SAUGOR DISTRICT.
49
11th Regiment Madras, Native Infantry—Nagode.
Medical O
ffi-
cer
I. Medical Officer.—Surgeon C. A. Harvey was in medical charge of
the regiment throughout the whole year, and the annual sanitary report for
1875 was submitted by him.
The regiment has been located at Nagode throughout the year. A descrip
-
tion of the topography, &c., of this station has been given in report for 1873.
Meteorology
and climate.
IV. Meteorology and climate.— The climate of Nagode is very variable, being extremely
cold in January, February, November and December, very hot and oppresive in April
and May, and moist almost to saturation during the south-west monsoon, which generally
sets in early in June and lasts to the end of September. During the year under review, the
health of the regiment was very good. In January and February the usual cold weather was
experienced, but the men, being warmly clothed and well housed and fed, enjoyed very good
health; and the admissions for pneumonia, bronchitis and other affections, usually due to cold,
were not numerous. In March the weather began to get warm, but no great discomfort was
experienced from the heat until the beginning of April, from which date to the breaking of
the monsoon the climate was exceedingly trying, owing to the prevalence of hot westerly
winds which blew almost every day from sun-rise to sun-set, rendering the use of punkahs and
kus-kus tatties very necessary to the health and comfort of the European portion of the
community. Notwithstanding the trying nature of the climate, there was very little sickness
during the hot months, and complete immunity was enjoyed from cholera and other epidemics;
and although the disease just mentioned broke out with great violence in the native town of
Nagode, where it continued to prevail with more or less intensity until the rains had set in,
and also made its appearance in most of the surrounding villages, not a single case occurred in
the lines or cantonment.
The monsoon was rather tardy in breaking this year. Slight showers in the early part
of June seemed to herald its immediate approach. The weather became exceedingly sultry and
oppressive, and the sky overcast with dense masses of clouds; but it was not until the 24th of
the month that a heavy downpour (3 .30 inches) came to our relief and cooled the heated
atmosphere. The rains were unusually heavy this monsoon, the average here being about 50
inches; but this year the total rain-fall has amounted to 721/2 inches.
Most rain fell in July, 43.70 inches being registered that month. In August there
were 11.10 inches, and in September 6.40. The heaviest fall on any one day took place on the
31st of July, when 9.20 inches were registered, and the aggregate fall of the four last days of
the same month reached the very considerable amount of 25.90 inches. This very heavy rain
did great damage in the lines and caused much discomfort to the sepoys and their families,
but gave rise to no actual disease.
Lines
bar-
racks or huts.
V. Lines, barracks or huts.— A full and detailed description of these was given in the
report for 1873. Since that time no alteration of importance has taken place. There has been
no overcrowding. The lines have been kept clean, and conservancy arrangements care
-fully attended to during the year.
Drainage.
VI. Drainage.—The drainage of the lines is now in a very satisfactory condition; the
old V shaped drains, which were found very difficult to keep clean and allowed considerable
soakage of sewage water, have been replaced by masonary saucer-shaped ones, which effect their
purpose admirably; one of these drains runs along each side of the rows of huts, with fall to
the south, where all the street or subsidiary drains join at right angles a larger one of the
same description, and this in its turn unites with a similar one at the south-east end of the
lines which carries the sewage water into a large nullah that eventually opens into the Na
-
gode river. The drains are kept clean by being swept every day, and they are flushed with
water twice a week.
Conservancy
and latrines.
VII. Conservancy and latrines.— The system of conservancy of the lines and cantonment
having been fully described in the report for 1873, the subject need not be again referred
to in detail. The two public latrines on the "trench system," which were erected in 1874,
continue to be much resorted to by the adult male population of the lines; but the females
and children still make use of the small privies in the court-yards. Some plots of ground
formerly used for the disposal of sewage matter have been dug up and sown with "ulsee," the
cost being defrayed out of cantonment funds.
Water-supply
. VIII. Water-supply.—There are five wells in the lines which afforded a sufficiency of
excellent water all the year. The water is not liable to be contaminated with organic matter
or other impurities; it is perhaps a little hard from superabundance of lime, but otherwise
seems suitable for cooking and drinking purposes. In my experience there has been no actual
scarcity, but the wells are very deep, and in prolonged dry weather the water is many feet
(sometimes fifty or sixty) from the surface, and entails much trouble and loss of time on the
men to draw it. The wells are all surrounded by a parapet of stone, and furnished with a
platform of cross-beams and pulleys to assist in drawing the water. A well is about to be
sunk in the regimental bazaar, which will confer a great boon on the inhabitants of the
bazaar, as at present they are obliged to fetch their water from a considerable distance.
Dict.
IX. Diet.— With the single exception of rice, all articles of food have been cheap and
abundant during the year; but as rice forms the staple diet of the Madras sepoy, the men
have been in receipt of compensation allowance for its dearness almost since the arrival of the
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