MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Thus the medical officer of one regiment, Surgeon-Major J. B. White (42nd), had under
his charge the detachment of his own regiment, that of the 44th, and the Sapper Company—
numbering 564 fighting men. The medical officer of the 16th N. I., Surgeon E. Bovill, had
also the detachment of the 43rd and the artillery under his charge ; numbering 436 fighting
men.
226
Regimental
hospital
establishment.
Narainpore
depôt prepar-
ed.
Advance
party to
Hurmutti.
The force
gradually
collects at
Narainpore.
Period at
Narainpore.
But for the regimental establishment, the principle kept in view was that each hospital
should be complete and distinct in itself. It was anticipated that the whole force would never
be much together, and it was of importance that there should be no confusion when a portion
of it was suddenly ordered away from head-quarters. The result showed the convenience of
the arrangement. Each detachment, being independent, moved off with its hospital estab-
lishment complete, and on the shortest notice.
18. Narainpore depôt prepared .—Surgeon-Major J. B. White, with Lieutenant Elliot of
the Commissariat, and Captain Salkeld, 16th N. I., to command the outpost, had arrived at
Narainpore with a small party of the 44th on the 31st October. They were followed by
Captain Udney and 110 men of the same regiment on the 2nd November. These parties
were at first under difficulties. The tracks across country, after leaving the main river, pro-
ved so bad, that the baggage elephants in some places could hardly draw their legs out of the
mud. Food was very scarce, and the musquitos amounted to a plague.
About 40 acres of ground on the right bank of the Dikrung, north of the adjacent
Kamphtee village of Narainpore, had been cleared last year by the men occupying the post.
There were some of the huts remaining ; others were now added. Ground on the bank of the
river was selected for lines of huts for the troops, and the men began to collect the materials
for them—bamboos and grass—from the neighbouring jungle. Surgeon-Major White had been
requested to advise on the selection of sites ; and he laid out the depôt hospital, the shed
for the medical stores, and the quarters of the medical officer in charge. All was planned with
good judgment and was ready by the date the troops began to arrive. Height of Narainpore
above the sea 313 feet.
The commissariat lines and godowns were arranged for on the river bank about a mile
down stream from head-quarters, and the lines for the transport corps were subsequently laid
out adjoining them on the head-quarters side. The elephants, about 50 in number, were stabled
some distance to the left rear of the transport.
19. Advance party to Hurmutti.— On the 8th November, Surgeon-Major White accom-
panied Captain Udney's detachment to Hurmutti. This was the first date the track was report-
ed practicable for elephants. They had a long march of about 16 miles, but found the track
drier than was anticipated. At Hurmutti, sites were determined on for all details, and the men
of the detachment proceeded to clear and build. In the latter part of the month they were
assisted by some Cacharee coolies.
20 .The force gradually collects at Narainpore.— The transport corps moved from Dik-
rung Mookh to Narainpore on the 19th November ; the sappers and 16th on the 20th, the
artillery on the 21st, and General Stafford and staff on the 22nd. The 16th had been picked
up at Tezpore by the steamer which conveyed the staff from Gowhatti. It was at first in-
tended that they should march from Tezpore. This was wisely countermanded, for the road
lay nearly the whole way through a swamp, which would thus be traversed when the country
was drying up after the rains. Moreover, several reports of choleraic attacks in villages en
route had reached Surgeon-Major White at Narainpore. The remainder of the 44th arrived on
the 23rd, having made three marches from where the steamer from Dibrooghur landed them.
The 42nd and 43rd arrived by steamers at Dikrung Mookh from Gowhatti on the 28th, and
came on to Narainpore on the 4th December.
21. Period at Narainpore.— As the force was thus gradually brought together, organiza-
tion of all details for the advance was being proceeded with. The transport was engaged
in bringing up supplies and stores from the steamers. In the medical department, panniers
and field companions were being re-filled. Officers commanding the outposts and survey were
being communicated with. A memorandum containing medical and surgical hints for his
guidance in ordinary complaints and emergencies was given to each officer on detached em-
ploy, his hospital establishment provided for, and a supply of medicines given. The depôt
hospitals at Narainpore and Hurmutti were organised. The medical charges, hospital es-
tablishments, and provision for the carriage of medicines, &c., were arranged for, and all was put
in order for the advance. The whole force was in good health.
The weather.
Cholera.
The weather.—The weather during the halt at Narainpore had gradually become cold.
There was a heavy dew generally at night, with thick fog in the early morning. The sun
was hot during the day.
Cholera.—The survey party under Major Godwin-Austen, 4 officers and 79 coolies, arrived
on the 3rd December, and during that night one of the coolies was seized with cholera. The
party was at once moved out of camp ; no more cases occurred.
The camp at Narainpore was maintained in excellent sanitary condition by the exertions
of Captain Salkeld, commanding the post, and the medical officers.s