4IO The ''Oriental Sore'' as observed in India. [part ii. 



magnitude and such a formidable cause of interference with the efficiency of the 

 troops, that a Committee was convened in January 1865 to investigate the matter and to 

 determine on measures for the diminution of the disease. The Committee recommended 

 various sanitary measures, the most important of them bearing on the improvement 

 of the water-supply of the troops, and especially of the European troops. Previous to 

 that date the water-supply of the Europeans had been solely from wells. 



During 1865 the measures recommended by the Committee were put into effect, 

 the bathing and drinking water of the Europeans was obtained from the river Jumna 

 as much as possible, and the drinking water was first boiled and then filtered. The 

 measures regarding the water-supply of the native troops were apparently directed, 

 as has always been the case on occasions demanding improvement in it, to putting 

 the branch of the Jumna Canal which runs through the city, from which they can 

 obtain a supply, into good order; but attention was also paid to cleaning wells, etc. 

 During 1865 there were some cases of the disease in the 98th Eegiment and the 25th 

 Native Infantry, but the number was relatively very small ; so few, indeed, and occurring 

 so late in the year, that it was reported on the 4th September that not a single 

 undoubted case had occurred either among natives or Europeans. Both regiments 

 were, no doubt, new to the station, so that much of this sudden disappearance of the 

 disease is to be ascribed to want of time for its development \ still it was during the first 

 and only year of the 38th's location in Delhi, 1864, that it suffered so excessively. 



During 1866 there is no special notice of the occurrence of Delhi sores among 

 the troops ; and in so far as the European regiment was concerned, the admission rates 

 for abscess and ulcer in that year were so low, that the disease may be assumed not 

 to have prevailed to any great degree. The battery of Artillery and the 25th Native 

 Infantry, however, show excessive admissions for the same year. During 1867 the 

 European troops were supplied with drinking water from the Jumna and the Putthur 

 Ghuttee well, — the wing of the 79th drawing their water from the former, and the 

 battery of Artillery from the latter source. The supply for the natives was obtained, 

 as before, from the canal and from wells. Many of the men obtained their water from 

 the Khyrattee Gate well ; this water was of very bad quality, and caused dyspeptic 

 symptoms and diarrhcEa in those using it. A certain number of the men, then as always, 

 no doubt went to the river for water, but the distance at which the Jumna lies from 

 the lines — fths of a mile — naturally prevented its general use. The medical officer 

 of the 25th Punjab Native Infantry, writing in 1867, says " the canal water is of 

 fair quality, but that obtained from the Khyrattee Gate well is bad. I have observed 

 an increase in the number of Delhi sores when the canal supply was stopped, and also 

 a tendency to spread in those sores which were healing." Turning to Table XI, we 

 find that the admission rate of the wing of the 79th, which had only arrived that year 

 in Delhi, from abscess and ulcer is very low, but that the rates furnished by the Artillery 

 and 25th Native Infantry are again very high. 



During 1868 there were a considerable number of cases of Delhi sore in the wing 



