NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
18
TABLE of Sickness amongst the Officers, Women, and Children in the 2/7th
Fusiliers, during the Year 1874, quartered in Ghorpurie Lines (Poona).
Average
Strength.
Disease.
Number of
Admissions.
R e m a r k s .
30.10/12
Officers.
Malarial Fevers..... ...
...
As this table only gives the actual
admissions into hospital, it does not
afford a correct estimate of the ac-
All other Causes.... ""
16
tual amount of sickness amongst
the women and children, which
should be somewhat as follows:—
_
Total ...
21
_______
Average
daily sick.
Per cent.
Women
... 12
11.18
Children ... 30
... 14.83
W o m e n .
1 0 7 . 3 3
Malarial Fevers......
...
69
All other Causes... ...
139
Total ...
208
Children
202.25
Malarial Fevers...
...
96
All other Causes
...
. . .
121
Total ...
217
Grand Total ...
446
(Signed) B. GIRAUD, M.D., Surgeon-Major,
In medical charge 2/7th Fusiliers.
19
TABLE of Admissions and Deaths by each Class of Disease in the 2/7th Fusiliers
quartered in Ghorpurie Barracks (Poona) during the Year 1875.
Average Strength during year, 574.00.
C l a s s .
Order.
Description.
No. of Ad-
missions.
No. of
Deaths.
Remarks.
I.
A.
General Diseases ......
846
1
2 enteric fever, 156 febricula, 604
ague 84 remit. fever.
B
......
96
1
8 acute rheum., 24 chronic rheum.,
49 primary syphilis, 2 secondary
syphilis, 5 phthisis pulmonalis,
1 hæmoptysis, 7 lumbago.
II.
I.
Diseases of Nervous System.
2
. . . .
1 epilepsy, 1 neuralgia.
II.
Eye
...
...
...
16
...
2 lachrymal obstruction, 3 iritis,
6 conjunctivitis, 1 traumatic
iritis, 2 keratitis, 2 hordeolum.
III. Ear
...
..
3
...
I inflam. of memb. tym., 1 deaf-
ness, 1 inflam. of external meatus.
IV. Nose... ...
. . . . . .
1
. . .
1 polypus.
V.
Circulatory ..
...
. ..
4
. . .
2 palpitation, 2 varicose veins.
VI. Absorbent .... . . ...
32
. .
.
Intlam of ing. glands.
VIII. Respiratory. ...
.. .
6 5
.. .
2 laryngeal
catarrh,
1 bronc.
catarrh, 53 bronchitis, 4 pneu-
monia, 1 pleurisy, 4 asthma.
I.X. Digestive ...
...
...
241
5
61 dyspepsia, 13 dysentery, 93
diarrhœa, 2 jaundice, 13 colic, 3
tænia solium, 2 condyloma,.
2 fistulæ in an., 6 hæmorrhoids,
.1 hernia, 14 hepatitis, 5 gum-
boil, 1 abscess of tongue.
X.
Urinary
....
...
6
. . .
53 gonorrhœa, 1 incontinence of
urine, 1 stricture spasmodic,
3 epididymitis gon., 4 cystitis.
XI.
Generative ......
...
4
...
Orchitis.
XII. Locomotion...... ...
3
. . .
1 periostitis, 2 acute synovitis.
XIII. Cellular Tissue
7
. . .
2 inf. of cell. tissue, 5 abscess.
XIV. Cutaneous ......
...
33
'.' . . .
2 eczema, 19 ulcer, 10 boil,
1 guineaworm, 1 ingrown nail.
III.
I.
General Debility ...
...
9
...
1V.
I.
Delirium Tremens ...
...
1
...
V.
II.
Accidental ...
...
...
74
. . .
1 burns and scalds, 26 contusions
1 fracture, 14 wounds, 1 wound
(gunshot), 29 sprain, 2 blisters
of feet.
VI.
I.
No appreciable disease
3
...
Total...
1,502
7
This table shows the admissions into hospital only. In addition to these there were always a
large number of weakly men assent at the hill sanitarium of Purandhar and Khandála, and a
large number of men attending at hospital daily to receive quinine. From the records of the
hospital the daily average of men non-effective through sickness during the year is as follows :
—
Average Strength at Poona, 574.00.
...
Average daily sick in hospital
...
...
...
. .
4 6 . 2 3
Per cent.
8.05
Average daily weakly men attending for quinine or absent at hill sanitarium.
84 . 64 14.74
...
Average daily total non-effective through sickness...
...
The greatest amount of this sickness was produced by malarious fever.
