STATISTICS OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN INDIA FROM 1871 TO 1876.
[Section I.
72T
The components of the death-rate of children do not vary much from year to year, nor
with locality. In the Army of Bengal, convulsions, dentition
diarrhœa and atrophy account for 58 per cent. of all deaths;
in the Army of Madras for 63 per cent., and in the Army of
Bombay for 66 per cent. In the ten years, 1860—69, the pro
-portion for the Army of Bengal was 55, or, excluding cholera, 63 per cent. Measles and
hooping cough, croup and bronchitis, tabes and meningitis, and diseases grouped under the
head of "All others" account for 27, 29 and 26 per cent. of the total in the Armies of
Bengal, Madras and Bombay respectively.
Composition of 100 Deaths of Children in the Three Presidencies compared.
Bengal,
Madras,
Bombay,
1860—69.
1871—75.
1871—75.
1871—75.
Diarrhœa and Dy-
sentery.
24.8
5 5 . 0
23.9
5 7 . 5
Dysentery and di-
arrhœa.
21.7
6 3 . 4
Dysentery and di-
arrhœa
2 2 . 8
6 6 . 3
Convulsions
12.4
13.8
Convulsions
17.6
Convulsions
2 1 . 7
Atrophy and An-
æmia.
8.3
11.0
Dentition
12.2
Debility
12.7
Dentition
9.5
8 . 8
Debility
11.9
Dentition
9.1
Fevers
12.4
8.7
Bronchitis
5.8
Fevers
5.9
Cholera
12.1
6.5
Fevers
5.2
Bronchitis
4.6
Bronchitis
3.8
5.8
Meningitis
4.1
Tabes
4.6
Measles
2.2
4.0
Tabes
4.0
Meningitis
4.2
Tabes Mesenterica 3.4
3.9
Measles
3.9
Measles
3.1
Meningitis
3.0
2.9
Croup
3.9
Croup
2.2
Croup
2.3
2.9
Cholera
2.0
Cholera
2.1
Hooping Cough
. 8
1.2
Hooping Cough
.5
Hooping Cough
.4
All other Diseases 5.0
6.6
All other Causes
7.2
All other Causes
6.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
The liability to death decreases with advancing years in a wonderful manner, and the
ratio is most consistent taken year by year. The phenomenon
is strikingly illustrated in this table, which gives the results
for the Army of India in the years from 1871 to 1875, showing
the liability to die declining year by year as the age increases,
from 30 to 1.
Liability to Death at Different Ages, showing the Rapid Decrease of the Ratio as the Ages of the
Children progress.
AGES.
ARMY OF INDIA.
RATIO OF LIABILITY TO DEATH IN
PERCENTAGE
S ( E X C L U D I N G C H O L E R A ) .
A r m y o f I n d i a , a v e r - a g e o f t h e f i v e y e a r s .
ARMIES OF THE THREE
PRESIDENCIES.
1871.* 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875.
Bengal. Madras. B o m - b a y .
Under 6 months (5 months and under) 29.06 28.39 32.42 28.87 33.32 30.41 28.52 29.81 36.35
Between 6 months and 1 year
22.95 25.65 24.31 23.40 20.23 23.31 23.77 24.64 20.69
12 " 18 months
20.15 18.19 18.23 20.04 20.01 19.32 19.68 20.40 1 8 . 5 8
18 " 2 years
12.56 10.12 9.02 9.42 8.65 9.95 9.82 9.29 1 1 . 6 1
Between 2 years and 3 years
6.22 7.14 6.51 7.46 6.17 6.70 6.82 7.67 6.04
3 " 4 " 3.11 4.43 3.28 3.43 5.47 3.95 4.59 4.48 1.93
4 " 5 " 2.51 1.69 2.44 2.63 2.46 2.35 2.36 1.96 2.49
5 " 6 " 1.63 1.99 1.65 2.19 1.43 1.78 2.10 1. 15
1.44
6 " 7 " 1.18 1.71 1.14 1.74 1.58 1.47 1.57
Above 7 years
.63 .69 1.00 .82 .68 .76 .77 .60 .87
TOTAL
100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 1 0 0 . 0 0
The components of the death-rate
of the children of the Armies of the
three Presidencies compared.
Death-rates of the children of the
different ages, showing the rapid
decrease of the ratio as age pro
- g r e s s e s .
* Bengal and Bombay only in 1871.