188
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Detachments.
Relief
movements.
The regiment furnished a large number of detachments during the year, viz., those at
Tezpore, Nowgong, Gohpore, and Gowhatty in Assam ; those at Sylhet, Chargola, and Ally-
nugur in the Sylhet district ; that at Jowai in the Jynteah Hills to the east of Shillong ; and,
lastly, a detachment of 200 men under two European Officers took part in the Duffla Expe-
dition.
The stations of the three Assam regiments were changed during the year, viz., 42nd from
Debrooghur to Gowhatty, 43rd from Gowhatty to Shillong, 44th Shillong to Debrooghur.
As Gowhatty . is no longer the head-quarters of the 43rd, the Assam stations formerly garri-
soned by it were made over in the early part of the year to detachments of the 42nd regiment.
These reliefs took place in the months of March and April.
In September, when men were required for the Duffla Expedition and for the reserve at
Gowhatty, the detachments at Sylhet, Chargola, and Allynugur were recalled.
Changes in
the station of
Shillong.
Climate.
III. Topography.—The only noticeable change that took place during the year was that
due to the increasing population of the station itself. In April the head-quarters of the
Chief Commissioner were moved here from Gowhatty, and since then a large number of new
residents have arrived, and sites have been cleared, trees cut down, new roads opened up,
gardens laid out, and the station generally made to assume a more civilized aspect than it wore
in former days.
Within the past few years also the timber in and around the station has grown remark
ably.
IV. Meteorology and climate.— The climate during the past year was chiefly remarkable
for the unusually heavy rainfall, which amounted to 95.3 inches. This was 26 inches in excess
of the scanty rainfall of 1873, and 20 inches above the average of the five preceding years.
Rain fell on 153 days, that is 27 more than the average of former years.
The temperature of the year was tolerably equable. The highest reading of the thermo-
meter was 86˚ in May, the lowest 30˚ in January. The mean maximum temperature for the
12 months was 65 .3, the mean minimum 59 . 1, the mean daily range 6.2.
The mean barometric pressure was 25 . 18 compared with 25 . 17 in 1873.
Effect of
unusual rain.
Lines, huts.
Owing to the long Continued and heavy rains and the many sunless days, the number of
cases of ague and dysentery was very large in the rainy months. Wettings while on guard
and the insufficiency of the undress clothing to afford a complete change afterwards was found
to be a very common cause of sickness amongst the men.
V. Lines, barracks, &c.—No change was made in the lines at any of the stations occu-
pied by the regiment during the year, so the descriptions given in former reports will an-
swer now.
Towards the close of the year the huts in Shillong were all re-thatched and put into
thorough repair.
Drainage.
Drainage of
Gowhatty and
Tezpore.
VI.Drainage.—Thenatural drainage in Shillong is excellent, so that very little artificial
draining is required.
The natural drainage of Jowai is also good.
At Gowhatty and Tezpore the natural drainage is very bad, and little can be done to
improve it, as in both stations a rise of ground intervenes between the cantonments and the
river.
Conservancy.
Trench and
screen system
of latrines.
Extra estab-
lishment ne-
cessary.
Hospital
latrine.
VII. Latrines, conservancy, &c.— The trench system of latrines is in force to some extent
in the cantonments in Shillong ; but the men prefer to resort to the jungle and their doing so
does not appear to cause any nuisance or inconvenience.
In the early part of the year a movable covered latrine screen, to be used by way of
experiment, was supplied by the Department Public Works. It was duly put into position
over a trench and shifted when necessary, but the men do not appear to have regarded it
with much favor, as it was seldom used.
So far as I have observed the working of the present screen it has proved a failure, and
the attempt to introduce any system of conservancy is likely to be attended with the same
result so long as the option of either using the latrines or repairing to the jungle rests with
the men. The latter is the habit of a lifetime ; the former they regard as some newfangled
unnecessary innovation ; so, until the use of the latrines is made absolutely compulsory, and
men punished for going elsewhere, it is hopeless to expect them to be generally used.
Before, however, any system of conservancy could be rigidly enforced, an extra establish-
ment of sweepers should be provided. Out of the 8 sweepers attached to this regiment, 3 or
4 are usually absent with detachments, and the few who remain are fully employed in attend-
ing to the cleanliness of the lines, and removing filth and litter from them.
There is an excellent pucca latrine with zinc roof attached to the hospital.
It is worked on the dry earth system, and the excreta are removed and buried
in trenches.
I inspect the latrines frequently myself, and the hospital havildar has instructions to
visit them once or twice a day, and to see that the mehters attend regularly to their work.
By holding him responsible for their cleanliness I find they are admirably managed.
A permanent
hospital ha-
vildar prefer-
red.
For the greater part of the past year one havildar, an elderly man and not fit for
more active work, has been permanently attached to the hospital. I find this a great
improvement on the old system of weekly reliefs ; for while t continued the orders given to
one man were either not at all or wrongly transmitted to the next, so they had to be
frequently repeated, and were yet constantly neglected. On the other hand, the man who is