130.87 22.79
(Signed)
B. GIRAUD, M.D., Surgeon-Major,
In medical charge 2/7th Fusiliers.
20
TABLE of Sickness amongst the Officers, Women, and Children in the 2/7th
Fusiliers, during the Year 1875, quartered in Ghorpurie Lines, Poona.
A v e r a g e
Strength.
Disease.
No. of
Admissions.
Remarks.
Officers,
32
Malarial Fevers...
...
2
This return only shows the actual
admissions into hospital, and gives
but a very faint idea of the actual
sickness that prevailed amongst the
women and children during the
year 1875.
Owing to the limited hospital ac-
commodation, only the most severe
cases were admitted ; but a very
much larger proportion (who can-
not be shown in this return) were
treated outside.
Malarious fever and general debility
(engendered thereby) were the
principal causes of this great sick-
ness ; and it is calculated on a rough
estimation that there was a daily
average sick, during the year, of—
All Other Causes
16
--
Total...
is
Women,
11 8 8/12
Malarial Fevers...
...
...
83
* All Other Causes
...
...
121
Daily Sick. Percentage.
Women
... 18
15.00
.
Total...
204
Children
30
12.00
.
Children.
Malarial Fevers...
...
.. .
162
† All Other Causes. ..
132
Total
294
Grand Total...
516
* Principally general debility after repeated attacks of ague.
† Principally general debility and tedious and painful dentition in children weakened by fever.
(Signed)
B. GIRAUD, M.D., Surgeon-Major;
medical charges 2/7th Fusiliers.
23
12. The crowding of the European burial-ground with the bodies of Native
Christians is an evil that ought and can be stopped by the exercise of a little
wholesome power of restraint on the part of the Cantonment Committee. The
faulty construction of the regimental hospital seems to be further aggravated
by the crowding together of a heap of subsidiary buildings and servants' quarters,
which shut out the light and hinder ventilation. By what Dr. Hewlett very
justly terms an "extraordinary arrangement," the dead-house and cook-room are
placed close together in an objectionable vicinity, which the Committee think it
would be difficult to find a parallel for elsewhere.
13. Regarding the filth deposited in the nullah near the officers' bungalows,
and the various other nuisances complained of in that neighbourhood, the Sani-
tary Commissioner proposes to extend the Cantonment limits so as to include, at
least, a quarter of a mile on the east side of the nullah. This, if feasible, would
be a very desirable reform, and would protect the immediate neighbourhood
against some of the worst and most Offensive of the many nuisances existing in
the locality.
14. It only remains for the Committee to draw attention to the emphatic
language in which the Sanitary Commissioner insists upon the necessity of sub-
soil drainage. Dr. Hewlett, the Committee are glad to perceive, bears willing
testimony to the great efforts now being made by the Executive Engineer at
Poona to improve the condition of the officers' quarters by cutting deep surface
drains; but he complains that these are not paved at the bottom, and he states
that, however good and necessary surface drainage may be in itself, it cannot be
held to take the place of, or supersede the necessity for, subsoil drainage.
15. Before concluding this Report the Committee . again take occasion to
record the sense of their obligation to the Sanitary Commissioner for his most
valuable description of the present sanitary condition of the European Canton-
ment at Poona. The Report, drawn up in clear, terse, and vigorous language, with
-out verbiage or ambiguity, is a model of what sanitary reports ought to be. It
may be sometimes considered expedient to differ from the views of the Sanitary
Commissioner; but it is impossible to mistake his meaning, and the precision and
definiteness of his statements are above all praise.
MARK KERR, C.B., Lieut.-General,
President, Cantonment Committee.
M. MILES, Colonel,
Commanding Her Majesty's 26th Regiment.
R. MACDONALD CHAMBERS, Lieut.-Colonel,
Commanding Her Majesty's 5th Regiment
Native Light Infantry.
C. W. WAHAB, Lieut.-Colonel,
Commanding Her Majesty's 8th Regiment
Native Infantry.
T. B. BEATTY,
Deputy Surgeon-General, I. M. D.
L. S. BRUCE, Surgeon-Major,
Civil Surgeon.
F. J. HERCY, Major,
Commanding Her Majesty's 2nd Queen's.
E. SEXTON, Surgeon-Major,
In medical charge Lock Hospital.
G. C. EVEZARD, Colonel,
Secretary, Cantonment Committee.
Sanitation.—
Cantonment, Poona.
Military Department.
Bombay Castle,
No. 4001
25th September 1877.
