82
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
OUDH DIVISION.
(INCLUDING THE STATIONS OF LUCKNOW, SITAPUR, FYZABAD AND GORAKHPUR.)
Average daily strength present during the year . . .
Cavalry 778.35; Infantry 2478.73
" sick per cent. of average strength . . .
"
6.41;
"
4.01
Ratio of mortality per cent. of average strength . . .
"
1.28 ;
"
.88
19th Regiment, Bengal Lancers—Lucknow.
Medical Offi
-cers.
Location and
movements.
Meteorology
and climate.
Lines and
huts.
Drainage.
I. Medical Officers .—Surgeon D. P. MacDonald was in medical charge of
the head-quarters of the regi
-ment from 1st to 23rd Janu
-ary, when Surgeon-Major G.
A. Watson, having returned
from furlough, resumed
charge, and continued to hold
it to the end of the year.
The latter officer submits
the Annual Sanitary Report.
Surgeon W. Duncan, M. B., was
in charge of the detachment at
Barrackpore from the date of its
arrival till it was moved to Ali
-
pore on November 8th, when
Surgeon J. C. G. Carmichael,
M.D. took medical charge and
continued to hold it till December 3rd; from that date to December 20th, Surgeon W. Duncan
was again in charge, and from December 20th to the end of the year, Surgeon J . C. Fullerton
was in charge.
II. Location and movemnents.—T h e
h e a d - q u a r t e r s o f t h e r e g i m e n t h a v e b e e n s t a t i o n e d a t
Lucknow throughout the year. A detachment of the strength of 140, consisting of the
1st and 2nd troops and one European officer, which had marched towards Barrackpore in the
previous year, arrived there on January 7th and remained till November 8th, furnishing a
small detachment of 40 men for duty at Alipore. On November 8th this detachment march
-ed to Alipore, and was stationed there till the end of the year, a small party of 30 men being
l e f t f o r d u t y a t B a r r a c k p o r e .
IV. Meteorology and climate.— The most striking peculiarities of the climate have been
that the usual westerly winds were replaced by easterly winds during the latter part of April
and May, and that the regular rains were very late in setting in; occasional slight falls had,
it is true, occurred during June and the early part of July; but these were very local and
varied much in different parts of the district, being less in Lucknow than the surrounding coun
-try. It was not till July 24th that the rains fairly set in, and for about a week previous to
this, the heat was very great, and some cases of heat-apoplexy occurred amongst Europeans.
The rains continued till nearly the end of September, the fall in that month being unusually
great. The total fall registered at the Lucknow Observatory was 43.5 inches, but that regis
-tered at the Royal Artillery Hospital, which is much nearer to the regimental lines, was 9 inches
less; it is quite possible that the greater part of this difference is not due to any want of
accuracy in taking the measurements, for the rain, as in former years, was often very local
and differed greatly in various parts of the station. The mean temperature of December was
several degrees higher than that of past years.
V. Lines and huts.— The lines are the same as those occupied last year;
the huts were kept in good repair and the ventilation apertures maintained.
Mr. Watson reports that these lines have been greatly improved since their
occupation by this regiment.
The natural drainage of the lines is very good.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily Sick.
1870 . . . Mooltan, March 1870. . .
103.2
1.6
4.14
1871 . . .
Ditto ditto . . .
63.5
1.08
2.58
1872 . . .
Ditto ditto . . .
111.6
.44
3.16
1873 . . . Lucknow, February 1873
123.1
.43
4.49
1874 . . .
Ditto ditto . . .
84.07
.21
3.6
Average . . .
97.09
.75
3.59
1875 . . . Lucknow . . .
104.80
.87
3.76
Latrines.
Water-supply,
&c.
The conservancy arrangements and the position of the latrines were the
same as in 1874. The medical officer states that the working of the latrines is
not satisfactory, and simply because the accommodation in them is not sufficient
for the requirements of the regiment.
The water-supply was good and sufficient, and in the commencement of
the month of May, when cholera was prevalent, the wells in the lines were
cleaned out. The arrangements for bathing, washing clothes and watering
animals, have been the same as in former years.