Water-supply.
Diet.
Parades.
Exercise,
amusements,
&c.
Marches and
service.
Hospital.
26
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Conservancy
and latrines.
VII. Conservancy and latrines .—Satisfactory as far as it goes. The conservancy is the
same as reported in 1873. The latrines are on the trench system and answer well ; there are 4
screens for men and two for women and children, each screen with 4 seats. It is obvious that with
only 16 seats for men, the accommodation is insufficient, especially when the men have to
hurry on in the morning to be ready for parade ; there is therefore much defiling of the
ground just outside cantonment boundary. The cantonment committee has unfortunately no
funds to increase the latrine accommodation.
VIII. Water-supply.— Good, from wells. See previous reports for 1872-73.
IX. Diet .—Same as reported in 1873 and 1874. The men have always appeared well fed.
Physique.
Clothing.
Duty and
employment.
The regimental mills are in operation as heretofore. There has been no symptoms of "Scurvy"
i n t he r e gi me nt , a nd I c oul d t r a c e no c a s e of di s e a s e t o unde r - f e e di ng. The phys i que of t he
men was very good when Dr, J . P. Walker, Deputy Surgeon General, Allahabad Circle,
inspected the regiment in the beginning of 1876, and Colonel King, commanding the Regi
-ment, who returned from furlough in Europe at the end of 1875, expressed his opinion that
the men looked in a very good condition, strong and healthy.
X. Clothing.— See report for 1872. No change. The clothing was very good and quite
suitable to seasons and duties; but the boots, as usual, caused much inconvenience. The
men were not admitted into hospital when foot-sore, but treated while remaining on duty,
being allowed to wear native shoes for a few days. It is to be regretted that a pattern of boots
cannot be devised which should look neat and soldier-like, and at the same time not cause so
much rubbing at the ankles and toes.
XI. Duty and employment.— The guard duty has been ordinary and the nights in bed have
been good all through the year. I feel quite satisfied that the small amount of night duty at
Benares and the enormous amount of it in Calcutta have as much as the climate to answer for
the favorable state of health at Benares and the unfavorable one in Calcutta. The average
number of continuous nights in bed at Benares, for the whole year 1875, was 5.97. This
figure is very good, as it is very nearly only one night on duty during each week. The
number of parades a week was 9, and the average duration of parades one hour. The duty
was not excessive and did not prove prejudicial to the health of the men.
XII. Exercise, amusements, and occupations.— There is no gambling and but little shooting ;
but gymnastics are superintended by the Adjutant, and are much liked by a portion of the
men. Recruits appear to benefit greatly by gymnastic exercises.
XIII. Marches and service.— No service. The only marches were those made by the
detachment at Chunar, on monthly reliefs. Those marches caused no sickness.
XIV. Hospital. —S e e p r e v i o u s r e p o r t s . T h e o l d h o s p i t a l ( w h i c h i s b a d a n d i n s u f f i c i e n t )
has been in use all through the year. The new hospital is in course of construction ; it is
on the standard plan and well advanced towards completion, and it promises to be all which
could be desired. During 1875 overcrowding was always prevented by the use of tents.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— The greater number of admissions in 1874 and
1875 were in the detachments. The following tabular statement gives all the information
desirable on the sickness and mortality in the bodies of men at head-quarters and in the de-
tachments :
Strength—
Present
.
.
. 639.61
Absent
.
.
. 61.66
Total . . . 701.27
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL
NUMBER
O F
D a i l y a v e r a g e n u m b e r o f s i c k .
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
A d m i s s i o n s .
D e a t h s .
From
To
A d m i s s i o n .
D e a t h s .
D a i l y a v e r a g e s i c k .
Head-quarters at Benares 1st January . . . 31st December . . . 399.64
275
1
18.11 68.81
.25
4.61
Detachment at Chunar . . .
Ditto . . .
Ditto . . .
70.33
79
1
1.96 112.32
1.42
2.78
Ditto at Berham-
pore.
Ditto . . .
Ditto . . . 169.69
306
4 13.87 180.37 2.35 8.17
TOTAL . . .
. . .
. . .
639.61
660
6 34.28 103.19
.94
5.36
Number of deaths in hospital 6 ; out of hospital 5; total 11; per cent of total strentgth . . .
1.56
" i n v a l i d e d . . . 3 2 ; " " . . .
4.56
" s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e . . . 1 5 ; " " . . .
2.13
" of days spent in hospital 12,575; per admission 19.05 ; per man of total strength . . .
17.93
" " on sick leave 2,080; per man . . . 138.6; " " . . .
2.96
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
20.89