Letter from the Sanitary Commissioner, No. 472, dated 17th February 1877.
Forwards the concluding section of his Inspection Report on the Cantonment of Poona,
comprising a description of the sanitary condition of the barracks occupied by the European troops
at that station.
RESOLUTION.—The remarks of the Sanitary Commissioner on the Wanowri
barracks go far to prove that, notwithstanding all the efforts that have hitherto
been made to design a standard plan for quarters for the British soldiers in
India, there are still details intimately connected with the health and comfort of
the troops which appear to have escaped attention.
2.
The site occupied by these barracks is in many respects good, and would
be perfect if thorough subsoil drainage could be carried out. But at present,
and it may be said for some time to come, the consideration of such a scheme
must be postponed.
3.
The barracks themselves are well raised and substantially built, of good
material. Nevertheless they still appear to require more ventilation, and the
provision of certain conveniences manifestly necessary. The surface drainage
too might be improved.
4.
The Wanowri barracks are described as consisting of six new and eight
old pattern barracks.
5. The ground floors of the six new barracks are used. as sleeping rooms
for the men. The original intention, it is believed, was that men should occupy the upper stories as sleeping rooms and the lower as day rooms. Probably the costliness of the few buildings, such as they are, prevented a sufficient number
of rooms being built to allow of all the men sleeping on the upper floor.
6.
The ventilation of ground floor rooms is still imperfect, but might be
improved if the suggestions given in para. 4 of the Sanitary Commissioner's
report be adopted.
7.
What is brought to notice in para. 5 should receive immediate atten-
tion, and ought to have been remedied long since.
8.
The remarks regarding the filters in para. 6 deserve attention.
9.
What is stated in para. 7 is a proof of how little consideration is given
to matters of detail, of no small importance too, when designs for new barracks
are accepted by those whose business it is to see that all reasonable arrangement
is made for the health and comfort of the men.
10.
That a large costly upper-storied barrack should have been designed
without urinaries on the upper floor is not the fault of the designer of the build-
ing, but of the many whose business it is to scrutinize the design and to point
out what the real requirements of the building are. It is observed in the remarks
of the Cantonment Committee that that body "notice with regret the very
reprehensible practice of allowing men to make water at night through the iron
railing all round the verandahs: surely such an odious and filthy habit could not
B 221—T 1
out if the authorities impressed on landlords the necessity for furnishing suitable
latrine accommodation.
36. The attention of the regimental authorities concerned should be called
to what is stated in para. 51.
37. If the piping proposed to be laid down ( vide para. 52) will not add
considerably to the cost of the improvements already sanctioned, the proposal
should be entertained.
38. The Quarter Master General should report on what is recommended in
para. 54.
39. The remarks recorded in paras. 55 and 56 are satisfactory and credit
-able to the department concerned.
40. An extract from the Sanitary Commissioner's report (paras. 57 and 58)
should be sent to the Public Works Department for consideration of what is stated
regarding the liability of the water brought from Kharakwásla being contami--
nated while flowing into the south-west end of the cantonment.
J. A. M. MACDONALD, Colonel,
Secretary to Government.
To
The Sanitary Commissioner,
The Quarter Master General,
With copies of the
The Chief Secretary to Government, General Department,
Sani t ary C o
m-
The Secretary to Government, Public Works Department,
missioner's re-
The Surgeon General, British Forces. port.
PART II.
REPORTS
ON
CIVIL STATIONS INSPECTED IN 1875.
RE-PRINTED BY ORDER OF GOVERNMENT.
T a n n a .
Poona.
Ahmedabad.
Ahmednagar.
B 221—1
INSPECTION REPORT OF THE TOWN OF TANNA.
No. A/ 503
To
THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
GENERAL DEPARTMENT.
Office of the Sanitary Commissioner for the Government of
Bombay, 3 rd June 1875.
SIR,
I have the honour to report, for the information of Government, that on the
28th May I went to Tanna, as I had heard that cholera had broken out in the
town.
2. I made my official inspection of it in company with Dr. Hojel, the Acting
Civil Surgeon, who pointed out to me the houses in which cholera cases had taken
place, and showed me the measures he had adopted to stamp out the disease.
We were also accompanied by Colonel Coles, the District Superintendent of
Police, and by Dr. Cody, the Superintendent of Vaccination and Health Officer of
t he Wes t er n Ci r cl e; and, as we wer e goi ng r ound, Mr . Rober t s on, t he Col l ect or ,
joined the party, and accompanied us in our inspection.
