Lines and huts.
Drainage.
Conservancy.
Water-supply.
Food.
Clothing.
Duties.
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality, and
invaliding.
summarily stated that where the wind blows, the cold is extreme, but where there is no wind, the
weather is not unpleasantly cold. There is little rain in the summer, and in winter only
when the wind is south; it is therefore a matter of chance whether the weather is cold or
mild, wet or dry. There are no roads yet, and in rainy weather the whole ground is turned
into deep mud. The summer begins in May, and the weather continues warm till the middle
of September, and dry till early in November; the spring is changeable. The highest tem-
perature in a double tent in the open was about 100°, the lowest in a verandah about 14°. The
contrast between the day and night temperature throughout the year was very marked.
196
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
V. Lines, barracks or huts. —Four companies occupied huts in the summer; in winter
the whole regiment was in huts.
VI. Drainage. —The drainage is fair; it will be better in the new lines.
VII. Conservancy .—Latrines were constructed for the sick in hospital only.
VIII. Water-supply. —The water-supply was sometimes from springs, sometimes from a
stream; there was no pollution of it; its quality is good.
IX. Food.—The wheat crop was of inferior quality, and vegetables were very scarce; meat
in winter was very dear.
X. Clothing.—The clothing was good and sufficient.
XI. Duties.—The duties were seldom severe. Nights in bed 5 . 57 in 7.
XIV. Hospital. —In summer the sick were in tents; in winter in a hut, and were com-
fortable.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment
—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
697.41
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
27.60
Total.
.
.
725.01
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-sions. Deaths.
Admiss
ions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Dera Ghazi
Khan.
1st Jan. 1877 . 20th Mar. 1877 494.90
177
2
34.64 165.18 1.86 32.34
Head-quarters at Quetta and
march.
21st Mar. 1877 31st Dec. 1877 598.37 1,444
8
41.30 307.72 1.70
8.80
Detachment at Dent Ghazi
Khan.
15th Mar. 1877
Ditto
71.31
89
...
7.77 157.66
...
13.76
Detachment with Captain
Inglis.
14th April 1877 2nd May 1877
82.0
32
. . .
2.04 128.35
...
8.18
Detachment at Draband
. 1st Jan. 1877 . 26th Jan. 1877
23.0
6
. . .
1.0
368.09 ...
61.34
,,
Hurrund and
Digri.
Ditto
2nd Mar. 1877
44.55
1
. . .
.39
13.44 ...
5.24
,,
Mungrota .
Ditto
Ditto
21.22
. . .
...
...
...
...
. . .
,,
Bondawali .
Ditto
15th Mar. 1877
20.08
2
. . .
.41
47.28 ...
9.69
,,
Rajanpur
.
Ditto
25th
,,
99.04
16
2
2.77 70.20 8.77 12.15
Total
.
. . .
...
697.41 1,767
12
48.75 253.36 1.72
6.99
Number of deaths in hospital, 12 ; out of hospital, 4 ; total
16 ; per cent. of total strength .
.
2.20
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
15 ;
„ „
.
.
2.06
„
sent on sick leave .
.
.
.
.
.
.
22 ;
„
„
.
.
3.03
„
of days spent in hospital, 17,794; per admission . 10.07 ; per man of total strength .
.
24.54
„ „
on sick leave, 2,640; per man .
.
120 ;
„
„
3.64
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength .
.
28.18
Principal
causes of
sickness.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—The cause of the high rate of sickness is as usual
obscure. Until July the troops were healthy, and in November they began to improve
again, and continued to do so in December and January. The most prevalent diseases were
fever and bowel diseases, but chest diseases were less common than in the frontier stations.
There will be good barracks built this year, and the new lines will be a better drained ground,
but the experience of the army of 1839-42 precludes us to expect that Quetta will be a healthy
station.