Reports on mountain and marine sanitaria : medical and statistical observations on civil stations and military cantonments., jails - dispensaries - regiments - barracks, &c. within the Presidency of Madras, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Islands, and British Burmah from January 1858 to January 1862 / by Duncan Macpherson.

  • MacPherson, Duncan, M.D., 1812-1867.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on mountain and marine sanitaria : medical and statistical observations on civil stations and military cantonments., jails - dispensaries - regiments - barracks, &c. within the Presidency of Madras, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Islands, and British Burmah from January 1858 to January 1862 / by Duncan Macpherson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    with fifteen G8 pounders and two 13 inch mortars, on this citadel excellent Barrack and hospital accommodation is being provided for two Companies of European Artillery. New Barracks affording ample accommodation for a Native Infanjtry Regiment of the present strength are now occupied by the native garrison. These quarters are well ventilated, the side or enclosing verandah walls are ten, and the centre twenty, feet high. The buildings are judiciously situated ; the basement is raised, and the men all sleep on boards and trussels; an excellent range of cook rooms is in progress, and two ranges of privies are completed. But these latter are badly planned, and when they come to be used cannot fail to befcome a nuisance to the locality, ridge ventilation ought to be introduced into the roofs befoie the men resort to them. Temporary new Barracks, calculated for a Regiment of Europeans ],000 strong, are first approaching completion at Mount Harriet, Tanglong district, an elevated undulating ground three and half miles from the city of Singapore. These quarters are raised on posts four feet, the floors are boarded, the side walls are of double leaves matted, and they are of great width and elevation ; an appropriate position has been selected for the hospital close to good water. In cour,se of time, Barracks of a permanent structure will be erected on the ground now occupied by the temporary buildings, which embrace an area of 240 acres. Nothing can be worse than the drainage of the town of Singapore. In some places there are broad, deep, foul sewers on each side of the streets,spannedby planks, as an approach to the habitation beyond; other streets ace provided with narrow water courses, choked, here and there, with'town refuse. Some of the streets have shallow surface drainage, and others none at all. A rivei* of considerable sizo causes back waters to intersect the most populous part of the town. At the ebb of the tide those expose deep beds of mephetic gasses, which taint the atmosphere in all directions. It is not creditable to the prosperous and wealthy city of Singapore, that this present state of matters should continue, a good system of central and lateral drainage, and a through cleansing of the canals and rivers, is very much required. Besides the disregard to the drainage of the town and suburbs, there is a want of a proper .system of conservancy generally^ There is ton much underwood, the hedge rows around the town are over-grown, SERIES IX. Section III. Drainage.