Chief forms
of sickness.
Statistics of
fevers.
Statistics
mortality.
76
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Chief forms of sickness.—Fevers of malarious origin, diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, venereal
diseases, disease of the respiratory system, violence and accident constitute the chief diseases for
which admissions have taken place. The companies of Sappers and Miners suffered from fevers
in larger proportion than the rest of the force, as well as from cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea.
The 1st N.I. and the Sappers furnished the larger portion of the admissions from venereal disease.
Statistics of fevers.—Fevers returned under the head of intermittent and remittent have
formed in this as in previous years the principal diseases of the Native troops ; more than one
-half of the admissions are due to this cause.
The subjoined table exhibits the admissions from fevers alone and the ratio per cent. to
average strength of corps :—
1878.
1877.
1876.
1875.
Corps.
A d m i s s i o n f o r m . F e v e r a l o n e .
R a t i o p e r c e n t . o f A v e r a g e S t r e n g t h .
A d m i s s i o n f o r m . F e v e r a l o n e .
R a t i o p e r c e n t . o f A v e r a g e S t r e n g t h .
A d m i s s i o n f o r m . F e v e r a l o n e .
R a t i o p e r c e n t . o f A v e r a g e S t r e n g t h .
A d m i s s i o n f o r m . F e v e r a l o n e .
R a t i o p e r c e n t . o f A v e r a g e S t r e n g t h .
1st Regiment M.L.C. ..
..
113
34.39
111
37.96
47
20.52
39
18.22
1st
do. M.N.I.
..
.. 340
51'90
440
66.06
212
30.53
111
18.10
3rd
do. P.L.I.
..
..
331
46.42
307
44.86
116
24.71
268
38.96
29th do. M.N.I. ..
..
307
46'09
560
87.94
423
61.52
236
33.71
40th do.
do.
..
..
222
33.30
100
14.03
330
46.51
224
32.94
Sappers and Miners
..
..
167
79.05
134
70.40
190
65.02
159
55.36
For the whole force actually occupying Secunderabad the percentage of admissions to
average strength was
—
In 1875
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
31.95
„ 1876
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. . ..
41.65
„ 1877
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
50.75
„ 1878
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
45.67
The proportion borne by admissions for fever to admissions for all other causes
—
In 1875
. .
. .
. .
. .
..
. .
. .
. . 1 to 2.44
„ 1876
..
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. . 1 to 2.02
„ 1877
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. . 1 to 1.73
,, 1878 ..
..
..
..
.. ..
. .
. . 1to1.81
The proportion of deaths from fever to deaths from all causes-
In 1875
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. . 1 to 4.66
„ 1876
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. . 1 to 6.66
„ 1877
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. . 1 to 4.40
„ 1878
. .
. .
. .
. . ..
. .
. .
. . 1 to 6.12
The period when fevers prevailed was during the rains and at their cessation, and this
periodicity always obtains. The type of fever for the greater part is ordinary intermittent,
yielding to the usual remedies, and an occasional case of severe remittent.
No estimate from recorded figures can be formed of the salubrity or otherwise of the lines of
each regiment of Natives, for in one year one Native corps will suffer most and the next another,
so we must look to other causes as well as the actual location of the regiment to account for the extra
prevalence of fever one year and its subsidence the next. If it be the condition of the sepoys
from having been exposed to extra duties or defective diet, or an accession of recruits unaccli
-matized, or from unusual exposure to wet, it is difficult to determine and probably beyond
possibility.
One fact is certain, a year of drought is in this station less feverish than a very wet one.
Drainage will to some extent mitigate the prevalence of malaria, but the character of the soil and
the conformation of the land are likely always to render the Native prone to malarial fevers. Note
must however be taken of the lines occupied by the two companies of" Queen's Own" Sappers
and Miners, which are the most unhealthy every year, and in them locality appears to have a
decided influence. No case of enteric fever has occurred among the Native troops or the European
officers and families of those corps.
Statistics of mortality.—The mortality of Native troops in hospital has been slightly higher
than in the two previous years owing to a greater fatality from cholera. The following table
shows the percentage of deaths in hospital to strength and admissions from each corps :—