‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎105r] (218/294)

(d) Bushire Laboratory Report .—81 slides were examined for malaria
of which 45 were + (one of these was malignant). The infection is said to be
imported from India or Basrah, only 3 cases having been traced to local
infection in December. At Beshire malaria is absent.
Supplies .—During November and December some valuable inspections
were carried out by the Officer Commanding, No. 100 Sanitary Section on
meat, food stuffs, and milk ; 18 tons 7 cwts. 2 qrs. 18 lbs. 2 ozs were con
demned.
Briefly the work was as follows :—
{a) Meat.
—
Carcases
examined.
Carcases
condemned.
Reasons for condemning.
Beef ...»
1,250
20
Emaciation. Cysticycercus bovis.
Tuberculosis. Septicaemia pyaemia.
Mutton ...
983
2
Emaciation. Weight deficient.
Much offal was condemned because of liver fluke and hydatid cysts.
The cysts, bovis was found in the thigh muscles which are now all cut into
in each carcase to facilitate inspection.
(5) Foods.
The chief items were biscuits 2,175 lbs, pine apnle 20,237, lbs., rabbit
2,175 lbs., ghi 1,035 lbs., tinned milk 950 lbs., dall 13,286 lbs., tea 616 lbs.,
butter 303 lbs.
(c) Milk.
During the 12 days (December 20th to 31st) of 1,575 pints brought to the
milk dep6t by Arabs, 875 pints were rejected.
Water .—On the 5th Divisional Water arrangements on the Hai were
visited. They are now supplying all units who can possibly tap central
chlorinating installations on the Hai. That of the one Division is in the bed of
the Hai on account of rifle fire while that of another Division is further south
on the west bank and has two Mere weather engines pumping up the water.
Chlorination by bleaching powder is done at both, the water is being stored in
the new rubber canvas 2,300 gallon tanks. Those are now in use throughout
the vrhole Front and are proving satisfactory. Since chlorination began at
Basrah the Laboratory at 3, British General Hospital has examined 314
samples to estimate coli in 5 c. c. and the results indicate very definitely the
value of chlorination. During November and December 9 samples from
chlorinated w r ater in Amarah were examined by the Central Laboratory and
all were satisfactory.
A complete memorandum on disinfection with special relation to the Front
area lias been submitted to “ A ” branch. Estimates have been submitted
to Supply and Transport for monthly requirement of disinfectants for the
whole Force.
Conservancy .—As previously noted, the effect of operations necessitating
much movement of troops is to make sanitation on the lines for standing camps
temporarily difficult or impossible, especially in regard to conservancy and
centralizing of slaughtering and disinfection. The Deputy Director, Military
Services Front, issued a memorandum recommending that units in recently
occupied front line trenches adopt incineration as soon after consolidation of
trenches as possible.
Owing to the difficulty of disposing of horse litter after heavy rain, it was
recommended that, though every attempt was to be made to burn as much as
possible, any excess could beeither (1) banked with mud and oil or (2) disposed
of in deep pits, treated, when necessary, with oil. The testimony of one
Division who have provided themselves in most instances with small drying
sheds for litter is, that, in spite of the rain, the disposal of all night soil by
incineration has been easily effected. Twin Canals’ Post, which has recently
been taken over by Line of Communication, was a sea of mud about 3rd Janu
ary, and large numbers of slaughter animals on their way to Es Sinn had died
in the Post after exposure to wind and rain and after indifferent feeding.
The disposal of carcases was at first, owing to labour shortage, attended to with
some difficulty.