SECTION II.
TEN-YEAR STANDARD FOR THE NATIVE ARMY OF THE BENGAL PRESIDENCY, BASED ON
THE STATISTICS OF THE YEARS FROM 1867 TO 1876.
In contrasting the mortality of the European and Native Armies, the first point that
strikes the observer is, that the relation of mortality to season
is reversed in the case of these two bodies. Climatic
influences predominate in the case of the European in the hot
and rainy months; but with the setting in of the cold season mortality declines steadily, and
rises again only with the heat of April. With the Native soldier this does not hold. The
mortality, which. is high in October, increases during November, December and January, and.
the effects of cold on the debilitated constitution tell even in February and March.
In the previous section, I have called attention to the decrease of mortality in the last
quarter of the year in the case of the European Army, as indicative of a great change for the
better in all the arrangements affecting the health of British troops, and instanced the steady
progress throughout the months from October onwards, as the chief contrasting feature between
the statistics of recent and former periods of observation.
The case is very different with the Native soldier. Climatic influences, from which the
European readily recovers, leave lasting effects on his weakly frame; and while the European.
regains health and energy in the cold months, the Native under exposure develops fatal
disease.
In former years, at the close of bad epidemic seasons, the mortality among the Europeans
prostrated and beyond the power of healthy reaction, was in many instances excessive. In
1869, universally an epidemic year, the tendency to death from the long continuance of severe
sickness was in several cases developed. As an example, Her Majesty's 58th Regiment,
stationed at Allahabad, lost 20 men from dysentery and hepatitis in the last months of the
year. But such a case as this, which is not to be compared with the great outbreaks of for-
mer years, is in these times to be quoted as rare and exceptional.
The parallel phenomenon which, in former years, so gravely affected the statistics of our
hill stations, has also been noticed in reviewing the statistics of the European Army.
Some time since, having occasion to contrast the statistics of the Native Army of Bengal
for the ten-year period 1864 to 1873 with the standard for the European Army of 1860 to 1869,
I was much struck with the illustration of the point in question afforded by the general ratios
of the two armies. The relation of the mortality to months in the European and Native
Armies stands thus:—
Died out of each 100 deaths in each. month,, cholera and deaths from, violence being excluded.
European Army of
Bengal, 1860-69.
Native Army of
Bengal, 1864-73.
November
8 . 8
11.4
December
7.6
13.2
January
6.0 3 7 . 6
1 3 . 4 62.6
February
4.3
8.6
March
4.4
9.0
April
6.5
7.0
.
May
7.6
6.6
J u n e
11.0
5.5
July
.
l0.1 62.4
5.5 3 7 . 4
August
10.7
5.7
September
11.6
5.4
October
11.4
8.7
100. 0
100.0
Taking the months from May to October and from November to April, the sum of the
monthly ratios exhibits a contrast absolutely diametrical; 63 per cent. of the mortality of the
Natives falls in the cold months, and 37 in the hot season; while in the European Army 62
per cent. falls in the hot months, and 38 in the cold.
' The statistics of the European and
Native Armies compared, as related to
season.
Causes of mortality at the different
seasons compared in the two bodies.
Continuing the illustration, the predominance of the
chief causes of mortality in the cold weather, as contrasted with
their prevalence in the hot season, was commented on thus
:"" Dysentery, fever, and pneumonia make up three-fourths or the mortality or the Native
Army. Sixty per cent. of all deaths from fever and dysentery occur between November and
w