Diet
.
Clothing.
Exercise.
Marches.
Hospital.
Duties.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
from the latrine ground, distant about 200 yards. Small urinals are placed on each wing at a
short distance from the huts; they consist of matting enclosures, in which are placed several
gumlahs.
VIII. Water .—The water is obtained from pucka wells, and is good and ample.
IX. Diet.—With few exceptions the men look well fed. The exceptions are generally
Dogras, one of whom was detected at musketry to be under-feeding. The food supplies in
the bazar have been good.
X. Clothing.— The uniform clothing of the men is good. Some, however, especially
recruits and young soldiers, occasionally come to hospital with insufficient private bedding and
clothing, and say that they have not money to buy more. As usual, the regulation boot has
caused many to come to hospital with blisters of the feet. Some of these sores inflamed and
sloughed, and others healed very slowly in hospital. When the sores were small, the men were
allowed to wear the native slipper
at parade until they were healed.
XI. Duties.— Have not been excessive. The thorough course of musketry that the
sepoy has to go through at the present time seems to bring into notice all who are not in as
good state of health, or who do not keep up their physique as they ought to. The duties have
consisted of the ordinary cantonment duties and parades, and detachments have marched to
and from Sipri and Lalitpur. Nights in bed 10.43.
XII. Exercise.—Shikar is the amusement that is most popular; indeed I know of no
other. Shooting can be had close to the station.
XIII
. Marches.—The regiment as a whole has not made any marches during the year,
bu t detachments have been furnished, as stated above.
XIV. Hospital.—Fully described in previous reports. My experience of the building
leads me to the conclusion that it is not big enough. When the hospital is quite full, as in
September and October, the air acquires a disagreeable 'frowsy' smell, which is only improved
by reducing the number of inmates as much as possible. This was done, when the rains were
over, by putting a great many in tents outside, and by making convalescents, for two or three
days, of men who appeared to be nearly well. This difficulty in keeping the hospital air sweet
is partly, I think, due to the fashion of the building. There are plenty of openings for the admis
-sion of air on all sides, but these openings are low when compared with the height of the centre
of the building. The hospital charpoys are infested with bugs, &c., and as no bug-boilers are
allowed to native hospitals, the nuisance cannot be thoroughly overcome. In the hot weather
the heat of the sun expels the intruders for a time when the charpoys are exposed to its effects.
During the past year there have been several cases of slowly-healing ulcers and of slow
recovery from other diseases; these men remain in hospital day after day without change of air.
They are too weak to walk far, or walking would retard the healing of the ulcer. Might not
these patients be allowed to ride out on an elephant, or drive every day in a bullock hackery,
in the same way that Euronean soldiers are?
42
Sickness,
mortality
and invaliding.
Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment—
Present . . .
613.43
A b s e n t . . .
85.98
T o t a l . . .
699.41
S T A T I O N .
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily aver-
age No.
of sick.
PEECENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Death s.
Admis- sion. Deaths. Daily aver-
age sick.
Head-quarters, Jhansi 1st January . . .
31st December . . . 509.57
607
1
19.44 119.13
. 1 9
3.81
Detachment, Lalitpur
Ditto . . .
Ditto . . .
71.36
122
. . .
3.16 170.96
. . .
4.42
Ditto Sipri . . .
Ditto . . .
Ditto . . .
32.50
20
. . .
.67
61.53
. . .
2.06
TOTAL . . .
. . .
. . . 613.43
749
1
23.27 122.10
. 1 6
3.79
Number of deaths in hospital 1; out of hospital 5; total 6; per cent. of total strength . . .
.86
" invalided . . .
15; " " . . .
2.14
" Sent on sick leave . . .4; " " . . .
.57
" of days spent in hospital 8,495, per admission 11.34; per man of total strength . . .
12.14
" " on sick leave 441, per man
110.25; " " . . .
.63
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
12.77
The past year has been very healthy; there have been no epidemics, although in the months
of January and February small-pox shewed itself in the native city of Jhansi, on which account
quarantine was established. One sepoy only caught the disease.
It will be seen what a rise there was in the venereal diseases as soon as the regiment
arrived at Jhansi, i. e ., in the year 1874; there is, coincidently, a remarkable diminition in
the fevers. Venereal disease was the cause of a young sepoy being brought before a special
medical committee and of being recommended for discharge from the service. He had been
a year in hospital, at the end of which he was still far from being fit for work. The proximity
of the native city, in which there is no lock-hospital, I believe, is the cause of the amount of
venereal disease.