Great-coats.
Blankets.
Recreations.
Hospital.
203
EASTERN FRONTIER DISTRICT.
age of the village is right into the valley of this fine stream, and as the Khosias are exceedingly
dirty in their habits, and have not the faintest notion of the value of conservancy, I am
afraid the stream can never be used safely for drinking purposes.
The remarks made on the subject of diet in the report of the 43rd Regi
-giment apply to the 44th; but extras, milk, &c., are even more expensive at
Shillong, and it is sometimes difficult to provide for the sick.
Out of the 885 men composing the regiment, 663 are Goorkhas, a race not given to un
-derfeeding. The practice of underfeeding accordingly does not prevail, and the physique of the
corps may be said to be exceedingly good.
X. Clothing.—See last year's report; no change since then. The men are well provided
with warm undress clothing, which is absolutely necessary in the hills. The boots are of
English manufacture, and are much better than those ordinarily worn in native regiments.
There were only 8 cases of blister of feet in 1877, that is, 0.6 per cent. of the total admissions.
The new great-coats are really most serviceable garments, viz., thick grey frieze coats provided
with a good cape and belt. They are infinitely superior to the ordinary saloo lined blanket
great-coat which I have seen in use in other native regiments. They are supplied by the
Military Clothing Department, Calcutta, and cost about Rs. 12 each, landed here. A supply
of 45 excellent double hospital blankets was received from the Commissariat Department, in
accordance with G. O. No. 22 of 8th February 1877.
XI. Duties.—The duties were not severe during the year. There were no expeditions. The
head-quarters remained in quarters at Dibrugarh until the reliefs began in December. The
outposts at Sadiya and Golaghat were relieved every six months. The small stockades near
Sadiya,v i z
. , L i s r e e , D e b o n g a n d P o h a m o o k h , a r e s m a l l c l e a r a n c e s i n t h e c e n t r e o f a n i m p e n e t r a b l e
jungle, and are very unhealthy. In these stockades many men contracted fevers last autumn,
from which they have not yet recovered. Musketry, sentry work, parade, and other routine
duties of the kind constituted the chief work of the year. A detachment of 52 men was
sent to Shillong in September to clear a site and set about building the new lines. Many of
the men are still occupied with this work. Nights in bed: officers, 4.1; havildars, 13.3;
naicks, 5.1; buglers, 5.7; sepoys , 7.3.
XII. Recreations.—Some of the men are good cricketers, and join the officers regularly at
this game. Some devote themselves in their leisure hours to shikar, not a very profitable
pursuit in Shillong, where there is no large game; but the majority are so fully occupied with
their routine work, that they have little time for amusement, pure and simple. Owing to the
large number of men always absent on command, those who remain at head-quarters are
kept fully employed.
Diet.
Clothing.
Boots.
Duties.
XIV. Hospital.—Two of the bungalows of the old artillery lines are occupied by the
sick in Shillong. There are two ceiled rooms in each bungalow, size 25 × 20 × 11. One room
is used as an office, store and dispensing room; the other three are available for the sick; that is,
four in all. The superficies of each apartment is 500 English feet; the cubical contents 5,500 cubic
feet. At present there are eight beds in each room, so the air-space per man is only 687 cubic feet.
As the rooms are badly ventilated, this amount is not sufficient; there is no roof ventilation.
There is an open fire-place in each room, but the height of the opening is only 2½ feet from the
floor, so it cannot be effective as a ventilator. The windows and doors are low and are kept
shut at night. Owing to the number sick at present, 8 men have to be treated in each room;
but as soon as more space is available, the number will be reduced to 6. A larger ward,
size 52 × 20 × 10, will soon be ready for occupation. This will accommodate 14 men, allow
-ing 1,005 cubic feet to each man. Wards for only 6 or 8 men are too small, and entail un
-necessary expense on Government in providing a separate lamp and fire-place in each ward.
I have accordingly suggested the advisability of removing the thick central wall and double
chimney from the hospital bungalows. This will throw the two rooms into one of a size similar
to that described above; one good fire-place at the end will be sufficient for each ward. At
present, owing to change of climate, cases of febricula from cold and slight ague and dysentery
are common, and the daily sick-rate amounts to 7 or 8 per cent.; but in a short time, when the
men get acclimatised it will fall to half this amount, so that accommodation for 28 men (the
left wing being permanently stationed at Gauhati) will be ample. Together with the two
bungalows allotted for the hospital, a smaller one, divided into four compartments, has been
assigned for hospital assistants' quarters, office, &c. This has the disadvantage of being distant
about 60 yards from the hospital bungalows. If a smaller one could be built nearer at hand,
it would be better. However, just now, as the regiment has not been here for much more than
a month, and as new lines are in course of construction, and every thing in a transitional state,
it would be premature to urge changes that may be afterwards found inadvisable. The site
of the hospital is as good a one as could have been selected. It stands on the rounded
summit of a small hill, some 200 feet above the neighbouring valley. The position is isolated,
and to leeward of the other regimental buildings. The drainage is perfect down the steep sides
of the hill. There is a fair supply of' drinking-water close at hand, and a good-sized stream
at the foot of the hill for bathing, washing, &c. The buildings required at present to complete
the hospital are—(a) two cook-houses, one for Hindus, 1 for Mussulmans; 1 house for the
12 hospital servants, including dooly bearers; 1 dead-house; 2 sheds for storage of dry-earth
for latrines. A letter mentioning these wants has been sent through the proper channel to
the authorities, and no doubt in due time the buildings will be erected. In this station the
amount of labor available at one time is small, so one has to hasten slowly.
Hospital
assistants'
quarters.
Requirements.