32
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Hospital.
Defects.
The hospital has been previously described; with 20 patients in it each one
would have 600 cubic feet; the ventilation is good; there is not any ward for
the isolation of patients; the medicines were in sufficient quantity, and the
instruments were clean and in good order. The quarters for the hospital assist
-
ants are reported on as not being good, and there are no cook or servants'
houses attached to the hospital: the hospital latrine was clean, and on " the
dry-earth" system.
9th Regiment Native Infantry—Morar.
Medical of
-
ficers.
Location
and
movements.
Topography.
Artificial
lake.
Lines,
barracks or
huts.
Drainage.
Latrines and
conservancy.
The following medical officers have held charge:—Surgeon Major D. Young,
from 1st January to 14th
May 1874; Surgeon F. W.
Wright from 15th May to
8th September; Surgeon
C. W. S. Deakin, who fur
-
nishes the annual report,
from September 9th to the
end of the year; Surgeon
Major Hadow was appointed
to the regiment, but owing
to an accident on board-
ship he had to be placed on
the sick list and never assum
-
ed the m
e d i c a l c h a r g e .
II. Location and movements.— The 9th Regiment Native Infantry arrived in Morar
from Lucknow on January 8th, 1874. Since that time the regiment has been stationed in
the south (right) lines, which had been previously occupied by the 6th Regiment Native
Infantry. On 21st April a treasure escort of 166 men marched to Agra and back. This
detachment re-joined on May 4th after thirteen days' absence.
III. Topography.—The topography of Morar has been fully described by Drs. Rose and
Center in the medical and sanitary report, 1869; and in a special report of Dr. Hutchinson's
in medical and sanitary report,1870.
The south (right) infantry lines are 729 feet above mean sea-level, being 43 feet
higher than the north (left) native infantry lines. The church is 717 feet above sea-level;
and due west of Morar lies fortress Gwalior, 1,089 feet. All the central portion of the station
of Morar is well wooded with trees, but the north and south infantry lines especially. The
south lines are comparatively bare. The surrounding country is destitute of trees and rugged.
Artificial lake.—Surgeon Deakin remarks that the history of the bund,
by which the river Morar was dammed up to water the artificial lake, is
obscure, but he has ascertained that a bund was built in the days of the Gwalior
Contingent before the mutiny, which was annually repaired after the rains
until 1866, when the present permanent structure was built. The sluices of
the bund were opened in 1871, and they have remained open ever since.
There seems to be a difference of opinion as to what part the artificial
lake played in the former unhealthiness of Morar.
V. Lines, barracks or huts .—The lines have been described in previous reports; the
accommodation remains insufficient. The barrack-huts have been somewhat protected from
the intense summer heat by placing tiles over stone slabs which form the roofs. The barrack-
huts measure 200 '× 16 '× 7½' . They should not, I consider, contain more than 40 men; 80
superficial square feet with such a low altitude, at least, being allowed per man. The huts
are ventilated below the eaves. The lines are clean.
VI. Drainage.— The drainage of the station is very imperfect, chiefly by open drains.
All the washing of the station is still done in the river above the station; some 20 elephants
are daily washed in the river; and the chief bazar latrine, (which, by the way, is not roofed in,
but all exposed to the rains, and in which the dry-earth system is supposed to be carried out,)
is also placed on the river bank, both above the station, though the latrine is below the right
native infantry lines.
VII. Latrines and conservancy.— The
extremely fœtid odour from the latrine above
referred to formerly rendered some of the officers' bungalows in the right native infantry lines
almost uninhabitable. Since I have represented that a far larger quantity of dry-earth, some
disinfecting powder, and an alteration in the construction of the latrine so as to divide the
solid and liquid excreta was necessary, the nuisance has disappeared. The latrine is still
unroofed, and it remains to be seen what the effect during the rains may still be. The excreta
are removed daily from the public latrines and covered up in carts. It is buried in large filth
pits at the south of cantonments.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1869 . . . Barrackpore . . .
64.1
3.3
4.4
1 8 7 0 . . .
Lucknow, February 1870
196.5
5.3
5.7
1871 . . .
Ditto ditto
95.5
1.4
3.2
1872 . . .
Ditto ditto
160.1
2.
4.3
1873 . . .
Ditto ditto
129.5
3 .
5.5
129.1
3.
4.6
1874 . . . Morar, January 1874 . . .
158.4
1 . 1 4
6.49