Clothing.
Duty.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
5
PRESIDENCY DISTRICT.
house. The clearing out also of the large drain running along the Diamond
Harbour road had been commenced; this latter is a very necessary measure;
as this drain, from being obstructed with jungle, branches of trees, &c.,
which prevented the free running off of the water, was most probably a cause
of disease. The system of conservancy and latrines, as formerly described, has
worked well, though, no doubt, greater cleanliness would be obtained by the use
o f t h e " d r y - e a r t h " s y s t e m
Conservancy:
V. Water-supply .—Up to the 20th of August 1874, the drinking water was obtained,
as in former years, from tanks in the compound and neighbourhood, the quality of which was
very bad indeed. Since that date municipal water has been supplied for drinking and cooking
purposes, and it has had a decidedly beneficial influence on the health of the men. It is
brought daily to the lines and regimental hospital in carts built for that purpose; the quality
of the water is excellent, and the quantity is sufficient for cooking and drinking.
VI . Di et . — T h e
s y s t e m o f d i e t i n g f o r c e i s a s f o l l o w s : — E a c h s e p o y i s c o m p e l l e d t o
purchase food at the regimental bazaar from his company's bunneah up to the amount of
Rs. 3-8, besides his compensation allowance per mensem; otherwise his compensation allowance
for dearness of provisions is stopped. By this means under-feeding can be checked to a certain
extent. As a rule, however, the men spend considerably over Rs. 3-8 per mensem on their
food. The regimental bazaar is clean and in good order, and the articles of diet sold in it are
always of good quality. Inspections are frequently made.
VI I . Cl ot hi ng. —Th e cl ot hi ng wor n when on dut y i s s ui t ed t o t he s eas on of t he year .
The ordinary English-shaped boot is worn by the sepoys on duty, and is the cause of the
greater number of admissions for "ulcer" and "blisters of the feet."
VIII. Duty .—The duty is very heavy on account of the great number of guards to be
furnished daily; and the distance the men have to march to some of these, as the Mint and
the Bank of Bengal, is very considerable. Parades are generally held twice a day in the cold
and once in the hot season. Average number of nights in bed, 3.40.
Water-supply.
Diet.
Exercise, &c.
IX. Exercise and amusements .—The duties are so heavy, and the climate of Calcutta has
such an enervating effect on the men, that they do not seem much inclined to engage in exer
-
cises and amusements during their leisure hours. Occasionally, however, they indulge in
wrestling and such like games.
XIV. Hospital .—The hospital is in a fair state of repair; the only-alteration made during
the year has been the setting apart and fitting up of two of the smaller rooms as bath-rooms,
o n e f o r H i n d o o s a n d o n e f o r M u s s u l m a n s .
Hospital.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding .—Strength of the regiment—present 586.65;
absent 92.71: total 679.36.
Sickness, mor
-
tality, and
invaliding.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER OF Daily
average
number
of
sick
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH PER
ANNUM.
From
To
Admissions. Deaths.
Admissions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Alipore . . . January 1st Dec. 31st
586.65
1,002
7
35.02
170.80
1.19
5.96
Number of deaths in hospital 7; out of hospital 5; total 12; per cent. of total strength . . .
1.73
" i n v a l i d e d 4 3 ; p e r c e n t . o f . . . " . . .
6.32
sent on sick leave 22; per cent. of . . . " . . .
3.23
" of days spent in hospital 12,748; per admission 12.72; per man of " . . .
18.76
" o f d a y s s p e n t o n s i c k l e a v e 2 , 1 6 0 ; p e r m a u 9 8 . 1 3 ; p e r m a n o f " . . .
3.18
Total temporary loss of service Per man of . . .
21.94
XVI. Principal causes of sickness .—The principal causes of sickness during the year
have been ague, dysentery, diarrhœa, remittent fever, diseases of the respiratory organs, and
ulcers. As usual, ague heads the list in regard to the frequency of admissions into hospital. Of
the 432 admissions for that disease, 397 were of the quotidian type, 30 tertian, and 5 quartan
.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality .—There have been 12 deaths in the regiment
during the year—nearly double the number which occurred in 1873.
Seven men died in the regimental hospital, four while at their homes on sick leave, and
one on furlough. The causes of death in the cases which died in the regimental hospital were
—
dysentery three, chronic diarrhœa one, pneumonia one, phthisis one, and remittent fever one.
Vaccination.
Recommenda-
tions.
XVIII.
Vaccination .—During the month of December, 18 recruits were vaccinated by a
vaccinator sent for the purpose by the Superintendent-General of Vaccination, Calcutta; of
these, 17 were successful, the remaining one a failure. The greater number of the men of the
regiment are either marked more or less with small-pox, or bear the inoculation mark on the
wrist. During the year, 22 children, the sons and daughters of sepoys and camp-followers,
were, v a c c i n a t e d ; a l l w e r e h i g h l y s u c c e s s f u l .
XIX. Recommendations.— A recommendation was made in the month of December that
the filthy state of the large drain running along the Diamond Harbour Road should be repre
-
sented to the authorities concerned; a letter to that effect was ordered to be Written by the Com
-
manding Officer. The authorities under whose eharge it is have lately commenced to clear it.