A treatise on the public health, climate, hygeine [sic], and prevailing diseases, of Bengal and the North-West Provinces / By Kenneth Mackinnon.
- MacKinnon, Kenneth
- Date:
- 1848
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A treatise on the public health, climate, hygeine [sic], and prevailing diseases, of Bengal and the North-West Provinces / By Kenneth Mackinnon. Source: Wellcome Collection.
64/438 page 26
![Because with- in control. Sanatory mea- sures. Importance of in stations. Suggestions. Cleanliness, drainage, &c. which affect health, I am not sure that much practical improve- ment to health could result from them. It is beyond human power to prevent the intenser heat of a particular season, to re- gulate the fall of rain, the weight of the atmospliere, or the dose of electricity which it may contain ; but there are things which we can prevent and regulate, and to these, as practical and useful, it behoves us to bestow our particular attention. We must not think that the health of stations on the plains is becoming unworthy of notice, because the bulk of our troops will soon be perched on the sides of the mounfciins. Let recollect that many Europeans, Cinl and Military, must still so- journ on the plains ; nor is the health of the brave and tem- perate Sepoy unworthy of our regard. On most of the points I here briefly allude to, I have dwelt elsewhere—good ac- commodation, including free space, elevation from the ground, and full ventilation, cleanliness observed to the strictest mean- ing of the word, comprehending absence of all rank vegetation, tbe removal of human ordure, and dead vegetable substances liable to decay. The most perfect drainage is alwaj's ad- visable, and I believe that even medical men are not yet suffi- ciently alive to the mischief of stagnant water in the vicinity of dwellings or hospitals. They only fear a marsh, while a puddle, if nearer, may do more mischief in a climate where heat is so intense and dead vegetable and animal matter so abundant. Dr. Jas. Ranken tells us that a bucket of seemingly pure well water w’ill get feetid in two or three days, by the death of animalculi. “ IMillions of monads are contained in a single drop of water”—see ManteWs thoughts on AiiimaU Qules. I believe that at almost every Civil and ]MiIitary station the sanatory measures above noticed are almost entirely neglected, nor have I much hope of seeing it otherwise, ’till those who un- derstand the soimces of disease have the power of suggesting imj)rovements.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2870874x_0064.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
