212
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Topography,
&c.
Meteorology
and climate,
Lines, &c.
Drainage.
Conservancy,
&c.
in September. A small detachment was supplied by it in March as a guard to the civil officer
engaged in fixing the boundaries of the neighbouring hills. The Nowgong detachment,
averaging 67 . 06 men during the year, was relieved annually in September. The escort of
the Naga Hill Survey party remained in the hills from 1875, and returned to head-quarters
in Anril 1876.
III. Topography, &c. —The unalterable features of the station have. frequently been
described, but it will be necessary to recapitulate some of them, so as to throw light
on the conditions that have been peculiar to the past year. The military and sudder
stations of Gauhati, with a large extent of swamp and high grass jungle on the south,
lie in a basin between the surrounding ranges of low hills and a low spur of tolerably
elevated ground along the river bank. The sudder bazars and civil station occupy this
rising ground, while the site of cantonments is little elevated above the large bheels
on its south side. This circular basin, or alluvial valley, opens out in three directions :
first, towards the east or up-stream, receiving the drainage of the various ranges of hills
along the trunk road; secondly, immediately below the sudder station, where the Boroli
naddía falls into the river ; and thirdly, passing due south between the Doorgasur and
Nurkasur hills, it deploys to the west almost at right angles, and again opens towards the
river some 9 miles down. All the drainage naddías, or jans, as they are called in Assam,
conduct the drainage of the hills to the river in the cold weather ; but when the flood level
rises to a certain height, Variable for different places, there is a back flow from the Brahma--
pootra inland. In the Annual Beport for 1874 it was pointed out that, to prevent this back--
water from pouring into the swamps (which happened when the flood level rose to about
14 to 16 feet), and to compel the drainage to flow " in its natural course ;" i.e., in fact to flow
through the third opening of the valley, a bund had been built across the Beroli naddía, where
it used formerly to fall through the second opening towards the river. Unfortunately, the water
refused to flow in this direction; and though the Brahmapootra water was, to some extent, kept
out of the swamps, yet they became filled from the hill drainage, and there being now no
outlet, the whole of the basin still remains flooded. This bund is to be again cut away and
the old state of things reverted to, at least for the present, though another drainage scheme
is said to be in contemplation.
IV. Meteorology and climate. —Lower Assam is climatically marked by a fairly uniform
annual temperature, a small daily and yearly range, and a tolerably high, but not excessive, mean
temperature, accompanied by a very high percentage of humidity. The rainfall is not very
large, and is distributed pretty well over the whole year.
V . L i n e s , b a r r a c k s , & c .
— T h e s e
h a v e b e e n p r e v i o u s l y d e s c r i b e d . T h e y c a n n o t b e c a l l e d
good, and in cases where the men have families, as is generally the case in this regiment,
there is overcrowding to some extent. The ventilation is good for the lines, there being a
space of' 39 feet between each row and 6 feet between each house : but that of the houses
themselves is deficient. It is impossible to remedy this defect without re-building the whole.
VI. Drainage. —Deep drains run from the bazars into and through cantonments, to
the swamps to the south. When the swamps are full, all the surface water remains and stag-
- n a t e s i n c a n t o n m e n t s . B e i n g b e l o w t h e f l o o d l e v e l o f t h e r i v e r a n d o f t h e s w a m p s , m a n y p a r t s
of the lines are under water at the flood season, and it is difficult to see how this radical defect
can be overcome. The houses themselves, being elevated on kutcha chabootras, are dry, but
the surrounding ground, being of low level and forming portion of the swamp known as the
Chota Bheel, is constantly exposed to inundation.
VII. Conservancy and latrines.—The conservancy of the lines is kept up by a staff of
sweepers—one per company—and all rubbish, &c , is removed to the neighbouring jungle
as soon as it is accumulated. Hitherto there has been no latrine system in force, the men
resorting to the thick high jungle, of which there is a large amount to the south of the station.
Orders have been received to establish latrines on the trench system. There is only one small
Piece of ground available for ibis purpose.
Water-supply.
Diet.
VIII. Water-supply. —As before, the main supply has been from the river ; and this is good
and sufficient, being contaminated only by suspended matters. As, however, it is some distance
from the lines, two pucka wells have been made in cantonments, well protected from surface
pollution by a raised coping and covered in with boards, leaving only a small opening, with
a falling lid, for drawing water. The water in these, so far as can be ascertained by the
imperfect means of analysis available, is of good quality. It depends, however, almost entirely
as to supply on percolation, and in the dry season is scanty and liable to stagnation. There are
three or four noxious tanks in and close to cantonments, but every means, such as warning and
guards if necessary, are used to prevent the men from drinking or cooking with the water of
these.
IX. Dial.—The men still continue to be supplied with rations by the Commissariat, and the
system has answered well during the year. Fish, goats' flesh and vegetables are abundant
in the bazars, and are freely used by the men. Towards the end of the year many of the men
exhibited scorbutic symptoms, most probably owing to the poverty of blood induced by repeated
attacks of malarial fever, with their concomitant spleenic and liver disorders. In these
cases a vegetable diet was always enforced in hospital, and all the men were directed to eat
as much vegetable food and fruit as possible. By this means this scorbutic taint was quickly
got rid of. Rations are inspected on issue by the native officer on duty, and, in case of
complaint or doubt, by the medical officer. The bazar is frequently inspected by the quarter--
master and medical officer.