106 MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Diet.
Clothing,
IX.
Diet.—The men are rationed by the Commissariat. The system is a good one; but
the atta that comes from Calcutta is bad. The men say it makes very heavy bread. The
unground wheat, too, is very weevil-eaten. If the atta improves, a better system could not
be found. The men are well nourished. Vegetables are scarce, and this is a great draw
-
back. The commanding officer is endeavouring to improve the regimental garden in order
to supply the men with as much vegetables as possible.
X. Clothing.— The men were clad well, I believe, at Agra. Un the march they wore
their winter uniforms, and were therefore warmly clothed during the coldest hours of the
morning. At evening, however, they prefer Hindustani clothes, and I had reason to complain
of their insufficiency. Bronchial catarrhs were common, and pneumonia gave three admissions.
On arrival at Baxa the officiating commanding officer paraded the men in Hindustani dress, and
took down the names of those men found insufficiently clad in order to compel them to have
warm clothing made up. And now regarding the much disputed question—the proper kind of
foot-covering to be worn by the sepoy. Each man has his own idea on the subject, and I do
not pretend to decide the point. Hear the voice of experience at the termination of a march
from Caragola to Baxa: The regiment, about 666 strong, marched for 24 days and traversed
223 miles. During this period there was only one admission from blister of feet, and this was
caused by boots. Almost all the men wore Hindustani shoes, excepting some Goorkhas who
wore boots, and socks knitted by their women. The annual return shews 20 admissions from
blisters of feet, and all of these were caused by boots. Ask the men what foot-covering they
like best, and they will tell you they prefer their shoes.
Duty and em-
ployment.
Marches and
service.
XI Duty and employment.— At Agra the duty was not excessive. During the hot season
the regiment supplied all the guards for the Agra Fort. On the march the men had very
little military duty proper, but they were very hard worked as a necessity in consequence
of the exceedingly bad roads and numerous rivers to cross. Parties had to be told off fre-
quently to help the carts, many of which had to proceed to the next camp during the night.
XII. Marches and service.—The regiment left Agra on the 25th October and proceeded
by train to Sahibgunge, making two day-halts of about 9 hours each, one at Allahabad, and the
other at Dinapore. At Sahibgunge, the regiment had to encamp on most filthy ground; the
drinking water was bad, obtained from a well near this ground. On the morning of the
9th October, the regiment crossed the Caragola river in the steamboat. The men were without
food and drink for 8 or 9 hours. The sick especially suffered.
On an average the men marched 9 or 10 miles per diem. As far as Titalyah the roads
were very dusty, rendering the marches fatiguing. After passing Titalyah, the men found
marching pleasant and reached the new camp rather fresh. Marching began between 4 and 5
A.M., according to the number of miles to be got over. The camp was generally occupied
between 8 and 9 A.M. A mile was marched over in 17½ minutes. In short marches the
men were halted once, and in long ones, twice. In the march from Alipore to Sautraboree,
distance of 19 miles, there were three halts of an average 25 minutes each.
Most of the encamping grounds were damp, especially the one at Gyasul. It had the
appearance of a dried-up marsh, about 2 feet below the level of the general surface of the
country. The grass on it was very long and had to be cut down. Every one noticed a
peculiar, heavy smell about the place. It is the opinion of the officiating commanding
officer, who has had some experience of this part of India, that the regiment marched a
month too early. The soil, rendered damp by recent rains, had not time to dry ; during the
night, too, the dew fell heavily, drenching the tents and wetting the grass and ground. From
warm beds the men rose at the small hours of the morning ; their shoes and feet soon became
wet. The days were generally hot, temperature 87° Fah : but in the evening the tem
-
perature fell suddenly. As the regiment approached the head-quarters of malaria,—the
Terai—the number of sick began to increase rapidly. Leaving Agra with only 9 sick, at Tita
-
lyah there were 39 ; at Kooch Behar 55 ; at Alipore 57 ; and at Baxa 81. On the 11th De
-
cember, there were 101 in hospital, the result, no doubt, of marching through the deadly Terai.
Fatigue, damp, and malaria working together, produced this large amount of sickness.
Hospital.
Hospital
latrine.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XIV Hospital.— A description of the erection used as a hospital was given
in the report for 1872 ; it is constructed of bamboos plastered with mud and
white washed ; the jhamp doors have been replaced by glass ones, and there is a
verandah to the south. The medical officer states that it was fairly comfort
-
able and was sufficiently ventilated.
Hospital latrine.— The latrine for the use of the patients in hospital was,
on first arrival of the regiment at Baxa, considered to have been excessively
faulty in all its sanitary arrangements, but certain alterations have been made,
which it is hoped will prevent the floor from becoming saturated with urine.
Sickness, mortality and invalidiny.— Strength of the regiment
Present
.
.
.
621.80
Absent
.
.
.
82.4
TOTAL . . .
704.2