3. Dr. Hojel promised to give me a short account of the circumstances
connected with the outbreak, and has written a report, which is so clear and
concise that I do myself the honour to forward it to you. From it, it will be
seen that, although there had been a fatal case of cholera which had been im-
- p o r t e d f r o m N á s i k o n t h e 1 3 t h A p r i l , y e t n o f r e s h c a s e h a d o c c u r r e d u n t i l t h e
15th May, when a boy was brought by rail from Tullegaon, a village near Poona,
where cholera was then said to be prevalent.
4. This boy was taken to house No. 32, situated in one of the main thorough-
- f a r e s i n t h e t o w n . I t i s a t w o - s t o r e y e d h o u s e , u s e d a s a c h a w l , a n d d i v i d e d o n
each floor by a passage running down its length, on each side of which are dark,
ill-ventilated compartments used as dwelling-rooms, the walls of which are com-
- p o s e d o f p l a s t e r e d b a m b o o t a t t i e s . T h e r e w e r e a t t h e t i m e l i v i n g i n i t 6 0 o r 7 0
persons, who drank the water of a foul surface well situated in the corner of the
building. The boy was promptly seen by Dr. Hojel, and, although on arrival he
was in an advanced stage of cholera, he recovered. Instant measures were taken
to prevent the disease spreading, by burning the soiled clothes of the patient, by
disinfecting his excreta, by the fumigation and lime-washing of the walls and
rooms, &c.
5. Dr. Hojel's exertions were not confined to this particular house. At
his suggestion the Collector was good enough to warn station-masters along the
line to prevent persons suffering from cholera from entering the trains, and in
order to protect the town a shed was erected near the railway station for the
accommodation of any sick who had escaped previous detection.
8
No. 86 OF 1875.
FROM
SURGEON-MAJOR A. N. HOJEL,
GENERAL DUTY, BOMBAY,
ON TEMPORARY DUTY AT TANNA,
To
THE SANITARY COMMISSIONER,
BOMBAY.
Tanna, 29th May 1875.
SIR,
In compliance with your request I have the honour to submit some remarks
upon the outbreak of cholera at this station.
2. On the 13th of April last, a man was brought from Násik suffering from
cholera, and he died in a few hours after his arrival. I was not then in Tanna
, s o I a m u n a b l e t o s a y w h a t m e a s u r e s w e r e t a k e n .
3. On the 15th May a boy was brought by train from Tallegaon (near
Poona) in an advanced stage of cholera of a bad type ; he, however, made a good
recovery, and the house, No. 32, Ghaty Alli Street, in which he was located, was
thoroughly fumigated, the floors scraped, and the walls white-washed. All excreta
as soon as passed were disinfected, and the soiled clothes burnt in my presence.
4. With a view to prevent, if possible, the importation of fresh cases, I
wrote to the Collector asking him to caution the station-masters, along the line
of rail, of the danger of allowing sick people to enter the trains ; at the same time
I placed myself in communication with the municipal authorities, and arranged
for the erection of a temporary shed near the railway station, and some distance
to the leeward of the town. The policemen on duty at the station received
directions to detain any sick people alighting from the trains until I had seen
them; and if they turned out to be suffering from cholera I should have had them
removed in a dooley, which was in readiness, to the shed above alluded to.
5. On the 20th May, having received information that cholera had broken
out in several villages in the Collectorate, I endeavoured to impress on the
municipal authorities the necessity of placing their house in order so as to be in
as favourable a position as possible to meet a deadly enemy which might any day
knock at t hei r gat es . The chai r man of t he managi ng commi t t ee met my advi ce,
as to the sanitary measures which should be adopted, with a polite assurance
that everything that I recommended should be immediately done. But I regret
to say that the assurance was not followed by action. Mr. Cumine, the Assist
-ant Collector in charge of the Sudder station, very kindly lent all the weight
of his official position to the forwarding of my views ; his advice, like mine,
was politely received, but not acted upon. The police authorities were, how-
ever, more obliging, for the Chief Constable immediately acted on my suggestion
of placing men on all the principal roads leading to the town, so as to intercept,
and prevent entering the town, any people that might be suffering from cholera,
or coming from villages known to be infected.
6. On the afternoon of the 21st May two fresh cases occurred in the
town : one in the house mentioned in paragraph 3, and the other in a house exactly
opposite. Both these houses were fumigated, whitewashed, and the floors
scraped and cow-dunged, and disinfecting powder freely used. The soiled
clothes were burnt in my presence.
authorities preferred trusting to "nuseeb" rather than drawing their purse-
strings. Mr. Robertson's influence, however, induced them to change their
opinion.
