European
Commis-
sioned Officers
Cholera.
Vaccination,
regimental.
By public
vaccinators.
86
MEDICAL AND SANITARY. REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Other
statistics of
the year.
Other statistics of the year. —Diseases of the digestive organs were represented by diarrhœa,
and dysentery. The prevalence of diarrhœa was attributable in a great measure to the dearness
of the season through which we have passed. There were 62 admissions with 7 deaths from
the former, 79 admissions with no deaths from the latter disease. There were 71 admissions
with 4 deaths from diseases of the respiratory system. The admissions from cholera, with. deaths,
will be alluded to under head Cholera.
Small-pox.
European Commissioned Officers. —With an average annual strength of 69 .43 European
Commissioned Officers during the year, there were 40 admissions on the sick report. No deaths.
Cholera first made its appearance in Secunderabad in the month of January, and cases
continued to crop up here and there until 4th of April, when it disappeared. The disease again
made its appearance in May, and lasted till October. In the city of Hyderabad it may be said
to have been prevalent more or less during the whole year.
The following table will show the number of attacks and deaths among the Native troops,
their families. camp-followers. and the Cantonment of Secunderabad :—
Attacks. Deaths.
Troops
...
...
•••
...
...
... ...
... 12
8
Fami l i es Women
..
......
...
...
... 7
2
Children
. . . ...
...
...
. . .
...
3
2
Cam p -followers
...
...
. . .
...
5
2
Total ... 27
14
In the Cantonment of Secunderabad there were 110 attacks with 42 deaths ; of the above
55 were received and treated as in-patients in the civil dispensary. Out of the 55 so treated there
were 21 deaths. "Quarantine " was not attempted to be established during the prevalence of
cholera between the city of Hyderabad and Cantonment, the reason being its utter imprac-
ticability owing to the open situation of the cantonment, its accessibility from all sides not
being confined to roads, and the constant stream of intercourse between the two places. It is
now pretty generally admitted that the inconvenience and hardships entailed by " quarantine "
when strictly carried out, have been such as to far outweigh any good results that have been
observed to follow its enforcement.
Small-pox made its appearance in the month of January 1877, and continued more or
less in the bazaar till September. No returns rendered by Cantonment Magistrate. Only 2 cases
of small-pox " modified, " and 1 case of varicella took place amongst the families of the sepoys.
Vaccination has been steadily carried out during the year. The number of vaccinations by
medical subordinates as shown by the returns was 2,177, of which 1,765 (or 81 . 07 per cent.) were
successful ; this against 1,404 cases, of which 1,086 or 77 . 35 were successful last year.
The number of operations performed by the public vaccinators was 6,593 against 4,411
in 1876.
Successful operations in 1877
...
. . .
. . .
... 5,903 or 89 . 53 per cent.
D o . d o . i n 1 8 7 6
. . .
. . .
. . . ... 3,956 or 89 . 68
do.
Lock
Hospitals.
LocK Hospitals. —The working of the Lock Hospital during the year shows a slight increase
(25) in the admissions of European troops for venereal disease into British hospitals, as also
a large increase in the admissions of public women into the Lock as compared with the year
1876. There were 512 admissions for venereal disease into the European hospitals in an
average strength of 2,879 Europeans against 487 with an average strength 3,243 in 1876,
giving a ratio of admissions per mille of strength of 177 . 83 against 150 . 17 in 1876.
In 1877 there were 236 admissions from primary syphilis, 67 from secondary syphilis, and
189 from gonorrhœa against 179 admissions from primary syphilis, 219 from secondary syphilis,
and 219 from gonorrhœa in 1876.
The statement to be found at page 6 of the report by the Medical Officer in charge of the
" Lock " shows a marked variation in the percentage of admissions to strength in regiments and
batteries. In explanation of this, the Medical Officer in charge of Royal Artillery states
I. —As the 3 batteries of Royal Artillery at Trimulgherry are all under the same conditions
as regards discipline, supervision, &c., the difference in greater number of admissions from
venereal disease, in one of them over the others, cannot be accounted for otherwise than as
a coincidence.
II.—There is no system of check to prevent clandestine prostitution which would appear to be
more a police matter.
III.—The Regimental Police do not exercise any supervision over prostitutes " clandestine or
otherwise ; " the only orders they have on this subject are that any woman found
loitering about the lines is to be handed over to the civil police.
The officer in medical charge of the 12th Lancers is of opinion that the variation is too
small a one to enable true deduction to be drawn therefrom. With regard to
H.M.'s 44th Regiment " which has left the station for Burmah," and whose admissions are largest,
their quarters were nearest to Trimulgherry bazaar, " the principal source of the disease," and