Water.
Rations.
Clothing.
Footsore.
192
Fogs.
Lines.
Wells.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
A series of river fogs occur in the mornings at this station as at other stations on
the banks of the Brahmaputra during months of October, November and December, ending
during February and March. These are often limited to the region over the river, and in any
case disappear there last.
These are occasionally as dense as a true November London fog.
V. Lines, huts.— The lines have been carefully described in Surgeon O'Brien's report for
1873.
The huts afford insufficient accommodation, and there is often considerable overcrowding,
and they are built too close together.
No alterations have been made during the year.
Certain wells, which previously existed in the lines, have been condemned and filled in
during the year. The water of these was very impure ; they had no coping of any kind, and
the surface drainage of the lines had free access to them. It was considered advisable to
remove the possibility of the water in them being used for drinking purposes by filling
them in.
The huts are in a fair state of repair.
Drainage.
Conservancy.
Duty.
VI. Drainage.—The natural drainage of nearly the whole of the station is towards
certain low-lying lands immediately to south and west of the lines, where collecting it forms
the swamps previously mentioned. Little can be done to remedy this, as the natural fall of the
land is in this direction. The land swells up to form the south bank of the river, and then falls
away to the south to a level even below that of the river during the rainy months. It is unfortu-
nate that the situation of the sepoy lines should be on low ground immediately in the neigh-
bourhood of these swamps. The waste lands in the region of the station are to a large extent
covered with jungle. In short, all the physical factors of malaria exist to an extent sufficient to
account for the prevalence of diseases referable to this origin.
The scheme of drainage of these marshes previously adverted to has not yet stood the
test of a rainy season, but certainly has improved the dry-season state of these.
A carefully constructed series of open drains carry off the surface water from cantonments.
The drainage of the station within municipal limits is carefully cared for by the munici-
pality, and is very creditably arranged.
VII. Conservancy, latrines.— No system of latrines is in force ; jungle-covered tracts of
waste land, well removed from the lines, are utilised for these purposes.
The hospital latrine is worked on the dry earth principle, the excreta
being frequently removed and buried.
VIII. Water .—The Brahmaputra is the main water-supply for drinking purposes.
IX. Rations.— As mentioned in previous reports, the Commissariat Department supplied
these ; they were of good quality.
Country sag, cucurbitacious fruits, and plantains are abundant and cheap in the bazars.
Beef of fair quality and goat's flesh are retailed in quantities suited to the require-
ments of the men by several local butchers, while fish is everywhere offered for sale at low
rates.
Certain classes of the men, especially the Goorkhas, appear to sell their rations of attah,
but they are, as a rule, well fed.
I have seen no well-marked cases of scurvy ; the men appear to avail themselves of the
abundance and cheapness of vegetables and fruits.
I have made a point as far as possible of personally inspecting the sick
diets ordered to the men in hospital, and ensuring that such articles as soups should be pro-
perly prepared and nutritious. The havildar has been made personally responsible that the
articles ordered by me are really procured and consumed.
X. Clothing.—There has been no change in the clothing during the year. The green cloth
uniform is sufficiently warm for the cold season.
The boots are commonly ill fitting and made of stiff leather, and as they are worn on
un-socked feet, the result is that after any marching, many men come to hospital suffering
from abraded feet and ankles. This is specially the case among the Goorkhas, who, when off
duty, go with feet naked. The adoption of some kind of soft stocking would avert this cause
of inefficiency.
The men are, as a rule, fairly provided with under-clothing and bedding.
XVI. Duty .—The duties were of unusual severity ; drills with the newly issued Snider being
very frequent previous to . the head-quarters proceeding on active service to the Dufflas on Nov-
ember 23rd ; and, owing to the absence of so many men, the guard duties of the detachment
at the depôt became subsequently very heavy.
Amusements.
XII. Exercises and amusements.— A few of the Goorkhas amuse themselves by shikar
ing ; the Sikhs and Hindustanies by wrestling, riding, fencing, &c. But few of the men are
artificers or cultivators. The head-quarters and 250 men marched from Narainpore into
t he Duf f l a c ount r y dur i ng t he c a mpa i gn of 1874- 75.