primary syphilis 4, secondary 2, gonorrhoea 4. Skin diseases 20. These
cases were contracted from women in the town. No woman of doubtful character is allowed in the
barracks or their vicinity. All men contracting the disease are punished by the commanding
offlcer on its report by the medical offlcer.
General conclusions.— The health of the right wing during the year has been good. There
were 184 admissions during the year. The average strength of the men was 364.50. Out of
these 16 men were invalided to the coast and 33 on command, &c., 6 for general debility, 1
for ague, 3 for dyspepsia, 1 for phthisis pulmonalis, 1 for impaired vision, and 1 for choriditis
with impaired vision; 2 for chronic rheumatism and 1 for syphilitic rheumatism. There were 2
deaths, one of a man who had been sent to the coast on sick leave; he died at the Detail Hospital,
Palaveram. The other was a man who was brought into the hospital dead. On examination the
heart was found in an advanced state of fatty degeneration. No eases died in hospital. The
right wing is under orders to embark for Madras in the early part of 1876. There was no
outbreak of any epidemic among the men during the year.
Deputy Surgeon-General P. G. FitzGerald, M.D., inspected this wing of the
regiment on the 17th January 1876, and reports as follows:—
Barracks.— The barrack-rooms are kept clean; two native women are employed by the sepoys
themselves to sweep the floors daily and to wash them once a week. They are earth-oiled twice
a year. The space under the barracks is levelled and swept clean, and the men spend much of
their time there during the heat of the day.
Sanitary condition.— There are four latrines situated about 300 yards from the nearest blocks
and fully 500 yards from the most distant ones. This is a great objection; there is no covered
way leading to them, and it is hardly to be expected that men will go all that way at night. In
such a climate as this a man must be often wet to the skin in going and coining back, and this
must tend to produce and to aggravate cases of diarrhoea and dysentery. There is no reason why
the latrines should not be moved nearer to the barracks and divided, so that two might be near
one end of the range and two near the other, and a covered passage made to each. Each latrine
is a wooden shed divided inside into eight compartments or stalls. In each stall or compartment
there are two wooden shelves or steps for the men to stand on with a bucket beneath, and a
wooden trough well coated with coal tar running across in front of and between the wooden steps,
which receives the urine, and is continuous along the whole line of compartments. The urine
finally flows into a moveable tub placed outside. The chatties or buckets for the solid excreta are
introduced from behind and withdrawn in the same manner. The only fault I find with the
arrangement is that the seat and step are too high above the floor, and that owing to the narrow-
ness of the trough the urine is constantly being spilled on the floor. Dry earth, for which there is
a large shed, and coal tar are freely used.
Conservancy of the neighbourhood.— The neighbourhood of the barracks is kept clean by two
native women employed by the men in each block of buildings, and by four lascars attached to
the wing. A party of one naigue and four privates is detailed daily to remove rubbish, &c.,
around the barracks.
Principal diseases.— The principal diseases during the year were ague, dysentery, diarrhœa,
skin diseases, general debility, and venereal. The four first named are believed by the medical
officer to be due to climatic influences. They are most prevalent during the rains. The debility
is believed to be in a great measure due to the saving habits of the sepoys who deny themselves
those articles of food which would cost them anything, and probably sell some of the rations which
are supplied gratuitously by Government.
Deputy Surgeon-General P. G. FitzGerald, M.D., inspected the C Company of
Sappers and Miners on the 24th January 1876, and reports as follows:—
Barracks.— The Native Detail Barrack is intended for occupation by men of the native corps
proceeding from and returning to their stations in the interior. There are no drains; the
natural configuration of the ground facilitates the flow of the surface water towards the roadside
d r a i n s .
Conservancy of the neighbourhood.—The conservancy of the neighbourhood of the barrack is
good, and no suggestions for its improvement have been deemed necessary. That of the station
generally is under the direction of the Cantonment Committee, and is efficiently carried out. The