Diseases of the
district.
Drainage for
the men's
huts.
NORTHERN DISTRICT.
Ventilation of the hospital.—Ventilation of hospital very satisfactory.
No overcrowding of hospital wards during the year.
25
Ventilation of
the hospital.
Drainage of hospital.—Drainage natural. The dry-earth system was effectually carried out
in the hospital latrines.
A larger latrine than the present small one has been sanctioned and estimated for, but not
commenced as yet.
Drainage of
hospital.
General conclusions.—During the year 238 cases were treated in hospital. The disease that
produced the largest number of admissions was, as last year, malarial fever. Fifty-four cases came
under treatment, mostly of a mild type, and of the form known as quotidian.
This fever is endemic in this district.
Cholera also prevailed in the regimental lines this year. Including women and children.
attacked there were in all 56 cases and 19 deaths. Of the above number 12 attacked were privates,
of whom 6 died. No importation of the disease was traceable in the epidemic, but at the time of
the outbreak and for some weeks before cholera was reported to be prevailing in the villages
around the station.
Of total casualties in this wing there were this year 8 in hospital and 1 out of hospital. Of
those who died in hospital 6 were from cholera, 1 from beri-beri, and 1 from bronchitis. On
the whole the health of the wing was satisfactory during the past year.
General
conclusions.
Surgeon J. G. Collis, M.D., was in medical charge of the left wing of this
regiment during the year, and reports as under:—
Climate of the station.—The hot weather commenced in the middle of March and terminated
in the second week of June, when the south-west monsoon broke. The heat compared with that
of preceding years was moderate and almost equalled by some days in February, and the health
of the troops was good. In the month of August malarial fever began to prevail, and continued
unabated during the rains and earlier portion of the cold weather. Its prevalence was greater,
but its severity less than in preceding years. But two sepoys and one native officer died from
its complication. Of these one died in October and two in November, and all three of congestive
bronchitis. The heaviest rainfall was in July.
Natural features of the district.— The general character of the plateau in which Sumbulpore
lies is undulating, being intersected by nullahs, three or four of which, larger than the rest, form
the watershed of the country and discharge their contents into the river below the town. One
nullah, which receives the drainage from the land lying south-east of the Ranchi road, is perpetu--
ally subject to alternate depressions and elevations in its contents; during the monsoon, according
to the state of the river, is, from this fact, coupled with the low-lying nature of the ground on its
banks, a fertile source of marsh miasm. Sumbulpore stretches along the left bank of the
Mahanuddy river, which here attains a width of from 1,650 to 1,700 yards and a depth of 21 feet
in the rains, and moves with a velocity of 5 to 6 miles per hour. The soil is a micaceous schist
giving abundant traces of an igneous origin. Its chief vegetable product is rice, which grows
abundantly. Most of the land is cultivated. It produces but one crop of rice in the year, and, if
this be cut early, the ground is again occupied by some leguminous seed. Cotton and tobacco are
also cultivated with success in the district.
Climate of the
station.
Natural
features of
the district.
Diseases of the district.— The disease of the district is malarial fever in one or other of its
forms, most frequently intermittent quotidian.
Drainage for the men's huts .—The conservancy of the drains in the lines is well attended to.
The drains are built on the V pattern of stones, which, not being set in chunam, permit earth
contamination. Beyond the lines the channels for conveying refuse matter to the reservoirs are
merely cut out of the earth, which in consequence emits at times a most offensive odour. The
reservoirs are insufficient in cubic capacity for the daily discharge, and consequently a considerable
portion of the sewage is carried off by a nullah whose stench is at times a decided nuisance.
Frequent representations have been made of this state of things by the officer commanding and
the various medical officers from time to time, and the Public Works Department have at length
decided on giving us a better system of drainage.
Nuisance.—The surface drains have been well conserved, and in only one or two cases did an
appreciable nuisance arise from the condition of the private latrines. On making house-to-house
visitation I found that the accommodation provided for purposes of nature was in many cases
totally insufficient for the numbers inhabiting each hut; that the private latrines were faulty in
construction; and that erroneous ideas as to the practical application of the dry-earth system
prevailed. In rectifying these faults I received hearty co-operation from the officer commanding,
and the result has been most satisfactory.
Water-supply.—The drought not having been so prolonged or so intense as in preceding
years, the extra supply from the river was not largely drawn on. The supply was from three
Government wells and a fourth one known as Nagiah's. The latter, not being a Government well, is
unprovided with protection from surface washings. The water is to be chemically and microscopi-
-cally examined in order to detect the presence of entoza or their germs, or such chemical con
d i - t i o n s o f w a t e r a s a r e n e c e s s a r y t o t h e i r e x i s t e n c e , a s t h e r e i s i n m y o p i n i o n p r e s u m p t i v e e v i d e n c e
to connect the origin of ascarides lumbricoides with this well.
Nuisance.
Water
-suppl y.
7