32
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Duty.
Drill.
Exercises,
Vaccination.
Epidemics.
Phthisis
pulmonalis.
Hospital
ventilation
Drainage and
latrines.
Water-supply.
General
conclusions.
Duty.—The ordinary guards and parades. No injurious influence has been exercised on
health.
Drill.—About an hour from 6 to 7 A.M., also in the afternoons during the drill season.
No injurious influence has been exercised on health.
Exercises.—There is a gymnasium, chiefly used by recruits. Cricket is also played by some
A the men. No advice was given.
Vaccination.—Vaccination has been kept up. 169 cases were vaccinated during the year ; 131
were successful, 30 only were recruits vaccinated after enlistment ; of the remainder 116 were
under and 23 above one year of age. No cases of small-pox have occurred during the past year.
No re-vaccination has been carried on among the men.
Epidemics.—A v e r y l a r g e n u m b e r o f c a s e s o f a g u e o c c u r r e d t h i s y e a r ; 1 8 7 o u t o f 2 6 7 c a s e s
occurred during the months of November and December owing to the setting in of the cold
weather and the very dewy mornings and evenings. Ague was prevalent about the same time
amongst the civil population. Three sepoys were attacked by cholera in May, but recovered.
Four children also were attacked at the same time, of whom three died. Dysentery and diarrhœa
prevail amongst the men more than should be the case. I consider this humid climate and the
indifferent quality of the water in some cases are predisposing causes.
Phthisis pulmonalis.—One case only was treated : the patient was in the chronic stage and
much emaciated. Having slightly improved he was sent away on nine months' sick leave.
Of other diseases of the chest there has been a great diminution as compared with those of the
preceding year, viz., 8 as against 23. There were 5 cases of bronchitis, 1 asthma, 1 pneumonia,
and one of hæmotypsis ; most of these occurred during the cold weather.
Hospital ventilation.— Good. A large increase in the number of patients occurred from
26th November to 4th December, but overcrowding was prevented by placing all the beds
available at the Commissariat Stores, 16 in number, in the two long side verandahs, which are
provided with chicks lined with blue cloth. The men were thus under observation and better off
than in tents.
Drainage and latrines.—Well drained. Latrine is is cleaned twice daily. The dry-earth
system is carried out as well as possible. No representation has been necessary.
Water-supply. Good and sufficient.
General conclusions.— The total number of admissions during the year 1878 shows a very
large increase over the two preceding years in which the regiment was stationed at Cuttack, but
on the other hand the average daily sick was only 15.37 against 20 and 18 in 1877 and 1876,
which is partly due to the trivial nature of many of the admissions. During the first three
quarters of the year the number of admissions was almost identical with those of the corresponding
quarters in the previous two years, but during the last quarter an extraordinarily large number
of cases of ague occurred. Thus out of 267 eases 187 occurred in November and December alone
as against a total average of 120 in previous years ; but the great majority of these were mild
cases of quotidian ague, requiring only four or five days' treatment in hospital.
There was also an increase in the number of cases of diarrhœa 24, dysentery 27, and general
debility 40. The two former diseases are very prevalent amongst the civil population of Orissa.
Respiratory diseases (8) have much diminished. A few eases of cholera occurred in May in the
lines.
The daily number of out-patients treated this year has enormously increased over that of
last year, seriously diminishing the supply of hospital medicine.
1 7 t h R e g i m e n t N a t i v e
I n f a n t r y .
STATION— VIZIANAGRAM.
Arrived from Tonghoo 6th February 1878.
Average strength . .
. .
. . . .
. .
. . . .
. . 661
Do.
do. present ..
. . . .
. .
..
..
.. 614
Admissions
..
. .
. . . .
. .
..
..
.. 420
Daily sick ..
. .
..
..
..
..
..
..
.. 16
Deaths in hospital
..
..
..
..
..
. .
..
5
Do. out of hospital . .
. . ..
. .
. .
..
..
4
Pensioned ..
..
..
..
. .
..
..
..
. . 77
Sick leave ..
..
..
..
..
. . ..
..
..
7
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding, as
contrasted with previous years :—