The following medical officers
have done duty with the regiment
during the year :
—
Surgeon-Major G. H. Daly from
1st January to 6th August ;
Surgeon S. G. Skardon from 7th
August to 4th October ; Surgeon
S. Lyons, A. M. D., from 5th Octo-
ber to 31st October ; Surgeon C.
J. H. Warden, from 1st Novem-
ber to 31st December.
II. Location and movements.—
The regiment has been stationed
at Mooltan throughout the year.
Topography,
Meteorology
and climate.
Lines, huts,
&c
Drainage.
144 MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
13th Bengal Cabalrg (Lanccrs)—Mooltan.
Medical Off-cers.
I. Medical Officers. —Surgeon C. H. J. Warden supplies the annual sanitary
report, and writes as fol
lows:—
Location and
movements.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1870 . . . Lucknow, March 1868,
from Peshawar . . .
149.8
1 . 7
3.4
1871 . . .
Ditto . . .
89.8
. 2
3.1
1872 . . . Mooltan, Oct. 1872 . . .
123.6
1.1
3.2
1873 . . .
Ditto . . .
237.2
1.
7.4
1874 . . . Mooltan . . .
248.
1.09
7.6
Average . . .
167.68
1 . 0 2
4.94
1875 . . . Mooltan . . .
173.30
1.31
5.30
Conservancy
and latrines.
Topography.—The topography of this station has been described in former reports.
IV. Meteorology and climate.— There has been nothing exceptional about the climate of
Mooltan during the past year. The approximate mean temperature of air in shade ranged from
102° Fah. in June to 55° in January. The maximum temperature recorded was 114° in June,
and the minimum 39° in January. The mean of highest temperature during the year was 96°;
of lowest 65°; mean for the year 80.5. Rain fell on 29 days, but no register of the amount has
been kept. The general direction of the wind was south.
Lines, huts, &c.—The lines are in a fair state of repair. There is no overcrowding.
Each man is allowed 121 square feet superficial area, and 847 cubic space.
VI. Drainage.—As I was not in medical charge of the regiment during the rainy season,
I am unable to give any information on the drainage of the station. I have been told that
after a heavy fall of rain the lines are swamped, and the water being unable to run off, stagnates
and becomes in a short time highly offensive; from the level nature of the ground this can
readily be imagined.
VII. Conservancy and latrines.—There are three latrines in use,—a large one to the east
of the lines, a small one for the quarter-guard, and the usual hospital latrine. The hospital
latrine and a few compartments of the large latrine are furnished with pans containing dry
earth, but the quarter-guard latrine is not supplied with any. Only a small number of men
appear to use the large latrine; the majority prefer going into the jungle for the purposes of
nature. It is stated in the annual sanitary report of the regiment for 1873, that "it has been
decided to build a second latrine for the convenience of those occupying the west side of the
lines." This has not been clone, and taking into consideration the small number of men who use
the latrine to the east of the lines, it is questionable, I think, if a second latrine to the west of
the lines is really necessary. The quarter-guard latrine is between two wells ; it might without
any inconvenience be clone away with, and the men on duty at the quarter-guard allowed to use
the hospital latrine, which is within a short distance.
The offensive smell from some latrines is doubtless due to the contamination of their mud
floors from the soakage of urine, &c. The oxidizing power of the soil being limited, if latrines
are used daily, their floors must ultimately become saturated with organic matter in a state of
decomposition. Carbolic acid veils, but does not remove, the stink from a foul latrine, and
besides, the supply of acid is not sufficient for daily use in all the latrines. Replacing the con
-
taminated flooring with fresh soil naturally suggests itself as a remedy, and this plan could
readily be adopted if latrine floors were either cemented or paved with glazed tiles. On such an
impermeable flooring, a layer of earth, a few inches in depth, might be placed, and could easily
be removed when necessary. Cantonments have been kept in a good sanitary condition during
the year.
Water-supply
V111. Water-supply—The following is an analysis of a sample of water-taken from a
well near the lines :—
Physical character.
Chlorine.
Nitric acid.
Nitrous acid.
Dissolved solids.
Slightly turbid, other-
wise clear on standing.
Trace . . .
Slight trace . . .
. . .
10.24 grains per gallon ; on
ignition no blackening, and
very trifling loss in weight.
The above rough analysis shews the water to be of a very fair degree of purity. The
Water having been raised by a pump, the sediment at the bottom of the well was probably
disturbed, and hence the slight turbidity. The small amount of nitric acid present in the water
is rather surprising, especially as the soil of Mooltan is asserted to contain a large amount of
"nitre." In certain localities, a snow-white effloresence can be seen on the ground, and this