Drainage.
Conservancy.
Guinea-worm.
Skin diseases.
Vegetables.
Scurvy.
Clothing.
64
Ash-pit.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OP THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
regiment, there have always been so many men away on detachment and escort duties that
the average strength present has been some 300 men only.
The guards, both quarter and rear, also the magazine, are built of pucca or kiln-burned
brick. The former is a small tiled building which lies within ten yards west of the lines,
with a semicircle of " neem" and " peepul" trees for shade.
VI. Drainage.—The drainage, owing to the raised site sloping away on every side and
the dry soil, is excellent, and requires no assistance from art.
VII. Conservancy and Latrines.— There are no latrines, with the exception of the small
masonry one for hospital use. The men repair for the purposes of nature to the willow jungle
on the far side of the nullah which bounds the cantonment towards the north; as also in any
of the fields quite beyond cantonment boundary.
This plan has been found unobjectionable after a test of thirty years. As in Bhaugulpore;
where the same plan is pursued (or at least used to be up to 1871), the station is remarkably
healthy, and epidemic disease has been very rare, and when present has always been intro
- d u c e d f r o m e l s e w h e r e .
Ash-pit.—A large ash-pit exists on the far side of the bazar towards the west, where the
sweepings of the bazar and refuse are thrown.
The Meywar vakeel's catcherry, which has long been a sanitary eyesore in the station, has
now been placed under the medical officer and the city kotwal, an active and intelligent old
native officer, late of the Bombay service, and is maintained in a very satisfactory state of
cleanliness.
Measures have also been adopted to improve the sanitary state of the
neighbouring native village.
Water-supply.
River water.
Storing water
Diet.
Meat
VIII. Water-supply .—The water of the masonry wells is sweet and pure; unfor-
tunately, however, the general water-supply of Rajpootana is very scanty indeed, thousands
of cattle dying from this cause in a bad year for rain. It follows that the Bheels are
accustomed to drink the greatest filth when at their homes, and will scarcely take the
trouble to draw water from a well when they can get the river water. This (in cantonments)
nearly dries up in the hot season, leaving two or three pools, the largest of which is at the
bottom of the medical officer's garden. it is in this last that the only facility exists for bathing
and washing clothes. It consequently becomes most foul and almost pestiferous, when it
ceases to run (about February), and is stagnant for several months, and used by many hundreds
for bathing and washing foul linen, as well as being polluted, by thousands of cattle who
drink it, and thousands more who daily cross it on the Oodeypore road. It is to this source,
namely, filthy water for drinking and bathing, that the great prevalence of guinea-worm is
due (which may be noticed by a glance at the table given below, 9/10ths of the cases therein
recorded being admitted at Kherwarrah), and there are also very many cases of ulcers and
boils and other skin diseases, which I can attribute to no other cause, and which would most
assuredly diminish if steps were taken to secure a good tank for bathing and washing clothes
which would take the strain off the little pools before mentioned, and leave them comparatively
pure to drink for those who will not take the trouble to draw well water, or have some caste
prejudice against its use. A very praiseworthy attempt has been made last year by Major
Gunning, then officiating commandant and permanent 2nd in command, to mitigate this evil
by bunding off the lower end of the pool which I have repeatedly referred to, to increase the
amount of water by deepening it some four feet or more. This for several months after the
rains quite succeeded ; but the masonry being put together without mortar, allows a great
portion of the water to escape by percolation, and the store of water is now becoming low
though it will keep a higher level than before the bund was made.
IX. .Diet.—There is no need for any special remark under this head. The Bheels are by
no means given to stint themselves, and their staple food, Indian corn, being in ordinary years
like 1874 wonderfully cheap, whilst their pay is fairly liberal, they live generously whilst with
the corps.W h e n a w a y a t t h e i r h o m e s o n l e a v e t h e y a r e t o o a p t t o s h a r e t h e s c a n t y f a r e o f t h e i r
poorer relations, and consequently return to the station in poor condition, and troubled by
sores, boils, &c. They are fond of meat and pretty often indulge in it, several men clubbing
together to buy a goat for twelve annas, or a sheep for a rupee, which they then kill and
divide. The food brought to the regimental bazar has been of very fair quality and mostly
cheap in price, and there have been no complaints on this subject. Several complaints, how-
ever, have been recently made to me with regard to the quality of meat supplied, and I have
been obliged in December to bring this to the notice of Colonel Gordon, and by his orders
the meat killed by the two station butchers is now brought up every morning to the, hos
pital for inspection, since which date no further complaints have been made.
Foot sore,
Vegetables.—The supply of vegetables is limited as to variety, but there is a very fair
supply of several kinds, yams of very good quality now selling at six annas the maund of
forty seers. Scurvy is very rare here, which would look as if the vegetable supply was
sufficient. There is no compulsory system of dieting, as this has not been found necessary.
X. Clothing.—During the hot season and rains, in fact for about eight months of the
year, rifle-green drill has been in use. During the cold weather cloth clothing is taken into
use; also a very fair great-coat. There is nothing to remark with regard to the above.
The common native-made " Blucher" boot is worn as in most native corps. It is, as usual, a
fertile source of admission to hospital ; many ulcers on the instep, and over the tendon Achillis