130
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Conservancy
and latrines.
Water-supply.
Diet.
Clothing.
Duty and
employments.
Exercise and
amusements.
Marches and
service.
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality, and i nval i di ng.
VII. Conservancy and latrines. —The latrines were re-constructed soon after the arrival
of the regiment, and have been in good repair and well looked after. They are conveniently,
situated on the left flank at a distance of about 300 yards from the lines, and consist of a
square mud enclosure with partitions. The excreta are mixed with dry earth and removed
daily by the conservancy cart. Many of the men prefer to resort to the nullah for purposes of
nature. The conservancy arrangements generally have been good.
VIII. Water-supply.—The water is drawn from three solid masonry wells, conveniently
situated along the front of the lines, and three Kutcha wells in the lines. They are adequately
protected from surface pollution by raised platforms, and the supply has been sufficient and
the quality fair.
IX. Diet.—The usual arrangements for supplies were carried out with satisfaction. The
bazar was always found clean and well ordered, and the staple articles of diet plentiful and
of good quality, but high in price. The men, as a rule, use a good and varied diet.
X. Clothing. —The clothing has at all seasons been suitable. Poshteens were brought into
use this cold season.
XI. Duty and employment. —The duties have not been excessive or injurious to health.
They consisted in regimental and brigade drills and parades, orderly and guard duty, and
stables. Nights in bed 6 to 12.
XII. Exercise and amusements. —The men practise neza bazee to a great extent. Some
are fond of shikar; and the recruits are put through a regular course of gymnastics.
XIII.
Marches and service. —On the 21st January the regiment marched from Mooltan,
viâ Punniah, Leid and Bukkur, to Dera Ismail Khan to be inspected by His Excellency the
Commander-in-Chief, and thence up the left bank of the River Indus by Manwalee and
Futtehjung to Rawal Pindi, where it arrived on the 2nd March. The supplies under com-
missariat and regimental arrangement were satisfactory, and the camp equipage good and
complete. The encamping grounds were, as a rule, well situated and clean, but the water
almost throughout the route was brackish and bad. The weather during the whole time
was very cold, and heavy rains were encountered at Dera Ismail Khan, and again a few days
before arriving at Rawal Pindi; notwithstanding these discomforts, the men were cheerful and
enjoyed excellent health. At Shah Mahomed Oola the regiment was halted for two days on
account of heavy rain, and an unfortunate duffadar obtained a few days leave to visit his
house in the neighbourhood, but in attempting to cross the River Sohan while in a state of
flood, he was carried down and drowned.
XIV. Hospital. —The hospital is all that could be desired. It is conveniently and well
situated, and is in excellent repair, and its accommodation is more than sufficient for all ordinary
requirements. The hospital equipment is complete and perfect. The quarters for the hospital
establishment are sufficient and in a good state of repair. The wards are well lighted and
well ventilated, and comfortably warmed during the cold season. Chicks were provided under
regimental arrangement for all the doors and windows, and were a great comfort during the
hot season in protecting the patients from flies. The patients' bedding and clothing have
been, as a rule, clean and sufficient.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 366.98
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
89.08
Total
.
. 456.06
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Mooltan, on
march, and at Rawal Pindi.
1st Jan. 1877 31st Dee. 1877 366.98
38
4 105 .56 105.72 1.08 2.88
Number of deaths in hospital, 4 ; out of hospital, 2; total
6; per cent. of total strength .
1.31
„
invalide
.
1 5 ;
„ „
.
.
3.28
„
sent on sick leav
11 ;
„ „
2.41
„
of days spent in hospital, 3,871; per admission
9.97 ; per man of total strength
.
8.48
„ „
on.sick leave, 990; per man
90;
„
„
2.17
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
10.65
Principal
causes of
sickness.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—Four hundred and three cases of sickness were
treated in the head-quarters' hospital during the year; of these, 372 recovered and were
discharged to duty; 14 were discharged otherwise; 4 died, and 13 remained under treatment
on the last day of the year. There has been a very considerable decrease in the number of
admissions, being 388 against 694 in the previous year. One hundred and twenty-six of
the admissions were for fevers of malarious origin, and all were of the intermittent type, and
mild in character, and generally readily amenable to treatment under the cinchona febrifuge.
The mean duration of treatment was about 5 days. Considering the highly malarious nature
of the previous station, Mooltan, comparatively few cases were complicated with splenic or
hepatic enlargement Bowel-complaints included 22 of dysentery, 8 of diarrhœa, 4 of colic,