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Septic Tanks. —It has been found that all properly installed septic tank
systems have worked satisfactorily during the year. In spite of the issue of a
M. E. S. drainage manual, care is still necessary; however, to ensure that con-
tractors do their work properly in the matter of laying house and effluent
drains.
In Northern Command all underground drains are now inspected by the
Deputy Assistant Director of Hygiene, or his representative, before being
filled in and it is not very uncommon for a drain to be failed in this examination
at the first inspection.
•
Bore-hole latrines.—These have been put down in several stations during
the past 3 years. They have failed where the bore does not reach subsoil
water, for example in the I. H. C. lines and in the Arsenal at Rawalpindi. In
others they have been thoroughly successful ; but they are by no means
popular for Indian use, they do require a reasonable amount of attention and
they have been put to some extremely quaint uses in some instances. They
should be of great value, but doubts have been raised about the extent of
subsoil water contamination. This matter is under investigation by the
Public Health authorities of the Punjab and pressing for the development of
this method is suspended, pending the outcome of investigations.
Effects of Mechanization.— Two unexpected results of modern mechanisa-
tion are worth recording.
(i) At Sialkot, where the country is exceedingly flat and where considerable
mechanisation has been introduced in certain units, as much as 5,000 gallons
of water are used daily for the washing of cars. This drains to the Shed
nullah in which special grading had been laboriously built to deal with definite
amounts of storm water, expeditiously and thoroughly. The grading is now
found to be unsuitable for this daily permanent flow and the nullah is constantly
full and a source of embarrassment to anti-malarial work.
(ii) Also at Sialkot the change over from horses to machines has resulted
in a complete dearth of stable litter for incineration of cantonment filth and
refuse. Purchase of sufficient fuel would have meant an expenditure of
Rs. 10,000 for this cantonment alone. A system of septic tanks with dumping
depots is being tried out to deal with the disposal of filth.
Latrines for active service. —In consequence of remarks of the Assistant
Director of Hygiene and Pathology, Northern Command in his Report on the
Health of the Troops in the Waziristan operations of 1937 experiments were
carried out during 1938 by medical and ordnance authorities to devise suitable
lines for British and Indian troops for active service. These were to be :
—
(i) Suitable for peace or war.
(ii) Lighter than the present patterns.
(iii) Capable of nesting and of being carried on pack transport.
(iv) For Indian Troops 2 pans interchangeable ( i.e. , all pans the same).
(v) For British troops fly proof.
Receptacles on these lines have been evolved and, from preliminary appear to be.
satisfactory and have been sent for trials.
Fly proof gauze .—Experiments which were carried out by the Deputy
Assistant Director of Hygiene, Lahore District to prove or refute the statement
that H. domestica could readily penetrate the wire gauze ordinarily used by
the M. E. S. (No. 20 S. W. 0. 8 mesh) proved conclusively that these flies