198
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Water-supply.
New wells.
collected on either edge, here the solid sewage is at once conveyed, buried, and covered with
dry earth. Of course, in the height of the .rains, the earth is not quite dry, still it answers
admirably even then. The soil from the band lines and the regimental bazar (there are no
female latrines, and if there were, they wouldn't use them) is-likewise buried in these trenches.
In the very worst weather there is no effluvium to speak of; on a hot day the "aqueduct" is
sometimes a little offensive, but a little lime soon gets rid ,of this. I tried to get some per-
chloride or persulphate of iron as au urinary deodorant, but didn't succeed. Of course both
the structures above mentioned are moved as occasion requires. The above I understand was
the system in force when the regiment was quartered at Meerut; for its introduction and estab-
lishment here the chief credit is due to the station staff officer, who has been most indefatiga
- b l e i n h i s e x e r t i o n s t o e n s u r e i t s s u c c e s s .
The hospital latrine is in excellent order, having been thoroughly repaired in the early part
of the year.
The ordinary conservancy of the lines is in the hands of ther egimental sweepers; the
rubbish, e. g., dead leaves, &c., &c., is collected into one place near the latrines and burnt when
practicable. The whole cantonment has been kept in excellent order during the year.
VIII. Water-supply.—Source unchanged since last report. Owing to the early rain-
fall, the wells did not fail so much as usual in March and April. The tank near the quarter-
guard has just been thoroughly cleaned at my request; the water is of very fair quality ; the men,
however, do not use it much for drinking purposes.
The four new pucca wells, two in each wing of the regimental lines, mentioned in
last year's report as having been sanctioned, are now in course of construction. These wells
are to be surrounded by a raised platform and a drain outside of it.
In sinking these wells the nature of the soil so far has been found to be as follows:
— F i r s t t h r e e f e e t o f a s o m e w h a t s a n d y s o i l , t h e n 1 2 f e e t o f l o a m , t h e n 3 ½ f e e t o f l a t e r i t e , t h e n
loam again. The bottom of all the old wells is on the bed of laterite.
As the new wells are two in each wing of the regimental lines, and not very far from some
of the old wells, it may not be uninteresting to give the following figures from my report on
an analysis of the water-supply of Cachar made last cold season.
Analysis of
well water.
HARDNESS IN DEGREES
(CLARKE' S SCALE).
SOLIDS AS MILLEGRAM-
MES PER LITRE.
C h l o r i d e s , a s m i l l e g r a m -
m e s p e r l i t r e .
F r e e a m m o n i a a s m i l -
l e g r a m m e s p e r l i t r e .
T o t a l O x i d i s a b l e o r g a n i c
m a t t e r a s m i l l e g r a m m e s p e r l i t r e , e x p r e s s e d i n t e r m s o f o x y g e n .
N i t r o n s a c i d e x p r e s s e d i n t e r m s o f o x y g e n , a s m i l l e g r a m m e s p e r l i t r e .
T o t a l .
R e m o v a b l e .
F i x e d .
T o t a l .
D e s t r u c t i b l e . F i r e - p r o o f .
Well (old) in right wing
9º.8 2.45 7.35 80 a trace 80 22.72 none
. 6 2 o f o x y g e n
required.
. 0 4 o f
o x y g e n
required.
Well (old) in left wing
14.35 3.5 10.85 100
20
80 .26.3 .01
. 7 4 o f o x y g e n
required.
.067 of oxy-
gen required.
Diet.
Rations.
Fish and vege-
tables.
Hospital
dieting,
(The albuminoid ammonia I could not determine, owing to the want of a distilling ap
- p a r a t u s . )
Thus it is seen that the first is really a good water, and the second far from bad; both are
distinctly acid, containing a little free carbonic acid and perhaps acid salts; the left wing well
contains 3 or 4 grains of lime per gallon, and probably some magnesia, and both contain a trace
of both proto and per salts of iron. It remains to be seen what effect deeper wells, extending
to another stratum and better situated, will have on the quality of the water. Even if it be
not improved, there remains the great advantage of an unfailing supply.
IX. Diet.—As in 1873, rations have been supplied by the Commissariat Department
throughout the year. A ration consists of attah 1 seer, dhall 2 chuttacks, ghee 1 chuttack,
and salt to the weight of 3 pice. No sepoy can eat this food alone for any time; it produces
indigestion, and consequently each man on an average eats about half a seer of attah; he sells
the remainder, and with the proceeds buys rice, vegetables, spices, &c., and so is able to vary
his diet. The rations were good, with one exception, when 15 maunds of dhall was condemned
by a regimental committee; it was full of weevils, sour, and quite unfit for food. I understand
this system of rationing is to be abolished, probably at the end of the current quarter. I do
not know if batta will be given as compensation.
Fish and vegetables have been tolerably plentiful during the year. About the middle
of the year the bazar rates became very high, rice selling at from 6 to 8 seers the rupee; this
lasted for a few months; the new crop has brought down the rates again. Though rice is
grown extensively here, there is often a difficulty in obtaining it, as the growers do not husk it
themselves, but send it to Sylhet for that purpose. Only in one instance had I a suspicion of
under-feeding; a word to the Native officer of the company soon put that all right.
The dieting of serious cases in hospital is really a most difficult thing to manage. This
is a very high-caste regiment, consequently the greatest care has to be taken not to offend
the prejudices of any. Stimulants they will take if I call it medicine; also, of course, milk,
arrowroot, &c., but in many cases more than this is required; then I have to resort to pills of