Water.
supply.
Diet.
30
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
carrying off rainfall drainage," a course which unfortunately is impracticable, as no provision is
made for removal of liquid sewage, the estimated cost of plant and labour for so doing, as furnished
by the Executive Engineer, being quite beyond mere regimental resources. All solid excremen-
titious matter is removed every morning by the conservancy carts.
The men resort to the large open public latrine. So far as was practicable the military
authorities have exercised a strict supervision in keeping the large and small drains open so that
no recommendations were required.
Water-supply has been good in quality and abundant in quantity from rivers, tanks, and
deep wells ; the first source being much the most pure and best, hardness but 3½°, solid contents
68 grains per gallon. The tanks rank next in softness and purity ; the wells, varying from 20 to
40 feet in depth, have a hardness of from 12° to 77°, and contain from 18 to 182 grains of solids
per gallon, chiefly chlorides and sulphates. The wells only contain nitrates.
Diet. —Provisions have been cheap and plentiful, and vegetables abundant.
Measures per Rupee.
Rice
Compensation
.
Rice.
Ghee.
Dholl. •
M. OLLOCKS. SEERS. CHUTTACKS. SEERS. CHUTTACKS. RS. A. p .
First quarter.. 17
7
1
2
6
..
0 2 8
0 4 6
second do. .. 16
1
1
3
6
2
Third do. .. 13
5
1
3
5
13
0 8 4
Fourth do. .. 18
..
. .
9
. .
0 2 0
Clothing of
the troops.
Exercises.
Epidemic
diseases.
General
conclusions.
Clothing of the troops.—The cloth clothing of the Madras sepoy is, however, altogether
ill-adapted and unsuitable for native wear.
The undress forage cap affords no protection against the sun, and should be fitted with cover
and hanging curtain behind. The red tunic is too heavy and stiff in material, too tight and
close-fitting in cut ; the serge jumper as worn by " Blue Jackets " would be more suitable, or
Norfolk jacket pattern coat. The trowsers are invariably grossly ill-fitting, and in wet weather are
always dragged about the feet; loose, but cut short below the knee, would be much more appropriate
in all respects, while a waterproof cape would be a most desirable substitute for the cumbrous, heavy,
useless military great coat, which becomes soaked through immediately on exposure to rain.
Exercises.—The younger men amuse themselves at the regimental gymnasium. General
effect is conducive to health.
Epidemic diseases. —The only disease which has prevailed in an epidemic form has been ague
in the cold weather months of January, February, October, November, and December, due, in my
opinion, to climatic peculiarity, the damp steamy warm months of September and early October
being followed by the sudden setting in of dry cold weather, against which the poorer class of
natives possess no properly protective clothing ; also to the ill-ventilated, ill-drained, damp, gloomy
huts in which sepoys' families are housed ; and also to the thorough saturation of, and height of
water in, the subsoil at close of rainy season.
The native habit of sleeping on the cold damp ground must also induce chills, and so tend to
induce disease of a paroxysmal character.
General conclusions.—The regiment has now completed a tour of seven years at Cuttack,
and is under orders (temporarily cancelled owing to prevalence of cholera in Ganjam) to Vizia-
nagram, 300 miles to the south. In last year's report I stated that the physique of the men
generally was poor, and I anticipated that after another year's residence in the steamy, inervating
climate of Lower Bengal it would be even worse. I now regret to have to say that my forecast has
proved correct, so much so that I am of opinion that the regiment is quite unfit for active or
foreign service, and that it would simply be an incumbrance to any force to which it is
attached.
I think, on medical grounds, that it should be allowed to remain for a couple of years at
Vizianagram, a cheap and healthy station, to recover its tone before being sent abroad.
The vital force of the men's systems is altogether abnormally low, and they have shown
during past two successive years an extraordinary tendency to contract paroxysmal febrile disease,
which, though generally of a mild form, and but seldom showing any tendency to become remit-
tent or continued from the debilitated constitutions of the subjects, is extremely persistent, and but
little amenable to treatment with antiperiodic drugs.