xi
15. Having in the preceding paragraphs displayed and commented upon
the main statistical facts of the year, I shall now proceed to offer some observ-
ations upon the various circumstances, as set forth in the appended reports,
which exercised an influence upon the health of the Native Army during the
year.
16. The year was, meteorologically, a remarkable and unusual one through-
out the Presidency. It was characterized by an excess of spring rain, associated
with diminished temperature, an absence, more or less complete, of "the rains,"
associated with an abnormally high temperature, and an excess of autumn
rain. These conditions were universally prevalent in varying degree. They
were more pronounced in Central and. Upper India than in Bengal and Assam.
They involved several consequences which possess an important relation to the
sanitary history of the year. In the first place, owing to the absence of " the
rains," the rivers did not rise and overflow their banks to the usual extent,
nor was the land subjected, from direct and indirect causes, to the same degree
of soaking as usual. The principal factor of malarious fever was, therefore,
absent, or weak. I shall show in a future paragraph that there was a very
marked diminution of malarious disease on the whole and in the majority of
stations. Secondly, there was, in consequence of the failure of rain, a scarcity
of food in many parts of the Presidency, almost amounting to famine, and
everywhere the prices of food staples ruled high. The sepoys were, however,
protected from any hardship or evil on this account by the compensation which is
given them when the price of food exceeds a certain limit. Thirdly, the heavy
autumn rains involved discomfort and exposure to troops on the move, more
particularly in the Punjab, where regiments on frontier service encountered
very trying weather. And, lastly, the high and sustained temperature of the
hot months, amounting virtually to a prolongation of the hot weather through-
-out June, July and August, constituted a very unusual state of matters. The
reports contain a general account of the meteorology and climate of all the
stations in which troops were cantoned during the year; and though these
have no pretensions to be scientific or exhaustive, they .are necessary and instruc-
tive elements in the consideration of sanitary conditions.
Meteorologi-
cal peculiari-
ties of the
year.
17. It is gratifying to observe that attention continues to be paid to the
important subject of accommodation. New lines of a superior kind. have been
built for the 16th Bengal Cavalry at Allahabad and 5th Bengal Cavalry at
Nowgong. These are carefully described in the reports of these regiments, the
descriptions being illustrated by sketches showing the disposition and dimen-
sions of the buildings. New lines have also been built for the 7th Bengal
Cavalry at Morar and the 17th Bengal Cavalry at Peshawar. The lines of the
1st Goorkhas at Dharmsala 'have been completed. In many cases huts
have been dismantled and re-built, and sundry improvements, tending to pro-
mote their comfort and ventilation, made. The want of verandahs has been
supplied in some instances.
Still, though improvements are being accomplished in various stations,
it cannot be said that the accommodation of the Native Army is, on the
whole, satisfactory. The principal defects now existing are (1) the low level
of the floors, which are actually in some cases excavated, and below the level
of the ground. This condition should never exist. The floors of the huts of
the poorer natives are almost invariably raised about a foot off the ground. level;
and this should be the minimum height of the floors of huts. (2) The space,
both superficial and cubic, is in most cases insufficient; 62.5 superficial and 875
cubic feet have been laid down as the rule for sepoys' barracks, but the
reports show that in many cases less than half of this allowance is available.
Raising the walls a foot or two would often remedy a deficiency of cubic space;
and I observe that this measure has been adopted in one or two instances. (3)
The want of ventilation is frequently noted ; and this must, necessarily, aggra-
vate the evil of insufficient space. Partition walls are a , frequent cause of
defective ventilation, and openings in these are destructive of privacy. Openings
in outer walls are also a cause of discomfort, when there is no verandah. Over-
crowding is often caused, more particularly in Cavalry and Madras regiments, by
the men having their families living along with them. This is an evil with
which it is difficult to deal. In other cases the family quarters when they are
The quarters
Df the Native
Army.
Existing
defects.