2
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT
ominous warnings of the preceding year culminated in a famine of grain and of
water, in the establishment of relief-camps and institution of relief-works, and in
widespread suffering and mortality from starvation and pestilence. During the year
under review the famine which commenced in 1876 reached its acmé of severity.
Strength of
the Native
Army.
4. Strength of the Native Army.—The table in the margin shows the strength
Years.
Strength
.
Present. Absent. Total.
1873
. . .
. . . 28,162
1,493
29,665
1874
. . .
. . . 28,301
1,663
29,964
1875
. . .
. . . 27,791
2,465
30,256
1876
...
. . . 27,737
2,813
30,550
1877
...
. . . 27,995
2,177
30,172
of the Native Army for the year under
report and for the preceding four years.
In 1877 the strength of the Army was
30,172, of which aggregate 27,995 were
present for duty and 2,077 absent.
Under the head of absentees have been
included all men on sick leave, on
furlough, and on detachment duty where
there was no Medical officer. The pro-
portion of absentees amounted to 7.21
per cent. against 9.27 per cent. of the preceding year.
Distribution
of the force.
Military Commands.
Average
Strength
Present.
Presidency Division
...
. . . ...
3,319
Northern District ... . . .
. . .
... 2,649
Southern do.
...
... ... ...
3,277
Malabar and Canara
... ... ...
1,918
Mysore Division
...
...
. . . ... 3,056
Ceded Districts ...
. . .
. . . ...
1,633
Hyderabad Subsidiary Force
. . . ...
3,188
Nagpore Force
...
... ... ...
2,856
British Burmah Division ...
. . .
...
3,205
Saugor Circle
... ...
... ... 2,269
Bengal ... ... ... ...
. . . ...
625
Total ... 27,995
5. Distribution of the force.—The
distribution of the army is given in the
marginal table. 16,832 soldiers served
in provinces beyond the limits of the
Civil Administration of the Presidency of
Madras.
Health of the
troops.
6. Health of the troops.—The annexed tables record the principal facts connected
Years. Admitted. Daily
Sick.
Total
Deaths.
Invalided
F o r
Dis-
charge.
For
Sick
Leave.
1874 ... 22,981
867
297
885 636
1875
. . . 22,183
842
357
911
729
1876 ... 21,338
770 384
913
588
Average. 22,167
826
346
903
651
1877 ... 23,953
782
429
731
571
Years.
Rate per Cent. of Strength to
Admis-
sions.
Daily
Sick.
Total
Deaths.
Invalided for
Dis-
charge.
SickL e a v e .
1874 ...
81.20 3.06 .99
2.95 2.12
1875 ...
79.82 3.02 1.17
3.01 2.40
1876 ...
76.92 2.77 1.38
3.29 2.11
Average.
79.31 2.95 1.18
3.08 2.21
1877 ...
85.56 2.79 1.53
2.61 2.03
with the health state of the troops
during the year under review. Though,
as regards the country in general, the
year has been one of widespread sick-
ness and of mortality from famine and
pestilence, yet the army, as a whole, has
largely escaped the incidence of those
evils. The aggregate of admissions to
hospital exceeds the average of the
three immediately preceding years by
1,786, but the number of daily sick has
fallen short of the corresponding average
by 44 ; the total casualties exceed the
average by 83 ; 172 men less than the
same average were discharged and 80
were granted leave on sick certificate.
These facts show how bodies of men
under discipline and medical supervision,
with a moderate supply of food and
protected by sanitary arrangements, may
pass through a season of widespread
famine, sickness and mortality with
comparative immunity. The second
table gives the ratio per cent. of the
aggregates noted in the first table.
Relative rates
of sickness in
the Cavalry
and Infantry.
7. Relative rates of sickness in the Cavalry and Infantry. —The following table
shows the relative incidence of sickness in the Cavalry and Infantry, and contrast
the results of 1877 with the returns of 1874, 1875, and 1876 :—