94
SECTION III
.
SPECIAL SUBJECTS.
64. Hygiene
A. Accommodation
(i) The standard of accommodation in barracks and quarters of British
and Indian troops has continued to progress.
Modern barracks both for British and Indian troops are definitely good
and show attention to those details which improve the health of the occupants.
The modern type of married quarter, both British and Indian, is also definitely
good with modern sanitation available in the British type.
But during inspections it is noted and comment is often made that many
barracks, many cookhouses or feeding places and many quarters are much
below modern standards. This applies perhaps more particularly to the
family lines of Indian troops and followers and the family quarters of British
troops in hill stations. It is however a question of money and of relative needs
in a district or command, and those who constantly urge new lines here or new
quarters there should realise that relative needs must be judged.
(ii) Overcrowding.—An effect of the war was undoubtedly the overcrowd
- i n g w h i c h h a d t o b e p e r m i t t e d . M o v e m e n t o f t r o o p s , a r r i v a l o f r e s e r v i s t s ,
return of large leave parties and influxes of batches of recruits all tended to
cause very definite overcrowding, particularly in Indian lines. A watch was
kept on the situation and appropriate measures taken by the medical autho
- r i t i e s . I n n o c a s e w a s t h e r e s e r i o u s t r o u b l e o n t h i s a c c o u n t , a n d o n l y i n a
few instances was overcrowding the cause of any special disease.
(iii) New and old type buildings.—During the year a set of experiments
and observations was carried through in several stations to contrast the internal
temperatures and feeling of comfort in the old and the new type of Barrack
and Quarter. This was done in two phases during the hot weather and entailed
many hours' work, even at night.
Owing to the diversity of factors involved the results were not conclusive
but favoured the old type of barrack and quarter as being the cooler and more
comfortable for summer use, having thick, mud coated, whitewashed walls
with deep verandahs compared to the modern fashion of thin, red brick walls
. T h e o l d t y p e h e a t s u p m o r e s l o w l y , t h e n e w t y p e c o o l s q u i c k e r .
It was shown that relatively the orientation of the building was of real
importance; buildings so sited and protected by verandahs that they were
not heated up by the early morning or late evening sun were more comfortable
both for day and for night.
All food stores should definitely be placed on the shaded side of the build
- i n g .
An outstanding factor which is often neglected is the cooling power of
whitewash which can readily be shown to reduce temperatures by 10—15
degrees.
But for British personnel it is for consideration whether, as barracks and
quarters are to a large extent vacated in the hot weather for the seasonal hill-
move, barracks and quarters, bright, airy, well ventilated and open to the
winter sunshine are not better than the old fashioned gloomy prison like struc
- t u r e s o f 3 0 t o 6 0 y e a r s a g o . I t a p p e a r s t h a t p r o v i d e d a d e q u a t e v e r a n d a h
protection can be given the modern type is really the better for our needs.