Extract from the Proceedings of the Government of India, in the Home Department
(Sanitary),—under date Simla, the October 1878.
READ–
A l e t t e r f r o m t h e S a n i t a r y C o m m i s s i o n e r w i t h t h e G o v e r n m e n to
f I n
d i a , N o .
515,
date
d t h e 3 r d S e p t e m b e r 1 8 7 8 , s u b m i t t i n g t h e t w o u n d e r m e n t i o n e d v o l u m e s o f R e t u r n s
and Report prepared by Surgeon-Major J. L. Bryden, M.D., Statistical Officer to
the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India.
(1).—Volume IV.—Annual Returns of the European Army of India and of the Native
Army and jail population of the Bengal Presidency from 1871 to 1876.
(2).—Volume V.—Report on the statistics of the European Army of India and of the
Native Army and jails of Bengal to the end of 1876, and also the history of
e p i d e m i c c h o l e r a i n I n d i a i n 1 8 7 5 a n d 1 8 7 6 .
RESOLUTION.
THE SE two volumes of sanitary returns and memoranda are in cont
inua-tion of the three volumes which were prepared in 1874. The tables for. six
years, 1871 to 1876, which are contained in volume IV, have appeared
as appendices to the annual reports of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Govern--
ment of India, for those years. They embrace statistics for the Europea
n troops of all three Presidencies, and for the native troops and jails of the
Bengal Presidency. These tables represent much annual labour, and their
value for future reference will be great and lasting. They form a complete
record of sickness and mortality among the communities concerned. In
future, commencing from the year 1877, these tables will, it, is understood,
include not only all European troops, but all the native troops and all t
he jails of India. The Government of India consider that a collection of data of
this kind, as affording material for inductions and generalizations on most
important subjects, will prove of great value
.
2. Volume V, cited in the preamble, contains a series of short reports on the European soldiers, native soldiers and prisoners, with a separate report on cholera, each subject being illustrated by summaries and other arrangements
of f i gur es. The f act s put f or war d i n t hese r epor t s have much pr act i cal val ue, especi al l y t hose bear i ng on. Eur opean sol di er s, vi z. , t he di seases whi ch pr ove most f at al t o t hem at di f f er ent ages and i n di f f er ent Pr esi denci es, t he i nf l uence of age and I ndi an r esi dence on mor t al i t y and i nval i di ng, how each af f ect s
t he resul t s, and how t he t wo act t oget her. In fact , t here i s hardl y any poi nt i n connect i on wi t h si ckness and mort al i t y among Bri t i sh sol di ers i n Indi a on whi ch i nformat i on i s l i kel y t o be want ed, whi ch i s not t aken up and di scussed wi t h a t horough knowl edge of t he fact s.
3 . T h e s t a t i s t i c s s e t f o r t h i n t h e s e r e p o r t s a f f o r d s a t i s f a c t o r y e v i d e n c e o f t h e r e s u l t s wh i c h a t t e n t i o n t o s a n i t a r y me a s u r e s h a s a l r e a d y e f f e c t e d a mo n g t h e B r i t i s h t r o o p s a n d a mo n g p r i s o n e r s i n j a i l . F o r i n s t a n c e , t h e d e a t h - r a t e o f t h e E u r o p e a n a r my i n I n d i a a v e r a g e d o n l y 1 7 . 6 2 p e r mi l l e p e r a n n u m d u r i n g t h e f i v e y e a r s 1 8 7 1 - 7 5 , a s c o mp a r e d wi t h 2 0 p e r mi l l e , wh i c h t h e Ar my