Chapter VI.]
THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE ARMY OF INDIA.
67
CHAPTER IV.
THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE ARMY OF INDIA.
During the seventeen years, from 1860 to 1876, the women and children of the Army of
Bengal have been steadily on the increase. The women of
the Army of Bengal were, in 1860, only 2,080 strong, and
year by year the number increased, until, in 1867, the body
numbered 3,000; and for the past eight years the strength has averaged 3,750
.
The children of the Army of Bengal were, in 1860, a body numbering 3,186; in 1867 and
1868 the numbers rose to 5,000; and in 1874 and 1875 they had still further increased to
7,000.
In this period 1,941 women died, and 7,503 children.
Taking the results of 1860—69, the ten-year period which I have aggregated as a standard
for the men of the Army of Bengal, the women lost on an
average 43.28 per 1,000 of their strength annually, the
maximum of the period being 68.03 and the minimum 25.46.
Both of these ratios were exceptional, and the mean of the ten years may be accepted as a
normal average. Excluding the cholera ratio of 12.16 per 1,000, the average is 31.12.
In the seven years subsequent to 1869, the ratio diminished to 29.21, or, without
cholera, to 24.47.
In the period 1860—69, the children died at the rate of 94.90 per 1,000; and during the
period 1870—76, the annual loss was 77.73 per 1,000. The cholera-ratio was in the former
period 11.50, and in the latter 4.26 per 1,000.
The conditions peculiar to women, and circumstances inseparable from compulsory residence
in India, seem to determine in their case a death-rate much
above that normal for the men. For men the death-rate of
1860—69 was 29.98: 13 per 1,000 in their favour as co
m-pared with the death-rate of the women. For the same years, the cholera-ratio for the m
en was 9.24, against 12.16 for the women.
In the Army of India, and in the period under review, while the ratio of 1871—75 for the
men was 15.91 per 1,000, excluding violent deaths, for the women it was 9 in excess, or 25
per 1,000.
The details of these ratios for the two periods, and contrasting the results for the men and
women, are given below:—
Death-rates per 1,000 of Strength of the Men and the Women, contrasted on the results of 1860-69
and 1871-75.
ARMY OF BENGAL, 1860-69.
ARMY OF INDIA, 1871-75.
Causes of Death.
Women.
M e n .
Women.
M e n .
Fevers
5.93
3.58
4.20
2.81
Heat Apoplexy
1.76
2.19
.77
1.35
Dysentery
8.64
3.47
4.20
1.43
Hepatitis
1.94
3.31
1.44
2.30
Phthisis Pulmonalis
3.70
1.73
3.07
1.24
Respiratory Diseases
1.10
.99
.89
.82
Heart Disease
.66
1.01
.73
1.34
Anæmia and Debility
1.02
.98
2 08
All other Causes
3.04
3.14
2.16
Violent Deaths
.15
1.32
.20
1.71
Diseases of Child-birth
3.18
2.79
Cholera
12.16
9.24
3.77
2.54
Death-rate per 1,000
43.28
29.98
25.20
17.62
Deaths from violence occupy a very unimportant place in the statistics of women; acci
- d e n t a l a n d s u i c i d a l d e a t h s a r e n i n e t i m e s m o r e n u m e r o u s a m o n g t h e m e n . T h e s o l d i e r d i e s i n
a higher ratio from heat apoplexy, heart disease, and hepatitis, and this is conspicuous in both
statements; in respect to all other diseases, the ratios for women are excessive, and most
notably so in the case of dysentery and phthisis.
In the last four years especially, the ratios for both women and children have been low in
comparison, and if permanently maintained in the future
such an average may be considered satisfactory. That it
will go much lower, circumstances remaining the same, is
scarcely to be hoped for.
Strength of women and children at
-tached to the Army of Bengal, 1860—76.
Death-rates of the women and chil
- d r e n c o m p a r e d i n t h e t w o p e r i o d s ,
1860—69 and 1870—76.
The death-rate for women as com
-pared with that of the men. The co
m - p o n e n t s o f t h e t w o r a t i o s c o n t r a s t e d .
The death-rates, both of women and
children, of recent years have been very
favourable, and cannot be expected to be
much lower in the future.