Barracks.
Drainage.
Conservancy.
Latrines.
Water-supply.
Recommenda-
tion.
Exercise.
Marche
Hospital.
Ventilation.
P RES I DENCY DI S TRI CT. 1 1
Barracks—Built of burnt brick, with thatched roofs, the buildings are raised about 1½
feet from the ground. are in good repair, and well ventilated through the doorways.
VI. Drainage.—Natural, and artificial by means of surface drains—sufficient.
VII. Conservancy.—Trench system, which seems to answer very well. Latrines situated
250 yards north-west of the lines. Trench system, with shelter over head to protect the
men from the sun and rain. These latrines are likewise used by the detachment of the 2nd
Bengal Cavalry located here, also by the regimental bazar people. They are in the charge
of the Cantonment Magistrate; the excreta is at once buried, and the trenches properly filled
in and fresh ones dug as required. During the Regiments' stay in Calcutta with the camp,
the following arrangements were adopted: that latrines were erected at some distance from
the camp (in Tolly's Nullah); these were divided into compartments, each compartment
being furnished with a flat earthenware saucer-shaped receptacle. Behind the latrines,
trenches were dug about 40 feet in length, and from 3½ to 4 feet in depth; at daylight,
every morning, the excreta from the earthen pans was emptied into the trenches, covered
with earth, over which McDougall's powder was sprinkled; during the day (until sunset)
each pan as usual was emptied by sweepers into the trenches and dry-earth at once thrown
over the excreta, the pans on being replaced were sprinkled with deodorant powder,
also the earth in front and around them. On a trench being filled to within a foot
and a half of the surface, it was properly filled in with deodorant powder and earth
, a n d l e v e l l e d . T h e s y s t e m w o r k e d t o m y i d e a m o s t s a t i s f a c t o r i l y ; n o s m e l l a t a n y
time could be perceived, even when walking through the latrines, excepting that from
carbolic acid, which shows that the dry-earth conservancy, when properly superintended and
carried out, is much the best for large camps. The urinals were fitted with deep pans, and
the urine carted away three times a day in barrel carts, and emptied into the cunettes of the
fort; the ground within the urinals was sprinkled two or three times a day with deodorant
Powder. I have ment i oned al l t hi s, as my remarks may he deemed useful for ot her camps.
VII Water-supply.—All drinking water is supplied to the troops from Maurianipore—
filtered; it is good and abundunt, and is much liked by the men; but the pump from which
it is obtained is so distant from the lines—quarter of a mile—that all the men, I am sorry
to say, do not avail themselves of it. One of the causes is, that the pump from which the water
is supplied is not open to native troops until 2 o'clock p. m. daily. I have, therefore, strongly to
recommend that a couple of water-carts may be at once supplied for the use of the lines, and
also one for the patients in hospital, by which arrangement diarrhœa and dysentery, which
are at present prevalent among the men, would soon be checked. At present the water for
hospital use is filtered through charcoal, sand, &c.; for all other cooking and drinking purposes,
tank water is used.
IX. Diet.—The regimental bazar is situated near and to the left of the lines; it
is well supplied with all descriptions of food used by native troops; the prices are high, but as
the men are allowed compensation at the rate of Rs. 3 per mensem, they have nothing to
complain of; they seem fairly nourished, and I do not consider them underfed as a regiment.
X. Clothing.—The men are all well clothed; for the rains and cold weather they are Clothing.
provided with good substantial cloaks. During the hot season. the ordinary light summer
clothing is worn.
XI. Duties.—The duties—particularly station duties—have been rather hard, but no in-
jurious effect on the men's health can be assigned to this cause; however, the average nights
in bed (2. 91) for the wing is too little to keep the men in health. In the Bengal Army Regu
-lations, Section 16, paragraph 1797, page 308, it states that when the number of nights in bed
for native troops falls short of four (4), a special report should be made; with the present allow-
ance, it is hardly to be wondered at that men occasionally fall asleep at their posts.
Diet.
Duty.
XII. Exercise.—Nothing in the way of amusements: nothing but duty routine.
X XIII. Marches.—The right wing went to Calcutta by railway on the 20th Decem-
ber; the whole regiment was encamped on the maidan until the 10th January 1876, when the
left wing proceeded to Barrackpore and the right wing took their place at Alipore; the
former wing then destinated at Barrackpore the same day (10th June) by Railway.
XI V. Hospital.—The hospital building is situated about half a mile to the left of the
lines; it is formed of one large building 118 x 32, raised from the ground about a couple feet.
The roof is thatched and supported by eight pillars on each side: a 7-foot verandah runs on the
north and south sides. Also there is a small verandah at each end. The floor is tiled. Venti
- l a t i o n g o o d . I c o n s i d e r t h e b u i l d i n g i n g o o d r e p a i r a n d s u i t e d t o t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e
sick. It contains:—
Superficial feet of flooring
3,904
Cubic feet of air
.62,464
and is built to contain 39 beds, allowing about 1,600 cubic feet of air, and 100 superficial
feet of space per bed; if required, it could accommodate 60 patients:—
Average number of patients during the year..
22.10
Maximum number of patients during the year
7 1 . 0 0
this was on the 27th February 1875.
The hospital out-offices are in good repair, and the latrine daily visited and kept clean;
it is quite large enough for present requirements, but requires partitions of matting between
the seats for the sake of decency. The latrine is emptied as soon as used from behind, and
the soil thrown into iron receivers and removed twice a day by hospital conservancy carts.
Latrine.