Inspection.
230
MEDI CAL AND SANI TARY REPORT OF THE NATI VE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Mr. Banister reports that the day of his inspection (the 14th Decem
- b e r ) h e f o u n d t h e b a r r a c k s u n d e r g o i n g g r e a t i m p r o v e m e n t s w i t h r e f e r e n c e t o
space and ventilation, which, on completion, would afford 53 superficial and
666 cubic feet per man; the hospital was in excellent order, but the supply of
medicines was considered to be rather inadequate. Among the 66 recruits
there were several whom the Deputy Surgeon-General considered to be
thoroughly ineligible from inferior development.
Medical
Officers.
Location and
movements.
1st Regiment, Punjab Cabalry—Rajanpur.
I. Medical Officers.—From 1st January to 20th November, Surgeon G
. Thomson, the permanent
medical officer, remained in
charge. On that date he left
the station on special duty.
He was relieved by Surgeon
A. Macgregor, 4th Punjab
Cavalry, who held charge
till the 25th, on which date
Surgeon E. Sanders, 2nd.
Sikh Infantry, assumed me
-dical charge, and continued
with the regiment till the
end of the year. This latter
officer has supplied the an-
nual sanitary report.
II. Location and movements. —The head-quarters has been at Rajanpur the whole year.
Various detachments have been sent out during the year. One to Bundowalla, 47 strong,
relieved every two months; one to Digri, 21 strong, relieved every two months; and one
to Mahomedpore, 12 strong, relieved weekly. On the 20th November, 20 men were told off to
accompany the Deputy Commissioner, Dera Ghazi Khan, into the Belooch hills. This detach
- m e n t i s S t i l l o u t .
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1870
Edwardesabad, February
1869, from D. I. Khan.
233.4 2. 5
6.2
1871
Ditto ditto
173.9 1. 8
4.6
1872
Kohat, February 1872 149.7 3. 7
3.7
1873
Ditto ditto
100.7 2
2.1
1874
Rajanpur, Dec. 1874
122.8
.6
2.6
Average
156.1
2.12
3.8
4
1875
Rajanpur
159.69 .83
3.99
Topography,
Drainage.
Latrines.
Water supply
Clothing.
Hospital.
Topography.—A topographical description of the station has been given
in previous reports, which it is now unnecessary to repeat. The huts are
described as being ample to meet the requirements of the regiment, and had
been recently repaired and re-roofed. As the station and surrounding country
is one uninterrupted level, and intersected in every direction by irrigation
canals, it is considered that the drainage was very imperfect. There were
no latrines for the men, who had consequently to resort to the jungle for
necessary purposes. The water-supply was from wells, and this, in the hot
weather, was supplemented, to a certain extent, by water from the canal; the
water from the wells is stated to have been brackish. No cases of under
-feeding were observed; the bazars had been well supplied with all the usual
articles of diet. The clothing is stated to have been sufficiently warm, and
was in every way suitable for the climate and for the nature of the duties
the men had to perform. The duty has been light, as each man had an average
of six nights in bed during the year. As usual in cavalry regiments, 'the men
exercised and amused themselves with tent-pegging, lime-cutting, &c. The
hospital is described as being "a very fair building, on the new standard
plan—only better, as the men do not face each other, but each bed is behind a
pillar." There are no stoves in it, and in consequence, the building, as might
be expected, is very cold in the winter. Surgeon Sanders considers that the
hospital is well ventilated and affords sufficient accommodation for the sick; it
is situated on a good open site; but the drainage of the compound is considered
to be defective.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding: —Strength of the regiment—
Present
377.6
Absent
100.5
Total
4 7 8 . 1