Medical and sanitary reports of the native army of Madras for the year 1873 : framed on the weekly an annual returns, on the reports of regimental medical officers, and on the inspection reports of deputy surgeons-general of the Indian Medical Department.

Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical and sanitary reports of the native army of Madras for the year 1873 : framed on the weekly an annual returns, on the reports of regimental medical officers, and on the inspection reports of deputy surgeons-general of the Indian Medical Department. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    85/216 (page 79)
    Surgeon-Major W. H. Morgan lias been in charge of this corps daring the year, and submits the following report :— Glimate.-—The climate of Bangalore does not appear to be suited to the sepoys or their Climate, families, and during the year they have suffered principally from fevers, eruptive fevers, rheumatism, and from bronchial and pulmonary complaints, as will be more fully described in the medical report. ilf(f,rc/(.es.—Head-quarters have been stationary. A detachment of 18 is sent on alter-Marches, nate months to Oossoor. E and F Companies arrived on the 31st January from Quilon, which station they left on the 20th. In the middle of March the east hutting lines were entirely occupied by the men and followers of the 28rd; these lines were vacated by the 39th Native Infantry. Sepoy huts.—These lines are approached by a road more or less furrowed by the flow Sepoy huta. of water from higher ground ; their position is as regards aspect confined, as regards elevation insufiicient, as regards neighbourhood crowded. Position unhealthy. They are just the other way ; that is, they are low, crowded, badly ventilated, and built on soil polluted with excre- mentitious matters, and certainly detrimental to health. There are two doors and three windows in the quarter-guard room, the superficial area of which is 333 feet; it is occupied by a guard of 13 men with 35*6 superficial feet per man. To avoid crowding several of the men sleep on the verandahs of the place-of-arms, and are exposed to chills which very often lead to fever, pneumonia, bronchitis, rheumatism, &c. The drainage of the huts is bad; there are often ditches in front of them which receive a constant flow of slops and other impurities ; and, in spite of the daily cleaning out of these ditches, there is usually an amount of filth in them which contaminates the soil and taints the air. These defects are noted in periodical reports, and have been brought to the notice of the authorities by the Deputy Surgeon-General. Nuisances.—The conservancy of the lines is well attended to; the condition of the Nmsancea. drains is reported on weekly, but nothing has been done during the year to remedy the same. Water-supply.—The principal sources of water-supply are tanks, two large crowded WatQr-supp]^^. wells, and 45 others scattered through the lines. The supply from the two wells, as well as from numerous others in this locality, has been pronounced by the Water Analyst to be quite unfit for drinking purposes.I recommended that one of the wells, which had a number of broken chatties and other rubbish in it, be cleaned out, but it was not done. A proposition for the removal of the men to another locality has been made, but it has not been carried out. Sanitary arrangements.—Supposing this question to refer to the lines, I should say that Sanitary ar- they have not. It is absurd to pretend that sanitary arrangements have been properly rangeinents. attended to when men are compelled to live in dilapidated huts standing on soil polluted with excrementitious matters ; are supplied with water quite unfit for drinking purposes when the accommodation in a hut is regulated by the rank of the occupant rather than by the number in a family, where the drainage is as bad as it can be, and where 107 children have perished during the year. Diet.—The average price of rice during the year was 10 measures per rupee, and the sepoys Diet, have received compensation to the amount of Rupees 3-5-9 during it. Vegetables are cheap and plentiful; meat can be got all times, but men with large families are seldom able to procure it. The appearance of the generality of men who come under my observation belies the supposition that their diet is sufficiently nutritive. Clothing.—There has been no change in the regulation clothing during the year. The Clothing, head-dress described in previous years is still worn, and is as open to objection as heretofore. Foot-soreness.—One hundred and forty-eight men have been excused wearing boots for Poot- periods varying from one to several weeks. soreneas. Duty and exercises.—Ordinary garrison and regimental duties. Exposure to night air Duty and has occasioned a good many admissions into hospital from fevers, inflammation of the lungs, exercises, bronchitis, &c., and this is in some degree due to the men sleeping on the verandahs of the place-of-arms from want of space in the quarter-guard room. Several men fall out on brigade days, as latterly brigades have been held twice a week at Agram, a distance of 3^ miles from the east hutting lines; and men who, with slight abrasions on their feet and excori- ations about their limbs, would take a tour of duty make the most of these minor injuries, and are ordered into hospital by the officers. A heavier rifle than the one used for many years by the regiment seems also to have operated as an incentive to some men to come into hospital with the idea that they are not able to handle their arms efficiently. There is further, in my opinion, an amount of scheming at this time of the year on the part of men who have served their time for pension, and others who, by a timely retreat into hospital, expect to escape the Camp of Exercise. Average number of nights per week the men have had in bed has been found 3J. Drill.—From 6 to 7-30 a.m. daily for the whole regiment, except on Thursdays and Drill. Sundays, and from 4-35 to 5-35 p m. for a company five times a week. Adjutant's drill for two hours daily, morning and evening. Lock-up rooms and prison cells.—Good. Lock-up rooms, &o.