94
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Exercises.
Epidemic
diseases.
Hospital
accommoda
tion.
General
conclusions.
Exercises.—The men of the regiment do very little in this way.
Epidemic diseases.—Both small-pox and cholera, which have been epidemic over the greater
part of India, found their way into the bazaars and from here into the lines. Three mild cases of
cholera were admitted at different times and they all recovered. These diseases were clearly
imported from the bazaars and were not due to any want of sanitary precaution.
Hospital accommodation.—The ventilation has been perfect. Drainage round the hospital is
good. Latrines on the dry-earth principle ; they have worked well.
General conclusions.—The early part of the past year was very healthy, but after the rains
sickness increased very greatly. As usual malarial fevers caused by far the largest number of
admissions ; of these there were 466 cases out of a total of 691. The next largest number of
admissions was for simple continued fever, of which there were 41 cases. After this comes
conjunctivitis, which numbered 28, then 16 cases of itch (almost entirely among the recruits),
14 of dysentery, 11 of abscess, and 10 of small-pox. All other diseases are in single figures.
There have been 11 deaths (all in hospital) ; of these 4 were from pneumonia, 3 from ague with
complications, 1 from beri-beri, 1 hydrophobia, 1 dysentery, and 1 from necrosis of jaw. Three
solitary cases of cholera occurred in the lines during the time the disease was epidemic in the
Saugor city or cantonments.
8th Regiment Native Infantry.
STATION—SEETABULDEE.
Arrived from Mercara 6th December 1873.
Average strength
. .
..
..
..
. .
..
.. 704
Do.
do. present
. .
. .
..
. .
. .
.. 448
Admissions
..
. .
..
..
. .
. .
..
.. 918
Daily sick
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
26
Deaths in hospital
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
.. 11
Do. out of hospital . .
. .
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
1
Pensioned ..
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
26
Sick leave ..
. . ..
. .
. .
..
. . . .
.. 16
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding, as
contrasted with previous years :—
Years.
Stations.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions. Daily Sick. All Deaths. Pensioned. Sick Leave.
1875 ..
.. Seetabuldee . .
.. 133.03
3.83
.57
2.58
1.14
1876
. .
. .
Do.
..
. . 164.56
4.59
.70
4.92
1.98
1877 ..
..
Do.
. .
. . 170.64
6.33
1.03
2.94
2.50
Average .. 156.07
4.91
.76
3.48
1.87
1878 ..
.. Seetabuldee . .
.. 204.91
5.80
1.70
3.69
2.27
Climate of the
station.
Lines.
The following officers were in medical charge of this corps during the year :
Surgeon R. Warder,
Surgeon J. W. Strong,
the latter of whom reports as follows : —
Climate of the station.— The climate of Nagpore is on the whole a healthy one. The hot
weather continues much longer than usual. This, along with the decreased rainfall, appears to
have rendered the season an unhealthy one, and consequently exercised some influence on the
number of admissions for the year under review.
Lines.—The huts are built of rammed mud with tiled roofs. Some of the huts which are
detached from the main lines are covered with grass. Width of main street 31 feet and of
subsidiary streets 18 feet ; all well open and clean.