92 MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding as
contrasted with previous years:—
Years.
Station.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions. Daily Sick. All Deaths. Pensioned. Sick Leave.
1872
Near Secunderabad
75.60
2.80
.97
5.84
..
1873
Kamptee
1 4 2 . 2 5
4.60
1.36
3 . 7 4
2 . 0 4
1874
Do.
6 4 . 9 5
2.80
1.24
.82
1.24
Average
94.26
3.40
1.19
3.46
1.09
1875
Kamptee
57.21
2.48
.48
13.94
. 4 8
Climate of the
station.
Diseases of the
district.
Nuisance.
Water-
supply.
Diet.
Dieting of
troops.
The following medical officers were in charge during the year:—
Surgeon E. Fawcett.
Surgeon-Major W. Arnold Smith, M.D.
The latter of whom reports as follows :—
Climate of the station.—The climate of Kamptee is a trying one for delicate constitutions. To
those, however, in fair average health and free from organic disease it is a very good climate. The
sanitary condition of the station is excellent, and, with the exception of a mild type of ague, there
is no special form of disease prevailing which can be attributable to the climate or the locality.
There is remarkable absence (comparatively speaking) of the usual tropical diseases, such as
hepatitis, dysentery, and diarrhœa. Catarrhs are prevalent during the cold season, and imme-
diately after the rains in October cases of ague are admitted more frequently. My belief is that
the admissions from malarious causes would be diminished one half were a thorough system of
subsoil drainage to be established. The subsoil is very retentive of moisture, and the houses are
very damp in the rains.
Diseases of the district.—The prevailing disease of the district is intermittent fever, in some
parts of a severe type, but in Kamptee generally mild. Outbreaks of small-pox are frequent during
the hot season, but the latter disease has not been so prevalent of late years. This is in my opinion
attributable to the discontinuance of a large annual festival to a place called Mahadao in the moun
-tain ranges between this station and Nursingpore. The disease has been quite absent from the
medical returns during the past four years at Kamptee.
Nuisance. —The only nuisance observed during the year was caused by the public latrines
for the use of the regimental followers. Another latrine has now been built for females. The
nuisance complained of was noticed during the rainy season, when their proper conservancy was
greatly interfered with from the rains washing the solid excreta about the interior of the buildings,
thus causing the ground to be saturated with the excreta in a state of aqueous solution. Dr.
Ranking as Sanitary Commissioner suggested the roofing in of these latrines, which would have
supplied the remedy for the nuisance complained of. His report is
dated—but up to date the
suggestion has not been carried out. I should mention that the conservancy of these latrines is
under municipal control.
Water-supply.—The water-supply has been good throughout the year both as to quantity and
quality. The supply has been chiefly from wells. The water from two wells in the lines was
analysed by the District Examiner and reported to be a fair sample of drinking water. It contains
very little organic matter, although a large proportion of the salts of lime and silica. All the
wells (except one) which are used for drinking purposes are numbered, and have a raised stone
chabootra round them to prevent waste water soaking back into them. They have also the words
"drinking water" painted over them, so that every precaution is taken to prevent pollution.
Diet.—Provisions have been cheap and plentiful all the year round, and the quality of the
various articles constituting the sepoy's diet has been inspected in the bazaar and generally found
to be of good quality. The supply of vegetables is most abundant and extremely cheap all the
year round. The following has been the average price of food:—Rice 17 seers per rupee,
wheat 19 seers, dholl 14 seers, ghee 1 1/2 seers, mutton 3 Annas per seer, large fowls three for a
rupee, small fowls four or five for a rupee, milk 13 seers per rupee. Vegetables are abundant
and cheap. Firewood 3 1/2 maunds for a rupee.
Dieting of troops .—The dieting of sepoys is not a question which comes under the control
of the medical officer. It has no doubt been sufficiently varied, but in many instances I am afraid
the pay of the sepoy is insufficient to feed himself and his numerous relatives properly. The day
will come when the question will be raised whether the Government is being treated fairly by the
sepoys, who, instead of thoroughly nourishing his body out of his pay, starves himself to feed an