Duties and
employment.
Hospital.
189
EASTERN FRONTIER DISTRICT.
permanently attached lives altogether in the hospital, and soon gets to know how things
should be done. In fact, he becomes as useful in his way as a native doctor, and saves the lat-
ter much trouble by taking under his charge all matters relating to discipline and order.
VIII. Water-supply.— The water-supply at Shillong is obtained from hill-streams. It
is singularly pure water, and the supply is abundant at all seasons.
Drinking water at Jowai is obtained from small shallow wells cut in the sandstone rock.
Water -supply.
IX. Diet, &c. — R a t i o n s o f a t t a h , d h a l , g h e e a n d s a l t a r e s u p p l i e d b y t h e C o m m i s s a r i a t
Department at a monthly charge of Rs. 3-8 per man. This system I consider one of unmixed
advantage to the men, and it is also probably the most economical that Government could
adopt. If compensation for dearness of provisions were to be given instead, the men's pay
would have to be almost doubled, as food of all kinds is very dear here. It has been objected
to the present system that the men do not consume all their rations, that they sell the attah,
&c. No doubt they do so, but they purchase in return other articles of food, such as potatoes,
which are plentiful here, and a little meat, when they can get it. At any rate, the majority of
the men look well fed and contented under the system, and I would strongly recommend its
c o n t i n u a n c e .
There is a great scarcity of meat and all vegetables, except the potato, here, and every-
thing of the kind sells at an exorbitant price. My chief difficulty in the treatment of cases
of long continued fever, pneumonia, dysentery, &c., has lain in the impossibility of pro-
curing suitable food for the men while in hospital. Milk sells at 3 annas a seer, and some-
times in the cold weather it is not procurable even at that price. A pigeon costs from 3 to
4 annas, and the only other meat that the majority of the men will use is goat's flesh, and
few can afford to pay a few rupees for an animal of the kind. Under the circumstances,
they often find it impossible to provide the diet I order, and tedious long protracted reco-
veries are the result.
There is a good market at Jowai, yielding an abundant supply of vegetables, milk, meat,
&c. Owing to the much smaller demand, everything is about half the price it is at Shillong.
For this reason, notwithstanding its isolated position, the station is rather in favor with the
sepoys.
At Gowhatty, Tezpore, and the other stations in the plains, fruits, vegetables and meat
are tolerably cheap and abundant.
Diet.
Meat and ve-
getables.
Milk.
X. Clothing.—No change made in the clothing since last year, so the remarks made then
will apply now. The only article of dress to be found fault with is the boots. There were 126
admissions for "blisters of the feet" during the year. The boots worn are of Cawnpore
manufacture, and as they are worn without socks, frequent abrasions are the result. Until
socks and the English ammunition boots are introduced into the Native army, cases of this kind
will be frequent, and will cause a great loss of service ; 500 ammunition boots are now on
their way from England for use in this regiment.
The undress clothing, which with many men consists of the ordinary cotton wrappers, is
not sufficient in the cold climate of these hills. This was a greater cause of complaint in
the early part of the year than at present. As time wears on the majority of the men are
providing themselves with articles of warm clothing.
On parade the men of this regiment in their rifle-green uniforms, small Glengarries, and
tidy gaiters look very smart and well-dressed.
Clothing.
Foot sores.
Undress cloth-
ing.
XI. Duties and employment.—The duties during the year were not of an exceptionally
laborious kind. Beyond the few men who came to hospital from time to time with con-
tusions of the shoulder from rifle-practice, no cases of disease attributable to the nature of the
duties came under observation.
XIV. Hospital.—The new hospital at Shillong is the finest hospital for Native troops
I have seen since I came to India, and is in every way suitable for the purpose for which it
was built. It is constructed of stone, ceiled and plastered with lime, and has a corrugated-iron
roof. It has been built on the standard plan. The doors and windows are glazed, and there are
fan-lights over each. The wards, each 52 x 22 x16, have well-boarded floors, and there are
two fire-places in each.
An abundant supply of fuel, which is an absolute necessity in this climate, has been
sanctioned by Government for the use of the hospital. An average weight of 2 1/2 maunds
of firewood, or its equivalent in value of coal, is allowed for each grate per diem.
Coal of the finest quality, burning almost without an ash, is found abundantly in many
parts of the Khasia hills. The nearest mines are about 15 miles from here, near a place
c a l l e d Mu f f l o n g . At t h e p i t ' s mo u t h t h e c o a l ma y b e b o u g h t f o r t wo a n n a s , b u t h e r e , o wi n g t o
the expensive cooly carriage, it costs a rupee per maund, that is something less than 4 times
the price of firewood. Thus for every 4 maunds of firewood sanctioned, one of coal can be
obtained. The average weight of coal for each grate is 22 1/2 seers per diem, which is a liberal
allowance. As it is much cleaner, less dangerous, and more economical than firewood, it is
always used.
Fuel.
Coal.
Close to the hospital there is a large building also of stone with corrugated-iron roof.
It is divided into four rooms, two of which are set aside for hospital assistants and medical
pupils ; one is used as a dispensary ; the remaining one is the Surgeon's office. There are also
two small corner verandah rooms, in which spare stores, boxes, &c., are kept.
The servants' houses, also stone built and with iron roof, are sufficiently large, and are
quite new. During the year a good dead-house with an asphalt floor and a shed for the
Detached
building.
Servants'
houses.
z 1