Years.
Admitted
Daily
Sick.
Total
Deaths.
Invalided
For
Dis-
charge.
For
Sick
Leave.
1875
..
22,183
842
357
911
729
1876
..
21,328
770
384
913
588
1877
..
23,953
782
429
731
571
Average ..
22,488
798
390
851
629
1878
..
24,152
835
447
891
494
Years.
Rate per Cent. to Strength of
Admis-
sions.
Daily
Sick.
Total
Deaths.
Invalided for
Dis-
charge.
Sick L e a v e .
1875
..
79.82
3.02
1.17
3.01
2.40
1876
_
76.92
2.77
1.38
3.29
2.11
1877
..
85.56
2.79
1.53
2.61
2.03
Average ..
80.76
2.86
1.36
2.97
2.18
1878
..
87.64
3.03
1.62
3.23
1.79
2
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT
Distribution
of the force.
Military Commands.
Average
Strength
present.
Presidency Division
..
..
..
..
2,815
Northern District.. ..
.. ..
2,606
Southern do
..
..
..
..
2,560
Malabar and Canara
..
..
..
..
1,327
Mysore Division ..
..
..
..
..
2,005
Ceded Districts . . . .
.. ..
1,629
Hyderabad Subsidiary Force ..
..
..
3,138
Nagpore Force.
..
..
..
..
3,193
British Burmah Division
..
..
..
3,412
Saugor Circle
..
..
..
..
..
1,633
Bengal ..
..
..
..
..
..
1,963
Punjab ..
..
..
..
..
..
1,276
Total ..
27,557
5. Distribution of the force.—The
marginal table shows the geographical
distribution of the Madras Army in
1878. From this it appears that 16,620
men, or more than half of the force,
served in territory not under the Civil
Administration of the Government of
Madras. A new feature in this abstract
is the Contingent sent to the Punjab
during the Afghanistan war. The
Madras troops in Bengal also received
an augmentation in 1878, two extra
regiments having been sent to Calcutta.
Health of the
troops.
Relative rates
of sickness in
the Cavalry
and Infantry.
6. Health of the troops. —The marginal tables give the leading facts in
connection with the health of the Native
Army in 1878, and details as to the
prevailing diseases will be found further
on. In 1877, although the civil popu-
lation suffered greatly from famine and
disease, the health of the troops was not
appreciably affected. This immunity
was no doubt largely due to the pro-
tection afforded by sanitary arrange-
ments and medical care, and to the fact
that the rice-money paid to the sepoy
enabled him to fare somewhat better than
the great mass of the population. From
the regimental reports, however, it
appears that, owing to dearness of food
and other causes, the diet of the sepoy,
although relatively better than that
of the civil population, was not either as
to quantity or quality sufficiently nutri-
tious in 1877 and 1878. For a time the
physique of the men enabled them to
resist the influence of this depressing
cause, but from long continuance it
began to tell in 1878, and influenced to a certain extent the sickness, invaliding
and mortality in the force. The aggregate of admissions to hospital in 1878 exceeded
the average for the preceding three years by 1,664. As regards deaths and number
invalided they exceeded, by 57 and 40 respectively, the average for the three preced-
ing years. The second abstract gives the rates per cent. of the aggregates noted
in the preceding table.
7. Relative rates of sickness in the Cavalry and Infantry.—The following table
contrasts the health state of the Cavalry and Infantry in 1878, and the results of
that year with those of the period 1875—77. In 1878 the health of the Infantry
was better than that of the Cavalry, but the death-rate was higher amongst the
former than amongst the latter. Both Cavalry and Infantry suffered more from
sickness in 1878 than in the preceding period 1875—77. Further details will be
found in Table No. V of Appendix.
Years.
Service.
Strength.
Rate per Cent. to Strength of
Present.
Total.
Admis-
sions.
Daily
Sick.
All
Deaths.
Invalided for
Dis-
charge.
Sick
Leave.
1875 to 1877.
Cavalry .. ..
3,322
3,599
83.32
2.40
1.08
3.49
1.41
1.41
3.04
2.29
Infantry
..
80,161
87,389
80.77
2.88
1878 1
. .
Cavalry ..
1,388
1,462
117.07
3.52
1.08
3.60
.50
Infantry
..
26,169
29,197
86.08
3.00
3.21
1.86
1.65