112
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
39th Regiment Hatibe Infantry.
STATION—RANGOON.
Arrived from Palaveram on the 15th January 1874.
Average strength
.. .. .. ... ... ... . .
. .
. .
. . . .
. . . . . .
7 2 6
• •
• .
. .
• •
Do.
do.
present. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .
. .
. .
6 8 6
• •
..
Admissions ..
..
• •
• •
• .
..
..
..
531
• •
. •
..
..
Daily sick
..
..
..
..
..
..
28
. .
..
.
. .
Deaths in hospital ..
..
..
..
3
• .
• •
..
..
..
Do. out of do.
..
• •
..
14
• •
• •
..
..
. •
Pensioned ..
• •
..
10
• •
• •
• •
Sick leave
.
.
. . . . . . . . . .
. .
. .
4 9
• •
• •
..
..
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
. . . . Bangalore
.
..
104 . 84
1.81
.86
2.87
2.73
1873 ..
.. Palaveram
..
..
80.91
2.81
. 2 9
3 . 77
4.06
1874 ..
.. Rangoon
..
..
70.86
3.14
2.20
.14
3.68
Average
. .
85.53
2.58
1.11
2.26
3.49
1875 ..
.. Tonghoo.
..
..
77.40
4.08
2 . 3 4
1.36
6 . 7 4
Surgeon P. N. Mookerjee was in medical charge of this corps during the year,
and reports as follows :—
Climate of
the station.
Natural
features of the
district.
Climate of the station.—January, February, November, and December were cool, pleasant
months ; but Hague prevails during that time, especially amongst the poorer classes. During the
monsoons, which extends from the middle of May to the end of October, the climate is warm, moist,
and depressing, diarrahœa and dysentery being generally very prevalent curing that time. March,
April, and the first half of May are hot months, the temperature varying from a minimum of
480 F. in December to 101° F. in the hot season, the rainfall last year being 99 . 29 inches.
Natural features of the district.—Tonghoo is situated on the right bank of the Sittang river
and in a valley bounded by the Pegu yoma range on the west and the Sittang hills on the east,
both at a distance of 20 to 30 miles. The adjoining country is flat, interspersed by small laterite
hills. The soil is alluvium, mixed with more or less of sand. The elevation of this place above sea
level is 258 feet. During the rains much of the country is submerged, in some places to the depth
of several feet. The vegetation then and for some time afterwards being superabundant, the lower
grounds retain water for a longer or shorter time ; some places swampy during the rains become
dry in the hot months; others remain marshy all the year round. The chief produce of the district
is rice. The water is obtained from wells ; is good in quality, and, excepting during the dry season,
abundant in quantity. The soil is porous.
Diseases of
the district.
I f regiment
has been on
the march.
Ventilation
and drainage
for the men's
barrack-
rooms and
huts.
Water-supply
Diseases of the district.—Diarrhœa, dysentery, and Hague are the prevailing diseases of the
district. There is generally very little cholera or small-pox in this district.
If regiment has been on the march.—The head-quarters and left wing left Rangoon on the
22nd March in boats and arrived at Tonghoo on the 5th of April.
Ventilation and drainage for the men's barrack-rooms and buts.— In the men's barrack-rooms
the means of ventilation are good ; in each room there are eight doors, each 6 feet 9 inches in
height and 3 feet 11 inches in breadth ; and thirty-two windows, each 3 feet 3 inches in height
and 3 feet in breadth ; besides these there are special means of ventilation in the ridge, and also on
a level with the floor ; in the latter place there are boards which can be lifted or let down or
raised as the direction and temperature of the wind may require. In the guard-room the venti-
lation is on the same plan as that in the barrack-rooms ; the drainage around barracks consists
merely of trenches to carry off the surface water which flows into a large ditch or swamp on the
south-western side of the barracks. Owing to this low ground the ledge on which the barrack
stands is kept pretty fairly drained.
Water-supply.—The water-supply is obtained from wells which are excavated through a
surface bed of laterite, clayey humous and subsoil of sand. The wells are protected from surface
percolation ; the water is good in quality, and, except in the dry season, abundant in quantity.