PRESIDENCY DISTRICT.
9
1875. He reports that the lines were the same as those occupied by the
regiment in 1874; one-half of the barracks and huts were kept in a fair state of
repair, but the other half were in a dilapidated and leaky condition, and were
not repaired until towards the latter end of the rains: there was no overcrowd
-ing of the men in the barracks or huts.
Tank water had been used for drinking and cooking purposes until the water-supply.
month of April, when the Calcutta municipal water was laid to the lines, and
was apparėntly duly appreciated by all who used it.
The drainage, conservancy, and latrines are reported to have been in a Drainage, &c.
satisfactory condition.
The hospital afforded good accommodation for 119 sick; and when this Hospital.
number was exceeded, the patients were treated in tents pitched in the com
-
pound; all the hospital arrangements were satisfactory, and. the medicines and
instruments were carefully kept.
On the morning of his inspection, Mr. Cockburn inspected all the men of Sickness.
the regiment who were off duty, and they were considered by him to be, as a
rule, sickly looking and badly nourished; and four- fifths of the men in hospital
were found to have more or less enlargement of the spleen, and a large propor
-
tion also were suffering from scorbutic symptoms. The excessive amount of
sickness during the year was chiefly due to malarious poisoning, accompanied by Causation.
a scorbutic taint, due, no doubt, to the want of a sufficiently varied dietary, and
to abstention from fresh vegetable food; the general debility and emaciation of
the men went on increasing to such an extent, that in July last the medical
officer found it necessary to recommend a reduction. in the numbers of parades,
which were accordingly reduced to one a week for sepoys, and one daily for
recruits, but without any beneficial result; and eventually it became necessary
to relieve the men from all duties which could be dispensed with. At this
time, 50 per cent. of . the men Were in hospital, where they were treated with
lime juice, stimulants, quinine, and a diet roll was introduced, by means of
which each man's daily food consumed was carefully scrutinized. Tinder this
system, a marked improvement in the health of the men became visible, and
the Deputy Surgeon-General entirely agrees with the opinion expressed by
Surgeon Duncan, that a large proportion of the sickness was due to malarial
influences acting on men in a low state of bodily health, consequent on a
deficient and badly regulated diet, and one in which the anti-scorbutic elements
of food were markedly absent.
Det achment , 10t h Regi ment Nat i ve Infant ry, Dum
The Deputy Surgeon-General of the Presidency Circle made his inspection Inspection.
of the hospital for the sick of the detachment of the Native Infantry Regiment
on duty at Dum-Dum on the 19th February 1876,
During the year 1875, the 10th Regiment Native Infantry stationed at
Barrackpore supplied this detachment of an average strength of 111 men, and
the men were located in sheds formerly used by the Artillery, which afforded
them very fair and ample accommodation.
The hospital is described as a fine, well-raised building and affording much Hospital.
more than the required accommodation for the men of the detachment.
Surgeon B. B. Conolly, Her Majesty's 40th Regiment, and Station Staff Medical
Surgeon, was in charge of this detachment. The daily average number of charge
.sick from this detachment was 5.33, and there were 5 deaths from it, or at
the rate of 4.49 per cent. of mean strength.
C