Drainage.
Conservancy
arid latrines.
Water-supply
Diet.
Clothing.
192
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
south. The drainage is entirely surface, and there being a gentle slope towards the north and
west, there is no lodging of water after rain. The huts are built of mud, well "leeped;" they
have flat roofs; their capacity is 11,799 cubic feet, and they are kept in excellent repair. On
account of so many men being constantly absent, and a considerable number more being occa
- s i o n a l l y a b s e n t , t h e r e i s n o p o s s i b i l i t y o f o v e r c r o w d i n g .
VI. Drainage.—There are no pucka drains in the station, but alongside of each road there
are two ditches, from which a portion of the materials for the roads was taken. These are kept
fairly clear, and serve as drains for carrying off the rain-water. No filth of any kind is allowed
to be denosited in them on any account. They appear to be quite sufficient for their purpose.
VII. Conservancy and latrines.— The conservancy of the station is carefully carried out,
and, as it would appear, successfully. The excreta are carried away in carts and buried at a
considerable distance from cantonments. There are latrines (dry-earth system) near the
regimental lines, to the south of them, which are used by the women of the regiment only,
the men having recourse, for, the purposes of nature, to the adjacent sand-hills, where there
are certain places marked out for them by stakes, within which they must go.
VIII. Water-supply. — T h e r e a r e f i v e p u c k a w e l l s i n a n d n e a r t h e l i n e s , f r o m w h i c h w a t e r
of an excellent quality is drawn, and the supply is abundant. I am not aware of any recent
analysis of the water. The wells in use are all covered with wooden covers, and much care is
taken that no impurities get into' the water. 'When bathing themselves, the men draw water
from the wells and then retire to a short distance to perform their ablutions. The wash
- i n g of clothes takes place on the bank of the River Loondee, which is to the north of the
Grand Trunk Road, and consequently, nearly a mile from the lines occupied by the regi-
m e n t
IX. Diet.—The men diet themselves and do so sufficiently. The regimental bazaar is kept
very clean and in excellent order. Attah, dhall, rice, spices, ghee, potatoes and several other
kinds of vegetables are in abundance; the quality good, and the prices moderate. The bazaar
supplies are examined daily by the quartermaster and the native officer of the .day. I have
several times visited all the shops in the bazaar, and invariably found the supplies of good
quality. Meat can be had by those who desire it. The food is suitable for the men for the
climate they live in, the work they have to do, and the means they have of living. No
instance of improper or under-feeding has come to my notice; but should any be detected, the
man would be promptly punished. Rum for the Sikhs and other spirit-drinking Hindoos is
procured from the Commissariat Department on payment, on the recommendation of
t h e m e d i c a l o f f i c e r . X. Clothing.—The men have each two suits of uniform, one for the hot weather and one
for the cold. The former is made of stout drill, khakee colored, and the knicker-bocker
trousers are made l arge enough for the men ' to :put, on :any nati ve. arti cl es of . dress they , pl ease
beneath them. The winter dress is of good strong cloth; the fashion is the same as that of'
the summer clothing. At all seasons they wear gaiters, which button closely round the ankle
and calf. When on duty in the station, as parades, guards, orderly duties, &c.,_they always
wear ammunition boots, which suit them very well; there were but few cases of sore feet from
wearing boots during the year. On the march they wear native shoes and puttees (bandages
wound round the leg from below upwards) instead of ammunition boots .and gaiters. At the
commencement of the present cold weather, posteens were procured for all the recruits, and
there are besides sufficient in the quartermaster' s store to issue one of them to each man
mounting guard at night, which is returned into store next morning. This is a very good plan.
The undress clothing is sufficient, at. least. in the case of' those men who have been. in the
regiment for a couple of years. The recrui t s, as . a rul e, have not :enough of cl ot hes.
Duty and
employment.
Exercise, am
- u s e m e n t s , a n d occupations.
D
XI. Duty and employment.—These are such as are incidental to the profession of 'a soldier—
parades, guards, musketry, escorts for commissariat and ordnance stores, treasure and prisoners,
besides detachments at Forts Abazai and Mackeson for the whole year and at Cherat for about
two and a half months. For the last two and a half months of 1875, the regiment was the
only one at Nowshera available for all guards and escorts, the 10th Bengal Lancers having
marched about the middle of October. We have had to relieve all guards proceeding either up
or down the Grand Trunk Road, so that duty has been rather heavy ; however, the men
d o n o t s e e m t o h a v e s u f f e r e d t h e r e f r o m . T h e n u m b e r o f n i g h t s i n b e d h a s b e e n 4 . 9 9 .
_ X I I . E x e r c i s e , a m u s e m e n t s , a n d o c c u p a t i o n s
. — T h e r e a r e a g o o d m a n y s m a l l g a r d e n s t o t h e
north of the lines in which the men grow sundry vegetables. A gymnasium has been
erected through which the recruits have all to pass. They practise the, dumb-bells, the parallel
and horizontal bars, vaulting, &c. There is very little shikar near Nowshera, and the men
do not go out.
Marches and
service.
Hospital.
XIII. Marches and service.—The regiment made but one march during the year, viz.,
that from Peshawar to Nowshera on the 17th February. A detachment has been at Fort
Abazai during the Whole year; its average strength was 86 men. It-was under the care of the
medical officer of the Doaba outposts. Another detachment was at Fort Mackeson for the
whole year; its average strength was 32 men. It was under the care of a hospital
assistant. A third was at Cherat for the month of June, and again from 1st November to
16th December; its average strength was 116 men. It was under the .care of a hospital
assistant, but he was supervised by a: European medical officer, the senior at Cherat, for the
time being.
XIV. Hospital.—This is the best native soldiers' hospital I have yet seen. It is light,
cheerful, airy, well-built, thoroughly ventilated, and is admirably suited for the -treatment of
diseases of ordinary occurrence. It is situated nearly due west of the lines, at a distance of