40
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
4lst( The Gwalior) Regiment, Native Infantry—Morar.
Medi cal Offi cer.
Location and
movements.
Meteorology
and climate.
Rainfalls.
Temperature
Lines and
huts.
Defects.
Remedial
measures.
Available
space.
I. Medical Officer .—Surgeon J. Lewtas, M.B., held medical charge of the
regiment throughout the
year.
II. Location and movements
. — H e a d - q u a r t e r s r e m a i n e d a t M o r a r
throughout the year. A guard for
Fortress, Gwalior, was furnished
by this regiment in alternate
weeks, up to November 25th, when
the regiment was relieved of this
duty. Its sick were, however,
sent to head-quarters hospital.
On the night of October 1st a
detachment of sixty-six men
marched for Dholepore, returning
on the 9th of the same month.
I V
. Meteorology and climate .—
The most noticeable feature in the meteorology of 1877 has been the scarcity of rain from the
15th of July, the date on which the monsoon generally breaks at Morar. From that date until
the end of September there fell barely one inch of rain. During the last named month at Agra,
the nearest station where meteorological observations are taken, only 0.29 inch of. rain fell.
Owing to this absence of rain the mean temperature of August and September was very little
lower than that of June and July. The mean temperature at Agra during September was
92.1; that of Morar was probably one or two degrees higher.
V. Lines and huts.—In last year's report I gave a detailed description of these, and drew
attention both to their deficiency of cubic air-space and to the defectiveness of the arrange-
ments for their ventilation. "The huts," it was stated, "are arranged in pairs, the doors of
one hut facing those of the hut opposite," and so built that the prevailing wind strikes upon
their closed end-walls, thus excluding them from the advantages of a free perflation. To remedy
this it was recommended that doors should be made in these end-walls. This has been done,
and, further, each hut has been lengthened by 25 feet. It is found that seldom do more than
sixty men occupy a hut at the same time; taking this as the average number for whom air--
space has to be provided, we obtain for each man 433 cubic feet. This result is obtained from
the following data:—
YEAR.
STATIONS.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Baxa Dooar, Dec. 1868
1 0 4 . 9
1.4
3.6
1873
. Lucknow, May 1873 .
116.9
. 4 3
4.43
1874 .
Ditto
. .105.1
. 2 8
4.09
1875
.
Ditto
78.92
. 8 6
4.33
1876 . Morar, November 1876
107.66
.57
3.07
Average
.
.
102.69
.7
3.9
1877 . Morar
.
.
.
186.5
1.42
4.55
Length of each hut .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 225 feet
Width.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 15 "
Height of side-walls
6 "
Ventilation.
Drainage.
Conservancy:
There remains a triangular roof-space having a perpendicular height of 3¾ feet. Thus
before making deductions the total capacity of each hut is
—
225 X 15 X 6+ ( 15 x 1 5/ 4 x 225) cubi c f eet =26578. 12 cubi c f eet .
Deducting from this 10 cubic feet per occupant for the space taken up by his body, bed
and accoutrements, there remain (26578.12—600). i . e .
, 2 5 9 7 8 . 1 2 c u b i c f e e t a s t h e n e t t a v a i l a b l e
air-space. This affords, in round numbers, 433 cubic feet per man.
The superficial space provided for each man is 56.25 square feet. Of course an air-space of
433 cubic feet, and that in the tropics, is much too small for an adult; and I would suggest that
in order to increase this, the walls should be heightened by several feet, an alteration that would
cost little, while it would be of great sanitary benefit.
Ventilation .—The means of ventilation were detailed in last year's report; they have
however, been very materially added to by making doors in both end-walls: this obtains for
the huts free perflation by the most prevalent wind (north of west). The other recommendation
made in last year's report that the floor-space should be covered with a layer of concrete is, I
think, for the reasons therein detailed, still very desireable. Such a flooring, with a small
trench around each hut to drain the soil beneath it, would, I feel sure, remove much of the un-
healthiness of these huts.
VI. Drainage .—This has been much improved. Formerly the only drain was a shallow
channel in the middle of the echelon in which the lines are built having neither fall nor lining.
Water used to stand in this channel for a short time, and then disappear by soakage into the
surrounding soil. Now as this channel ran close by the wells, they were likely to become fouled
by percolation of impure water into them. To remedy this, the channel has been converted
into an efficient drain by adding at least two feet to its depth, providing it with. a fall and lining
it with cement. At all other times than after a heavy fall of rain, drainage is sufficiently
effected by this single main channel; but under the circumstance excepted it becomes necessary
to dig numerous channels to carry off the surface-water which stands about the huts. If small
permanent trenches were dug around each hut having a fall into the main drain, this collection
of water after heavy showers would be provided against.
VII.
Conservancy and latrines.—For the purpose of removing the dust and ashes which
accumulate in the lines during the 24 hours, a conservancy cart comes every day at noon and