2
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Lavatories.
Diet.
Bazar.
Clothing.
Boots.
Duty.
Exercise, &c.
Hospital.
Formerly (until August of the previous year) the hospital supply was obtained from a
tank. The water was not at any time, but more especially towards the cold weather, a pure
article.
The hospital is now supplied daily from the Calcutta Municipality by water carts.
It is a telling fact that this year the number of cases of diarrhœa has decreased about
50 per cent.
For ablution, &c., the same arrangements as were reported on last year as satisfactory
still exist. In the lavatory, the floor of which is coated with Portland cement, at my recom
-
mendation, wooden gratings, similar to those supplied to hospital bath-rooms, have been pro
-
vided. The Portland cement rendered the floor so slippery and polished that, when wet, the
sepoys had difficulty to keep their footing; many of them fell and sustained more or less
severe injuries: two cases of fracture of the olecranon occurred in this way.
IX. Diet.—It is very satisfactory to have to record that, as a general rule, a case of
underfeeding was exceptional during the bygone year. Scurvy and general debility are the
first indices of underfeeding in a regiment; of the former there were only 8 admissions
against 27 in the previous year, and of the latter 5 against 19,—upon the whole very grati
-
fying results. The scheme of hospital feeding remains unchanged, and I have every reason
to be satisfied with its results.
The regimental bazar, being within the fort, is under constant supervision; it is always
well provided with supplies at moderate rates, and is conveniently situated at a short distance
from the barrack.
X. Clothing.—The clothing generally has been satisfactory, both with reference to the
climate and the season of the year. The ammunition boot gave 45 admissions into hospital
during the year, blister of the foot being the third cause of admission in order of frequency.
On the remedy for the inefficiency of sepoys from this cause, Mr. Carmi
-chael remarks:—
Some recommend one thing and some another, but of this I am convinced, that what
we want is nothing more or less than a good substantial sock and a well fitting boot. With
these our sepoys would be equipped like ourselves, and has not experience proved to us that,
so dressed, it is possible for us to march for days consecutively without blistering our feet?
The native or undress clothing appeared at all times to be sufficient.
XI. Duty and employment.—The duty has been very heavy during the whole year.
Average No. of nights in bed 3.58. 3.58 nights in bed to 1 on duty is very heavy, and I
fear it has had its effects on the long service sepoys by predisposing them to attacks of
disease, such as ague, dysentery and bronchitis, in an indirect manner.
XII. Exercise, amusements and occupations.— The sepoys have little time for amusements
of any description. A gymnasium is under construction; for the young recruit, than gymnas
-
tics nothing could be better, as it combines amusement with exercise, when not overdone, of a
very healthful nature; many of the Sikhs keep their muscles in good condition by playing
with clubs. As a general rule, however, when the sepoy is not on duty, he is either cooking
his food, cleaning his accoutrements, asleep (which I have shown is often absolutely neces
-
sary) or wandering about the bazars, and even for that he has little time.
XIV. Hospital.— The hospital is the same building as was fully described in the report
for 1872.
Sickness,
mortality
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of regiment—present 602.23, absent
and 79.78, total 682.01.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUM-
BER OF
D a i l y a v e r a g e n u m b e r o f s i c k .
PER CENT. OF
STRENGTH PER AN-
NUM.
From
To
Admis
-sions.
D e a t h s .
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
D a i l y a v e r a g e s i c k .
Fort William . . .
1st January
1874.
31st Decm-
ber 1874.
602.23
667
7 31.18 110.7 1.16 5.18
Number of deaths in hospital 7; out of hospital 3; total 10; per cent. of total strength . . .
1.47
" i n v a l i d e d 4 8 ; " " " . . .
7 . 0 3
" sent on sick leave
5;
"
"
"
.
.
.
. 7 3
" of days spent in hospital 11,383, per admission 17.06, per man of " " . . .
16.69
" " on sick leave 1,475; per man, 295; " " " . . .
2.16
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
18.85
Principal
causes of
sickness.
A larger number of men were invalided than in any previous year. This was owing to the
sepoys who were enlisted when the regiment was raised having completed 15 years' service,
were entitled to pension if discharged for medical reasons. Many old, useless and worn-out
men were thus got rid of
.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— Taken as a whole, the Sickness of 1874 compares
very favorably with previous years. Ague gave a most marked decrease; in fact, there were
fewer admissions from this cause than in any of the four preceding years. I am inclined to
believe the decrease might, in some measure, be due to the large doses of quinine I invariably