Vaccination.
Recommend-
ations.
Special
observations.
Recruiting.
201
EASTERN FRONTIE DISTRICT.
XIX.
Vaccination.—All unvaccinated men of the regiment were carefully picked out and
vaccinated during the cold weather; also about 50 children belonging to the sepoys and camp-
followers and a few women. At present the regiment is in as good a state of protection as it is
possible to be.
XX. Recommendations.—During 1876 all recommendations were made on sanitary matters
through the medium of a monthly report, and every assistance was given by the commanding
officer to carry out these recommendations as far as was possible.
X X L . S p e c i a l o b s e r v a t i o n s : R e c r u i t i n g . — T h e
r e g i m e n t — w h i c h i s a c l a s s o n e — i s m a d e u p o f
2 Sikh companies, 4 Goorkha companies, one of Hindustani Mussulmans and one of Up--
country Hindus. These two last companies only are allowed to be kept up by local enlistment,
and the recruits are relatives of men at present in the regiment. We are therefore restricted to
a very small area of selection for them. Dogras and Jerwahs (natives of Assam) are also
entertained to a small extent; the latter, who are supposed to act as a sort of pioneer force, are
always kept up to the full strength of 10 per company. They are not considered to be good
soldiers, but are very useful for working parties. During the past year, 31 Goorkhas were
entertained, whose average age was 20.9 years, average height 5 feet 3 inches, chest mea-
surement 33.3; 10 Hindustanis (Hindus), whose ages averaged 21½ years, height 5 feet
6 inches, chest measurement 33.1; eight Mussulmans, age 19½, height 5 feet 4 inches,
chest 31.5; and 7 Jerwahs, age 21½, height 5 feet 4 inches, chest measurement 33.6. No
standard of chest measurement has been fixed for Goorkhas or Jerwahs; but, considering the
height and build of the races, the chest measurement given seems to be a very fair one. The
Hindustauis enlisted give an average slightly under the fixed one; but as the recruits were all
young, healthy men, the batch may be said to be a very good one. The 8 Mussulmans, who
were Mostly recruits for the band, of 16 or 17 years of age, are likely to improve. No Sikhs were
enlisted during the year. The majority of the Goorkhas were brought down by a recruitin
g p a r t y , h a v i n g b e e n e n l i s t e d u p - c o u n t r y ; a n d , t h o u g h t h e y s u f f e r e d s o m e w h a t f r o m f e v e r a n d
diarrhœa during the march from Gorakhpur to the Brahmaputra, on arrival they seemed to
be a well-made and well set-up looking batch of men. All the other recruits were enlisted
locally. The Goorkha recruits had been enlisted up-country in 1876, though they did not
join the regiment until 1877; they consequently did not receive the bonus granted to recruits
who enlisted after the 1st January 1877. It was probably owing to the fact that they had only
just arrived from a long march through an unhealthy country that they presented to the Offi-
ciating Deputy Surgeon-General, on inspection, the appearance of being "inferior in physique."
44th Regiment (Sylhet) Hight Infantry—Dibrugarh.
I. Medical Officers.—The regiment was under medical charge of Surgeon-
Major J. B. White, Sur-
geon B. Doyle, Surgeon J.
O'Brien, M.D., Hospital
Assistant Gunda Mull, and
Surgeon J. Wilson, M.D.,
successively during the year.
The annual sanitary re-
port is written by Surgeon
J. O'Brien, M.D., who again
assumed charge after the
close of the year.
II. Location and movements.—
The head-quarters were stationed
at Dibrugarh in Upper Assam
from 1st January to 9th Decem
-
ber, on which date they com-
menced the journey to Shillong in course of relief. From Dibrugarh to Gauhati the
passage down the Brabmaputra by steamer occupies 5 days. The distance from Gauhati to
Shillong is 63 miles, divided into 4 marches. The detachments at Sadiya and Golaghat,
strength 206 and 54, respectively, were relieved every 6 months. These posts were made over
to the 43rd Regiment Assam Light Infantry in November. In the month of November in
course of the reliefs the head-quarters of left wing, strength 180, were stationed at Gauhati,
and a detachment from this wing, strength 113, sent to Tezpur. This wing will remain
at Gauhati and Tezpur for 3 years.
III. Topography,—The topography of Shillong has been most fully described by Deputy
Surgeon-General Buckle : vide Medical Report, Bengal Army, page 33, year 1870. Since his
time, however, the station has grown considerably, and has been much improved. In April
1874 the head-quarters of the Chief Commissioner were fixed here, and since then a large
number of sites have been cleared, new houses built, roads opened, water-supply and drainage
improved, &c. In December 1877 a further addition was made to the population in the
head-quarters of a second regiment, the 44th. The and occupy the lines formerly held by
43rd, but the 44th are at present occupied in clearing a few of the hillocks on the west of
cantonments for their lines, parade-ground, &c. Beyond the clearances of timber in the station,
A2
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Shillong
.
.
.
171.1
4.8
5.1
1873
.
Ditto
.
.
.
480.
4.1
5.3
1874
. Dibrugarh .
.
.
209.9
2.8
5.4
1875
.
Ditto
.
.
.
199.65
2.94
5.12
1876
.
Ditto
.
.
.
146.06
1.37
4.03
Average
.
241.34
3.20
4.99
1877
. Dibrughar .
.
.
174.14
1.46
3.78
Medical
Officers.
Location and
movements.
Topography
of Shillong.