S e c t i o n I I . ]
G E N E R A L D E D U C T I O N S F R O M T H E S T A T I S T I C S O F T H E P E R I O D .
8 3
In the European Army the ratio for dysentery is much diminished, and that for heart
disease increased in the later of the two periods above shown. In other respects there is little
alteration, and the two statements may fairly be used to indicate the features in which the
death-rates of the European and Native soldier diverge.
By the c o i n c i d e n c e o f t h e n u m b e r o f f e v e r d e a t h s b e i n g n e a r l y t h e s a m e i n b o t h a r m i e s
for the ten years 1867—1876, the etiological distinction
between the nature of the fevers can be remarkably demon
-strated by placing the number of deaths in apposition month
by month. In the European Army of Bengal 1,107 fever deaths occurred between 1867 and
1876; and during the same ten-year period 1,120 fever deaths occurred in the Native Army.
These were distributed month by month as under:—
Jan.
Feb. March. April. May. June.
July. August. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Europeans 45
48
37
83
135
129
95 134 161
108
80
52
Natives
130
102 101
65
62
66
58
69
61
107 163 136
October to March European deaths 370
Native deaths
739
April to September „ „
737
„ „
381
T O T A L
1 , 1 0 7
1 , 1 2 0
This is another very interesting illustration of the fact set forth in the previous
paragraph.
In the past six years, 373 fever deaths of the European Army of Bengal were attributed
to enteric fever, and in the same time 29 fever deaths of
the Native Army appear under the heading of enteric fever.
During these years the attention of medical officers has been
prominently directed to this disease; and if cases have escaped record, others, in which the
diagnosis was doubtful, have been introduced into our returns, and compensate for the
deficiency. In the great majority, I do not doubt the accuracy of the diagnosis. In these
cases, as the rule, it was a young Goorkha or a young recruit from beyond the North-Western
Frontier who suffered; and I associate these cases and their etiology, with the parallel occur
-rence among the young men of our European Army. To point to these 29 cases in order to
suggest the possibility of their having been acquired from contact with the outside population,
or to infer that out of 7,500 deaths, these 29 fever deaths came about by special insanitary con
-ditions, is manifestly wrong. This is brought before us even more impressively in the Jail
Section, where we have to determine the place which enteric fever holds in a total of 67,000
deaths of Natives of India.
The Native soldier of India is a foreigner in many districts of the Bengal Presidency
in which he is called on to serve. Stationed beyond the
Indus, his admission-rate and death-rate much exceed the
average for the European Army as a body; and, at the
opposite extreme of the Presidency, the ratios are not less
than on the North-Western Frontier.
From Behar to the Indus may be regarded as the limits within which the sepoy finds a
climate suited to him, or approximating to what is natural to his requirements as a native of
U p p e r I n d i a . F r o m 7 t o 1 0 p e r 1 , 0 0 0 m a y b e t a k e n a s t h e n o r m a l a n n u a l d e a t h - r a t e f o r
this area. On the average of the ten years 1867—1876, the loss by death was as under, for
men present with their regiments:—
All causes.
Cholera.
All causes,
excluding cholera.
Gangetic Provinces and Oudh
8 . 38
1.49
6.89
Rohilcund and Meerut
11 . 19
.82
10.37
Agra and Central India
9 . 61
1.04
8.57
The stations of the Punjab east of the Indus give these death-rates on the average of the
same period:—
Umballa
7 . 66
Sialkot
6.74
Jullundur
13 . 44
Meean Meer
20 . 19
Ferozepore
7.07
J h e l u m
6 .42
Mooltan
9 . 62
Rawalpindi
11.71
Talagaon
5.07
Etiological distinction between the
fevers of the European and Native
Armies.
Enteric Fever of the Native soldier:
its nature and the extent of its pre-
valence.
The Native soldier a foreigner in
many parts of India.
The ratios of areas suited to his con
-stitution compared with those of unsuit
- a b l e l o c a l i t i e s .