Observations on the evidence contained in the stational reports submitted to her by the Royal Commission on the Sanitary State of the Army in India / by Florence Nightingale.

  • Nightingale, Florence, 1820-1910.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the evidence contained in the stational reports submitted to her by the Royal Commission on the Sanitary State of the Army in India / by Florence Nightingale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/104 (page 8)
    It is singular that, while describing water sources, qualities, and modes of distribution which civilised cities have ceased to use, most of the reporters consider the water as good and fit for use. The practical result of this part of the evidence is that safe water supplies are yet to be found both for Indian cities and for British cantonments; and that many sources, as described in the returns, would in England be scouted as infallible causes of cholera in epidemic seasons. Lavatories. As for all means of cleanliness, bathing, except in a few cases where there are plunge baths, seems to mean washing the face, or throwing water over the body, for where there are lavatories there are no or few fittings, where there are fittings there is no water. At Lucknow a small canal runs along the bath room, from which the bathers draw the water and throw it over themselves, being prevented by iron bars across from 'lying at full length in it and men in tents in time of peace. Barracks are built for peace, and ought to be supplied with reasonable and decent conveniences. Why should the bheestie and waterskin be preserved when the tent is abandoned ? Let the bheestie be for field service, if no better device can be discovered ; but let some civilised method be adopted of supplying barracks, garrisons, and towns with this prime ele- ment of health and cleanliness. Besides, human labour is daily becoming of higher value in India, and it may be actually more expensive to use men as beasts of burthen now than to use the appliances of civilisation.