33. I have not been unmindful of the safety of the troops or the inmates
of the jail, and I am happy to state that not a single case has occurred among
either.
34. I regret that I have not had the time to elaborate this report as I could
have wished; but, when it is considered that I have the charge of four hospitals
and a dispensary, besides my work in the town, I trust it may be sufficient
excuse for the hurried manner in which this report has been put together.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed) A. N, HOJEL, Surgeon-Major,
Acting Civil Surgeon, Tanna.
(True Copy)
T. G. HEWLETT,
Acting Sanitary Commissioner.
11.
As might be expected, the state of the town is described as exceedingly
filthy and offensive, and in censequence the death-rate is high. In 1873, a
healthy year entirely free from cholera, it was over 32 per mile against 24 per
mile in the neighbouring city of Bombay, and the death-rate from fever and
bowel complaint is double that of Bombay.
12.
The Municipal Revenue and Expenditure of Tanna may be thus sum-
marized from the returns for 1873-74:—
Revenue
Rs.
Octori.................
3,800
House-tax
1,900
Tolls and wheel-tax
.
4,450
Assessed-taxes.
4,650
Miscellaneous..
900
15,700
E x p e n d i t u r e —
Rs.
Public Safety.—Lighting and Fire Engines......
1,500
Public Instruction.—Schools and Libraries ......
165
Public Works.—
New roads
290
Repairs
Public Health.—
Vaccination
175
Road watering
270
Scavenging
3,375
Hallalcore service
.2,315
Other charges
.
1,335
Establishments
2,075
13,820
13.
The population being about 14,300, the incidence of taxation is at the
rate of about Rs. 1-1-0 per head. There is no Municipal debt and no expend-
iture on Police, the expenditure on Education being nominal.
14.
It is absolutely necessary that the sanitary condition of Tanna should
be improved, and Government are of opinion that the Municipality can well
provide the requisite funds. There appears to be at present a surplus of income
over expenditure of about Rs. 2,000 a year, and Municipal taxation is by no
means so heavy that a moderate increase to improve the health and comfort of
the inhabitants cannot be borne.
15.
The President and Vice-President should be reminded that, if the
Municipality will not do their duty in this matter, they have large powers under
Section X., Clause I., of the District Municipal Act; and in the last resort
Government will be prepared to exercise the powers vested in them by Section
NCI., Clause I.
16.
A work of paramount importance is the improvement of the water-
supply. The Collector should at once have a professional enquiry made to
ascertain if the suggestion to impound water in a tank among the neighbouring
hills for the supply of the town is feasible. It should be borne in mind that
(unless the house-owners are willing to pay by a special water rate for the extra
cost of the convenience of having water laid on to their houses) the water need
not be brought into the town under pressure. For the object is to enable the
people to obtain pure water, not to save them the labour of fetching it to their
houses. Meanwhile all wells should be cleaned out as soon as possible, and.
steps should be taken to prevent fouling of the tanks.
2
17. As regards drainage, the suggestions of the Sanitary Commissioner
are probably financially impracticable. But the cost of substituting for the
present earthen gutters properly paved open saucer drains ought not to be
great. Care should be taken that these drains have a proper and sufficient
gradient, and that the out-falls are carried down to low water-mark.
18. Steps should be immediately taken to set aside near each quarter of
the town convenient places for natural purposes. It will probably be best to
manage these on the "trench system"; when this is done, the use of house-
privies, always dangerous and expensive, should be discouraged. Such of the
wealthier classes as wish to have privies should be permitted to do so only on
condition of their being detached, properly constructed, and fitted with efficient
receptacles, and of paying for the cost of cleaning them. This will cause a
saving to the Municipality, and the work is one for which the public ought not
to pay. The house-owners should be required to pave their gullies within a
reasonable time.
19. A thorough surface cleaning of the town should be carried out at
once, and if dust-bins are too costly, the house-holders should be required to
deposit their refuse in specified convenient places, whence it should be removed
daily. When this is done, the existing Staff (49 hallalcores and scavengers with
their muccadums) ought to be sufficient to keep the town clean. It is pretty
clear that the men have not hitherto been properly supervised and kept up to
their work.
20. The President should report as soon as practicable what steps the
Municipality propose to take to improve the sanitary condition of the Town, and
whether any additional powers under Section XXVII. of the Act are required.
21. The thanks of Government are to be communicated to Dr. Hewlet
for his energy in this matter.
W. G. PEDDER,
Acting Secretary to Government.