49
the barracks in a south-east direction whith a nearly W. S. W. aspect and
exposed to the prevailing winds, which are westerly and from the sea."
Efforts have been made to improve the surface drainage, but water still
lies in places after heavy rain, and no doubt the retentive nature of the sub-soil is
one of the causes of fever.
The wastage water from the plunge-bath and from the dipping well near
the filters is carried away by a drain paved with sandstone to a nla between the
barracks and the railway, but the stones are porous and the water escapes and
forms a line of moisture to the north-east of some of the barracks. Regarding
the barracks themselves the only thing I can suggest is that the long rooms be
divided into two by a partition wall so as to reduce the draught and that over
the doors rectangular windows be provided which should open upwards, as suggested by the Army Sanitary Commission and Mr. Lumsdaine, so as to direct the
current of air entering them upwards and not downwards on to the men's cots ;
and perhaps it might be well, as an experiment, to hang chicks along the outer
verandahs so as to diminish the force of the wind, and if this is found to have
any effect in reducing sickness, fixed venetians might be applied.
The three Artillery or Somerset Barracks are upper-storied buildings and
are out of the line of wind blowing off the swamp. Another great source of safety
to them is that, although they are close to the Sadar Bzr, they are to wind-
ward of it, and the men are, therefore, not exposed to the danger of breathing air
blowing over a foul population group ; and although the men occupying them
cannot be said to have been healthy, yet that they have been healthier than the
men in the Napier Barracks will be seen by the following table, showing the
ratio of admissions and deaths from the principal diseases per 1,000 of average
strength : -
Period-Six years, 1877-82.
Cholera.
Enteric Fever.
All Fevers except Enteric.
Dysentery.
Diarrha.
All Causes.
A.
D.
A.
D.
A.
D.
A.
D.
A.
D.
A.
D.
Royal Artillery
0
0
46
11
1,0459
23
195
34
459
0
1,9759
172
Infantry
03
03
58
40
1,6423
5
518
40
1152
03
2,4761
242
I do not wish to lay too great stress on these figures, because for seven months
in 1880 the Base Hospital was established in Karchi and men sent from the
army in Afghanistan were treated in it. Still if these admissions are eliminated altogether, it will be seen that there has been more sickness among the
Infantry than among the Artillery.
It is only fair also to state that the 98th Regiment landed on the 5th September 1880 from Malta and, like all new regiments, suffered on first arrival. The
higher rate of dysentery and diarrha among the Infantry is a noticeable fact.
The analysis of the water in the wells which formerly supplied the Infantry
and Artillery is as follows :-
GRAINS PER GALLON.
PARTS PER MILLION.
Total Solids.
Chlorine.
Free Ammonia.
Albuminoid
Ammonia.
Well supplying Napier Barracks
791
294
Nil
06
Do. Somerset do.
112
4865
026
06
B 357-13