ALLAHABAD DIVISION.
27
13th (Shekhawattee) Regiment Native Infantry—Benares.
I. Medical Officers—Surgeon-Major Albert M. Verchere was in medical
The detachment at Berhampore,
under the medical charge of Surgeon-Major Shircore, had occupied that station during 1874
and 1875, and remained there until the middle of October without any relief, when it rejoined
regimental head-quarters on the 16th October. The detachment at Fort Chunar was relieved
monthly, and finally rejoined regimental head-quaters on the 16th October.
111. Topography and physical geography.-There were no changes of any sort, and I have
nothing to add to information previously submitted regarding Benares. With regard to Agra,
I refer to the reports submitted in 1869 by Dr. Stevens, 1st Regiment Native Infantry,
and Dr. Constant, 40th Regiment Native Infantry (see pages 74 and 77 of the Medical and
Sanitary Report of the Native Army of Bengal for 1869). I have little to add to the descrip-
tions given by those officers. In the lines occupied by the 13th Native Infantry the soil is
rich in reh, and all the wells, except one, are brackish. One well, however, gives good water
and is mostly used by the men for drinking. It appears hardly necessary to say that a
station built on a thick bed of hard clay through which rain water does not penetrate, is
placed on the top of a mass which absorbs heat during the day and gives it out at night,
and that hot nights are the natural result in April, May and June.
IV.-Meleorology and climate.— The year 1876 was a hot year in the North-Western Pr
o-vinces ; thus at Benares, it was hotter than 1874 and 1875, viz :—
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths, Daily sick.
1871
. Fort William, March
1871
158
4 . 3
6.3
1872
. Benares, November 1872
1 7 4 . 4
4.3
6.7
1873
.
Ditto
ditto
.
73.5
2.2
4.3
1874
.
Ditto
ditto
94.4
1 . 7
6.7
1875
. Benares
103.19
1 . 5 6
5.36
Average
120.69
2.81
5.87
1876
Agra, 21st November
1876
.
.
.
98.42
1 . 1 4
3 . 3 4
Detachments.
T o p o g r a p h y
and physical
geography.
Meteorology
and climate.
Medical Offi-
charge from the 1st January cers
to the 12th May, when he
went on sick leave to the
hills. He rejoined on the
3rd October, and held charge
to the end of the year.
II. Location and movements.— Location and
The head-quarters was stationed at
Benares from the 1st January to
the 15th October, when the regi-
ment marched, by road, to Agra,
where it arrived on the 21st No-
vember. From the latter date to
end of the year it has been located
at Agra.
Mean of highest,
Mean of lowest.
Appro x imate mean
temperature of the
year.
1874
85.27
70.19
77.72
1875
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
86
70.89
78.44
1876
87.75
71.05
7 9 . 4
The rainfall was under the average and much below that of 1875.
VIII.
Water-supply.—From
wells in the lines. The water of most wells is saline and
brackish from solution of sulphate of soda, of which the clay of the soil is rich. One well,
however, gives good sweet water, a little flat and soapy, but not brackish ; this is mostly used
for drinking by the men. But there is no doubt that some men are not at all particular about
the water they drink and swallow a large quantity of brackish water daily ; they do not seem to
suffer from it in a direct manner ; that is to say, they do not show signs of scurvy or have any
great tendency to ulcers or crops of boils ; but the constant use of water containing much sul-
phate of soda must have a deleterious effect on the fibrin of the blood, which effect, aggravated
by a diet too rich in carbon and poor in nitrogen, leads to a feeble state of vitality favorable
to the reception or development of diseases of a low type. The river water would be much
better, especially if settled, in reservoirs before it is delivered. But it would cost a great
deal of money to bring the river water into cantonments.
IX.
Diet.—The men diet themselves. The bazar supplies were inspected by me, while I
was at regimental head-quarters, at least once a month, and were always found good, except on
a few occasions on the march, when it was indifferent. There is always a good quantity of
cheap vegetables offered for sale in the regimental bazar. There is no sign of underfeeding
in the regiment.
X. Clothing.—I have nothing to add to what I said in former reports. The clothing is
satisfactory ; the grant of a free kit to recruits has now been granted by Government, and will
prevent a good deal of the " breaking down at drill" of young recruits. Poverty during the
first year of service meant bad food and insufficient clothes and bedding, and as the work of
the recruits is hard, many lads broke down and had to be discharged for physical disability.
This disability was but too often represented by the seeds of consumption, or the first indications
of an injured or enfeebled heart ; and thus lads return to their village, after a year's service,
with their health permanently injured and often to die an early death,—a history which was
not encouraging to other lads in the village. The gift of a free kit will relieve much of the
poverty of the recruit at the beginning of his service, and the number of men discharged
as " unlikely to make efficient soldiers" ought to diminish sensibly all through the Native army.
Water-supply.
Diet.