viii.
19. Having concluded a brief review of the effect which climate and
locality of stations exerted on the sickness and mortality of the native army,
I shall now consider how far these two factors (climate and locality) were
influenced by other and most important sanitary conditions, such as ventilation
of buildings, over-crowding, drainage, water-supply, diet, clothing, &c.
20. That the conditions just enumerated exert an all-important influence,
whether for good or evil, on the health of every community, has for some years
past been an acknowledged fact; and I feel great pleasure in being able to re-
port to Government, that the regimental medical officers of Her Majesty's Indian
Army are not only particularly well informed on all such sanitary details, but
that the attention they have individually.bestowed on every question relating
to the health of the men under their charge, and the cordial co-operation
accorded by commanding officers of regiments, to their generally sound and
practical recommendations, have together, in no small degree, contributed to
exert a most beneficial influence on the health of the sepoys.
21. A general knowledge of the laws of health is the outcome of observa
- t i o n a n d g o o d c o m m o n s e n s e , r a t h e r t h a n o f a n y v e r y p r o f o u n d m e d i c a l o r
chemical education; and it is no small matter that every man in a regiment,
from the commanding officer downwards, has the opportunity for becoming
more or less conversant with the more ordinary, though none the less important,
subjects of hygiene, from having a medical officer associated with them, who,
himself well acquainted with the rules for preserving health, is able, both by
example and teaching, to impress those around him with their importance.
Benefits
r e s u l t i n g f r o m
c a m p l i f e a n d
m a r c h i n g .
22. Every one of Indian experience is aware of the benefit which accrues
to health from marching and camp life in the North-Western Provinces, Oudh,
and the Punjab during the cold weather; and the opinions recorded in the
several sanitary reports, as to the good effects which camp life exerted on the
health of the men (some of whom were much debilitated as a result of duty
in unhealthy stations) fully corroborate this belief.
Medical
o f f i c e r s a g r e e a s t o t h e g o o d e f f e c t s o f c c a m p l i f e .
23. All the medical officers agree that the marches in ordinary course of
relief were attended by good results, while some (whose regiments had been
improvement which the march and residence afterwards at the camp of exer
- cise effected in the health of the men; thus, of the 4th . Regiment, Bengal
Cavalry, we are told that the health of the men improved, and this though
they were sometimes as many as eight and nine hours in the saddle. The.
medical officer of the 28th Regiment, Bengal Infantry, writes that when the
regiment commenced the march from Cawnpore to Delhi it was very weakly,
and at one time there were 70 men on the convalescent list; but the march
and the exercise at the camp had a wonderful and most gratifying result on
the health of the men. The sowars of the 11th Bengal Cavalry had suffered a
good deal from intermittent fever while at Meean Meer, but they . improved in
health and strength during the six weeks they were encamped at Delhi.
Re l i e f a nd s e r vi c e i n 1875.
24. The following regiments were moved in course of relief, or were
at the camp of exercise at Delhi, during 1875, viz., 12 regiments of Bengal
Cavalry, 4 companies of Sappers and Miners, and 18 regiments of Bengal
Infantry, in course of ordinary relief; and 8 regiments of Bengal Cavalry,
the head-quarters and 6 companies of the Sappers and Miners, and 15 regi
- ments of Bengal Infantry were at the camp of exercise at Delhi. The
remarks in the preceding paragraph tend to prove the beneficial effect which
marching and camp life exerted on the health of the men so employed, and is
amply confirmatory of former experience on this point.
Topography
of s t a t i ons .
25. I have, with few exceptions, omitted the topographical descriptions of
st at i ons f r om t hi s r epor t , f or t he si mpl e r eason t hat t hey have been most l y
supplied in previous years, and therefore valuable space would be taken up by a
useless repetition; however, those which have been submitted appear to be
carefully prepared, and evince an anxiety on the part of medical officers to
become acquainted not only with the peculiarities of the stations in which they
were serving, but also with those of the district generally.
Meteorology.
26. Meteorological observations I have also in a great measure omitted,
as regimental hospitals are not supplied with instruments with which observa
-
tions of any practical value can be made. At the same time, however, as I