Medical
officers.
Location and
movements.
Meteorology
.
Lines,
barracks, and
huts.
Drainage.
Conservancy
and latrines.
Water supply.
Diet.
Cost.
Precautions
against
underfeeding.
Clothing.
Shoes.
The cross belt
and pouch.
Duty and
employment.
4
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Present state. and number of deaths 10. There were 64 sick on the day of inspection, suffer-
ing from ague, remittent fever, diarrhoea and contusions; the latter occur chiefly
among the Ordnance men, who are employed in moving heavy guns, shot, shell,
&c. The hospital accommodation is reported to be sufficient for the wants of
Hastings. The building is in good repair.
45th (Rattrap's Sikhs)Regiment natibe Infantrp—Alipore.
I. Medical officers.—The Annual Report has been furnished by Surgeon
W. W. Galloway, during
whose absence on six months'
leave (from 10th May to
13th November) Surgeons
James Armstrong and C.
H
. Beatson officiated. The
regiment has been stationed
at Alipore throughout the
year. The sanitary condi-
tions of the cantonment
have undergone no change
of importance. The rainfall
of the year was 63.49 inches,
a little above the average.
The barracks are in good
order. The floors are "leeped" once a week. The drainage of the lines is into
four tanks situated in the cantonment and into two drains on each side. The
surface drainage is satisfactory, but no attempt is made to drain the subsoil.
The drain to the west of cantonments is out of order, but the matter is to
receive attention. The system of conservancy remains unaltered. Another
Crowley cart has been obtained for the purpose of conveying excreta into the
Calcutta municipal drains. Surgeon Galloway considers that the regimental
latrine should be roofed in some way, so as to protect the men during the rains.
VIII. Water-supply.— Municipal water is supplied for cooking and drinking purposes ;
tank water is used for ,
w a s h i n g a n d b a t h i n g . T h e m u n i c i p a l w a t e r i s o f e x c e l l e n t q u a l i t y ,
and the supply is sufficient ; 700 gallons are supplied to the regiment daily, and 200 gallons to
the Native Infantry . hospitals, which contain the sick of the 16th and 45th Native Infantry,
and the sick of the left wing of the 36th Native Infantry. I believe the sepoys now fully
understand the importance of using only municipal water for cooking and drinking, and that
they fully appreciate its good qualities.
IX. Diet.—Food-supplies have been of good quality, but the prices have been very high
during the year. The average cost of a sepoy's diet, as laid down by regulation, viz., 1 seer
atta, 2 chittacks dhal, 1 chittack ghee, chittack salt, has been Rs. 6-10-7 per mensem during
the year; When the cost of this exceeds Rs. 3-8, the sepoy draws the difference from Govern
- m e n t a s c o m p e n s a t i o n . E a c h s e p o y h a s b e e n o r d e r e d t o g e t a t l e a s t d a i l y f r o m t h e r e g i m e n t a l
bnuniah the following quantities of food : 12 chittacks atta, 2 chittacks dhal—or 6 chittacks
vegetables, and 1 chittack ghee; salt and massala to the value of 3 annas a month. By examin-
- a t i o n o f t h e
b u n n i a h ' s
a c c o u n t s , i t c a n b e a t o n c e a s c e r t a i n e d i f t h e p r o p e r q u a n t i t y i s t a k e n .
Of course, it is impossible to say whether an individual consumes all that is put down against
him, but it at any rate gives a sort of security that he does. I don't think underfeeding is
common amongst the men.
X.
C l o t h i n g . -
T h e m e n a r e w e l l s u p p l i e d w i t h u n d e r c l o t h i n g a n d b e d d i n g . T h e b r o w n
leather shoe is still worn. It looks rather clumsy, but has answered very well. There has been
so little marching, however, that it has not been very severely tested. There were no
admissions for blistered feet during the year. There were, however, 30 admissions for
ulcers, and probably two or three of those were originally cases of blistered feet, but certainly
not more. The only part of the sepoy's accoutrements that requires to be condemned is
the cross-belt and pouch for the spare ammunition. This filled with 40 rounds must be
a g r e a t w e i g h t o n t h e c h e s t , a n d w o u l d s o o n t e l l o n t h e m a r c h i n g p o w e r s o f a r e g i m e n t . I t
would not,appear to be a very difficult matter to arrange to carry spare rounds in pouches
attached to the waist.belt.
XI. Duty and employment.— The duties have been heavy. Some of the guard-rooms in
the city,—as, for instance, at the Mint and Bank of Bengal,—have been reported as deficient in
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
Moradabad and Shaja-
Kanpur, Feb. 1872.
68.9
1.52
8.18
1873
Ditto
ditto
73.6
.66
2.43
1874
Ditto
ditto
90.3
.25
3.30
1875
Ditto
ditto
82.5
.42
2.52
1876
Alipore, Feb. 1876
125.2
1.14
3.46
Average
88.1
.79
3.97
1877
Alipore
121.51
1.81
3.32