Strength of
troops.
Health of
troops.
14
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Necessaries of
life.
has been very pleasant. These atmospheric conditions have not seemed to affect the health
of the troops generally in this division injuriously. The medical officer of the 10th Regiment
N.I. at Perambore (Madras), however, has connected an increase in the frequency and
severity of bowel-complaints with the dearness of food, and insufficient supply with deteriorated
quality of the water-supply, consequent on the drought.
Necessaries of life. —These have been scanty in amount and very much enhanced in cost.
Famine-prices have ruled during the latter part of the year.
Invaliding
and sick
leave.
Strength of troops.— Two thousand and thirty-one Hindus, 1,283 Mahomedans, and 263
Christians, form a total of 3,577, the actual strength of black troops in the Centre District
on the 31st December 1876. The average strength for the whole year was 3506.92.
Health of troops .—Judging from the percentage of patients treated to the average
strength of each corps, the health efficiency of all but one has been notably higher in the
past year than that which preceded it. The sole exception is the 37th Regiment N.I., in which
the percentage in question was 0·32 above that of 1875. At the same time, the ratio per cent.
of deaths to average strength has generally been somewhat in excess of that in the previous
twelve-month; to this remark, however, the Native Infantry Depôt presents a striking exception,
as the proportion of mortality has fallen from 16·99 to 8·39.
The following table gives full particulars on this point:—
Regiments.
Stations.
Average
Strength.
Percentage
of Treated
to Average
Strength.
Percentage
of Deaths
to Average
Strength.
His Grace the Governor's Body Guard
Madras
119
61·34
0·84
H.M.'s 10th Regiment M. N.I.
Do.
632
59·81
1·74
„ 13th do. do.
Do.
692
54·23
0·86
„ 14th do. do.
Vellore
695
23·02
0·72
„ 37th do. do.
Madras
688
51·02
1·74
„ 39th do. do. Right Wing Palaveram
335
39·71
0·59
Native Details
St. Thomas' Mount
162
27·16
Native Infantry Depôt
Palaveram
131
116·79
8·39
The principal diseases have been fevers, skin diseases, affections of the bowels, general
debility, rheumatism, diseases of the respiratory system (including phthisis pulmonalis),
wounds and injuries, and maladies of the eye; the relative frequency of which is indicated
in the subjoined table:—
Diseases.
Treated.
Deaths.
Fevers
360
2
Skin diseases
284
T. D.
Bowel-complaints
Dysentery
89 3
158
5
Diarrhœa
69 2
General debility
133
1
Rheumatism
117
Respiratory diseases, including phthisis
96
7
Wounds and injuries
93
Diseases of the eye
72
Invaliding and sick leave. —In this respect also the advantage lies with 1876 over 1875.
There have been only 103 pensioned and 167 sent away on sick leave, against 114 and 230,
the respective figures of the earlier year. The numbers thus disposed of, in the several regi-
ments, are given in the following tabular statement:—
Corps.
Invalided.
Sent on
Sick Leave.
His Grace the Governor's Body Guard
6
5
H. M.'s 10th Regiment M. N. I.
22
11
„ 13th do. do.
15
17
„ 14th do. do.
23
9
„ 37th do. do.
12
15
„ 39th do. do. Right Wing
19
10
Native Details, St. Thomas' Mount.
Native Infantry Depôt
6
100
103
167
Cholera.
Cholera. —During a year in which cholera has prevailed epidemically and fatally to an
alarming degree in Madras and Vellore, it tells well for the general hygienic conditions of our
troops, that only 22 men were seized with the disease and 8 succumbed to it. There were 2